There was probably no better heavyweight actor than Nicholson during the 70s. But there was one thing he could not play, and that was Italian. No one knew that better than him, which is why he actually turned down the role of Michael Corleone as the godfather in the hit film, “The Godfather.”
The 1972 role ultimately went to another legend, Al Pacino who completely embodied the character throughout the entire trilogy. To be honest, we can not quite see it any other way, and it is amazing how Nicholson had the sense to decline such an incredible role, even at his own expense.
He Lived on the Most Infamous Street in Hollywood
Jack Nicholson resides in one cool area known as "Bad Boy Drive." The iconic street Mulholland Drive housed legends like Warren Beatty and Marlin Brando (who were his neighbors) over the years. The actor upgraded his lifestyle after he wrapped up filming on the classic flick "Easy Rider."
As you can imagine, a trio of these actors living in the same vicinity, during the '70s sounds like one nonstop party. And believe it or not, but that is exactly what it was. This street was the epicenter of the elite counter-culture scene at the time. And Nicholson was right at the center of it.
His Best Buddy, Danny
Everyone needs a bestie, even big time Hollywood stars. For Nicholson, that special friend is one of his earliest co-stars, a legend himself, Danny DeVito. The two starred in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" along with Christopher Lloyd and have remained buds ever since.
The two actors both hail from New Jersey and went on to be pretty big film stars. Actually, scratch that. "Pretty big" is a bit of an understatement. We'd go as far as to say they went on to be two of the biggest Hollywood stars of all time. Together, they've practically spent most of their lives in the industry.
Connected to the Playboy Mansion
According to a 2015 report on the Playboy Mansion, it was discovered that Jack Nicholson's property, among some others, has a secret tunnel that connects to Hugh's famous home. The information came to light after some journalists revealed certain polaroids and blueprints of the famous mansion.
Warren Beatty and Kirk Douglas also appeared to be some of the names linked to these secret playboy tunnels but have all remained rather tight lipped on the matter. It looks like we will never know the details about the supposed "fun house" and we are sure there is a good reason for that!
The Famous Trip to Cuba
Jack Nicholson was known to be the life of the party, and his popularity didn't end at elite Hollywood circles. It actually extended all the way to Cuba. His famous 1998 trip to the Caribbean island was met with a few raised eyebrows but also friendly smiles, specifically from the Cuban leader himself, Fidel Castro.
The actor found himself partying up with the former president. Together they hopped around the city's many hotspots, cigars in hand, having themselves a good ol' time. We are fully aware that Jack Nicholson enjoys going on vacation as much as the next actor, but this is taking things to a whole new level.