Jack Nicholson may be one of the most celebrated actors in Hollywood history, but the legendary star once admitted there is still one thing missing from his life — lasting romance.
The 89-year-old screen icon, who has largely stepped away from acting and has not appeared in a film since the 2010 romantic comedy How Do You Know, previously shared his hopes for finding love again later in life. Despite a career filled with acclaim, including three Academy Awards and 12 Oscar nominations, Nicholson confessed that his personal life has not always felt as successful.
In a past interview with Closer, Nicholson revealed that he still longed for “one last romance,” though he admitted he was not especially optimistic about it becoming reality. Reflecting on aging, he described himself as “wild at heart” while acknowledging that time had inevitably changed him.
The actor also explained that he no longer feels comfortable approaching women publicly the way he once might have, saying it simply no longer feels appropriate at his age. Although he said he has experienced nearly everything a man could hope for professionally, he admitted his love life remained an area where he never truly found lasting fulfillment.
Nicholson’s most famous relationship was with Oscar-winning actress Anjelica Huston. The pair met in 1973 during Nicholson’s birthday celebration at his Mulholland Drive home in Los Angeles and went on to have an intense, on-and-off romance that lasted close to 20 years. Their relationship ultimately ended in 1990 after Nicholson fathered a child with actress Rebecca Broussard. He and Broussard later welcomed two children together, Lorraine and Ray.
Before Huston, Nicholson was married to actress Sandra Knight from 1962 until 1968, and the former couple share a daughter. He also has children from relationships with actress Susan Anspach, Danish model Winnie Hollman, and waitress Jennine Gourin.
Although Nicholson has kept a low profile in recent years, there is still speculation that the Hollywood legend may one day return to acting. Longtime collaborator James L. Brooks — who directed Nicholson in Terms of Endearment and As Good as It Gets, both of which earned the actor Oscars — recently suggested Nicholson has not officially retired. Brooks shared that the actor continues reading scripts, hinting that audiences may still see him back on screen in the future.
