Before I moved into the mainstream of American movies, I wrote a script as an experiment. I wanted to get very far away from the clichés about the three-act play - structure, development. Jack Nicholson More Quotes by Jack Nicholson More Quotes From Jack Nicholson The stage has a certain discipline. But the ultimate standard is more exacting in film, because you have to see yourself and you are your own toughest critic. Jack Nicholson standards discipline film If men are honest, everything they do and everywhere they go is for a chance to see women. Jack Nicholson honest chance men I'm a scamp. I don't deny it. I like myself. Jack Nicholson deny Once you've been really bad in a movie, there's a certain kind of fearlessness you develop. Jack Nicholson hollywood film kind This town needs an enema! Jack Nicholson towns needs For a long time, I was afraid to be alone. I had to learn how to be alone. And there are still times when I think, Uh-oh! I gotta talk to somebody here or I'm gonna go crazy! But I like to be alone. Now I do. I really do. There's a big luxury in solitude. Jack Nicholson luxury crazy thinking Early on, if I was alone two three nights in a row, I'd start writing poems about suicide. Jack Nicholson suicide writing night I love working with women directors. They don't mind making you cute. Jack Nicholson mind cute directors Comedy is more difficult. You can look at scenes when you're doing a drama like, Maybe it works, but in comedy, when you're doing it, either it works or it doesn't. You have to keep doing it until it does, and the requirement is more. Jack Nicholson doe drama looks Comedy is much harder, it's a lot more exacting. You can't just be real and you can't just use the same kind of techniques you use to fill up a regular scene. Jack Nicholson technique real use I would never complain about my life, even though I really would like to have a mate. Jack Nicholson mates complaining When it's over for a woman, it's over. You're not getting an appeal. Jack Nicholson boyfriend husband relationship Decent people shouldn't live here. They'd be happier some place else. Jack Nicholson batman-movie decent people You look at someone long enough, you discover their humanity. Jack Nicholson good-as-it-gets humanity long I've never lost a friend over work. I come from a small-town environment and I remember my childhood impressions that, if you were a conniver or a fink or whatever, everybody knew about it and you were a louse for the rest of your life. So I never lost those values in some way. Jack Nicholson rest-of-your-life childhood way I certainly knew my father. He just didn't happen to be my biological father. Jack Nicholson biological-fathers happens father I have a lot of vanity. Jack Nicholson vanity I wanted to be the best actor possible. I worked very hard at the craft of it. Jack Nicholson crafts being-the-best actors There's probably no one who understands Method acting better academically than I do, or actually uses it more in his work. But it's funny - nobody really sees that. It's perception versus reality, I suppose. Jack Nicholson acting perception reality Always try in interviews to avoid the cliches about the problems of public life. Jack Nicholson interviews problem trying