Once you've been really bad in a movie, there's a certain kind of fearlessness you develop. Jack Nicholson More Quotes by Jack Nicholson More Quotes From Jack Nicholson I began to think that the finest modern writer was the screen actor. This was in the spirit of the Fifties where a very antiliterary literature was emerging - Kenneth Patchen and others. I kind of believed what Nietzsche said, that nothing not written in your blood is worth reading; it's just more pollution of the airwaves. Jack Nicholson reading blood thinking I've always understood money; it's not a big mystical thing to me. Jack Nicholson mystical understood bigs Have you ever danced with the Devil in the pale moonlight? Jack Nicholson batman-movie moonlight devil Because you know, down deep in my heart, when all is said and done, I still live under the illusion that basically people think of me as an up-and-coming young actor. Jack Nicholson heart people thinking There are short parts that I as an actor am very right for. Or I just like the part. Or you need someone like me for the movie. By that I don't mean at the box office, I mean in the execution of the material. Jack Nicholson office mean needs The first role I ever played I had the lead and it's pretty much stayed that way, though people take great relish in calling me a character actor, which I am. There are a lot of short parts I could play, but I only do them when they are like this ("A Few Good Men"), central to the idea of the movie. Jack Nicholson play character ideas It [TV] is the cancer of film. It's why people can't be educated to film. In the late '60s, we expected to see a movie or two every week and be stimulated, excited and inspired. And we did. Every week after week. Antonioni, Goddard, Truffaut - this endless list of people. And then comes television and home video. I know how to work exactly for the big screen, but it doesn't matter what I think about the art of movie-making versus TV. Jack Nicholson cancer home art I know I can act. There aren't too many other jobs I know how to do Jack Nicholson ability know-how jobs It's the post-literate generation that is most disturbing to a movie-maker. The explosions and the knifings. People like to go to what's hot and you can't get past a certain gross unless you involve children who go more than once. Jack Nicholson children people past Million bucks won't see you through a major health crisis. Jack Nicholson bucks crisis majors I can't hit on women in public any more. I didn't decide this; it just doesn't feel right at my age. Jack Nicholson feels-right age birthday I suppose I can do more for a script as an actor than as a writer - in the film sense. Jack Nicholson scripts film actors I was invited to join the MGM cartoon department. But if I'd started work in animation I'd have had to take a cut in salary, so I didn't. Jack Nicholson salary cutting cartoon I feel very lucky because I don't think there's any part I can't play. There are parts that scare me more than others. Jack Nicholson scare play thinking It's a slight stretch of the imagination but most people are alike in most ways so I've never had any trouble identifying with the character that I'm playing. Jack Nicholson imagination character people I sort of understood that when I first started: that you shouldn't repeat a success. Very often you're going to, and maybe the first time you do, it works. And you love it. But then you're trapped. Jack Nicholson congratulations first-time firsts If I go into a restaurant there's a very good chance that I'm going to spend my time being the mayor. If I want to have a good time, I'm happier having dinner here. Jack Nicholson dinner chance want I have never felt brutalized as an actor. Many actors do, some times, but I've never had that experience. If I'm not happy with the balance, I just won't work with that person again. Jack Nicholson not-happy balance actors One of my school friends' parents owned a minigolf course, and a bunch of us kids would play there all day in the summer. Two-under deuces was a good score. Jack Nicholson summer kids school There's a period just before you start a movie when you start thinking, I don't know what in the world I'm going to do. It's free-floating anxiety. In my case, though, this is over by lunch the first day of shooting. Jack Nicholson movie lunch thinking
