Ranking the Best Performances from Jack Nicholson

Earlier this week, Jack Nicholson celebrated his 88th birthday. He’s been retired for years now, having last appeared in How Do You Know back in 2010. Even having been no longer on our screens with new material for a decade and a half, he remains a name on the tip of any film fan’s tongue. They just don’t make em like Jack, in so many ways. With this being his birthday week and his resume seemingly complete, it feels like a nice time to go over his best performances, which is just gem after gem.

Nicholson is obviously one of the all-timers in the industry, with a career that spanned decades, including a trio of Academy Awards. He took home the Oscar for Best Actor both for As Good As It Gets and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, while he won Best Supporting Actor for Terms of Endearment. Two of those Oscars came working with James L. Brooks, who also captured his final film performance, but no matter who he worked with, Nicholson was on the money with iconic performances.

Below, you can see my Nicholson ranking. With someone as legendary as this, as well as so great at his craft, your mileage will undoubtedly vary. For me, I can’t argue with As Good As It Gets or One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, but right up there I would put About Schmidt, which turned down his iconic charm in really interesting ways. I’d also throw out The Pledge as a deeply underrated turn by Nicholson. However you slice it, there’s so many bangers to choose from, so you really can’t go wrong with however you construct this list.

Here now is how I would rank the best performances from Jack Nicholson. Behold:

Honorable Mention: Batman, The Departed, A Few Good Men, Five Easy Pieces, and The Last Detail,

10. The King of Marvin Gardens

9. The Shining

8. Reds

7. The Crossing Guard

6. Chinatown

5. Terms of Endearment

4. The Pledge

3. About Schmidt

2. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

1. As Good As It Gets

What are your favorite Jack Nicholson performances? Let us know!