Jack Nicholson’s son Ray Nicholson reveals what his relationship with Hollywood royalty dad is really like
Jack Nicholson is absolute Hollywood royalty, but for the best part of two decades, he's been lying under the radar.
The three-time Academy Award-winning actor took a step back after his last film, How Do You Know, to enjoy retirement at the age of 73... although he never officially confirmed that he was retiring from the industry.
At the grand old age of 89, the icon is rarely seen - but for an appearance during SNL's 50th anniversary last year.
Now, his son Ray Nicholson has opened up about his relationship with his dad, admitting they only really connect over their shared love of sports.
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The 34-year-old actor, recently sat down for a candid interview with his sister Lorraine ahead of the release of his new Netflix film, The Mosquito Bowl - a World War II drama based on the book by Buzz Bissinger.
It follows four college football stars who set aside their NFL dreams to enlist in the US Marines following the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Ray plays the role of Tony Butkovich - which required a month of intense military and football training in Australia alongside co-stars Bill Skarsgård and Tom Francis.
Despite having always dreamed of being an athlete, he had a sudden career change which he at first was 'scared' to tell his dad about.
Even with his Jack's legendary status in Hollywood, Ray insisted he is determined to carve out his own path in the industry.
"My education really taught me that dad isn’t god. He’s not the only thing in this film industry," he said.
"He’s a beautiful part of it, but a very small part.
"Yes, of course, making dad proud is high on my list, but this is really a way of finding who I am. And I feel that I’m on the right path to that."
The decision to become an actor ultimately brought the pair closer together - but the main thing the pair talk about is basketball.
"I love sports so much. It’s also the language of love that me and dad share," Ray explained to his sister.
"We can’t talk about a lot, but we can talk about the f***ing Lakers until kingdom come."
Before pursuing a career as an actor, Ray admitted to having been a chubby kid who dreamed of playing professional football.
"I was fully a fat kid," Ray laughed, noting that he weighed the same at nine years old as he does today.
Ray noted that his early football coaches quickly became surrogate fathers to him, pushing him to succeed in ways his own dad couldn't.
He said: "Every coach that you have becomes a surrogate father and somebody that’s really pushing you. I really respond to that."
Despite winning multiple awards during his high school football career, his sporting dreams were suddenly cut short by a serious injury - he developed a staph infection in his arm that turned into a life-threatening case of MRSA.
"They put a mark on my arm that was like, 'If it gets past here, we’re cutting your arm,'" he recalled.
It was then that he decided to move into acting.
Topics: Jack Nicholson, Hollywood, Netflix, Entertainment
Joe Yates
