Michael Douglas says he still sees Jack Nicholson, 89, who’s spending his time at home after stepping away from acting.
“He’s well. He has disappeared.” — Michael Douglas
Speaking at an Oct. 26 show for his memoir, “One Helluva Ride,” in Swansea, Wales, Douglas, 82, offered a glimpse of his longtime friend’s quieter life.
“I still see him, but he is fine. He is up there by his house and walking around in his slippers,” Douglas said. “It happens. He deserves it. I understand. He is a few years older than me, but I understand.”
Nicholson attended the “Saturday Night Live” 50th anniversary special on Feb. 16, 2025, seated with his daughter Lorraine. He introduced his “Anger Management” co-star with the words, “Ladies and gentlemen, Adam Sandler.”
Around his April 22 birthday this year, Lorraine shared an Instagram Story showing him smiling and clapping with Joni Mitchell nearby. Her caption read “89!!”
Douglas also said he would’ve liked to act alongside Nicholson. They’ve never shared an acting credit, though Douglas produced “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975), which starred Nicholson. His father, Kirk Douglas, had spent years trying to get the book adapted, and the production waited 6 months for Nicholson to be available.
Nicholson nearly skipped the 1976 Oscars after 4 previous losses. “I had to literally drag him,” Douglas recalled.
As early awards went to other films, Nicholson kept telling him, “I told you, Mikey D!” Their film ultimately won the top 5 Oscars, including Nicholson’s first best actor award.
Nicholson’s last film was “How Do You Know” in 2010. He described his changing priorities in 2013: “I’m not driven. I was driven, but I’m not, I don’t have to be out there any more.”