Method acting is indeed quite a difficult skill in which not many can excel. However, there are actors like Batman star, Jack Nicholson who have honed the art to a great extent thus leaving an indelible mark on the entertainment world. His charismatic performances are a testament to his impeccable skills that have left audiences captivated. But, despite his widespread recognition, what if his skills are not recognized?
Something similar once happened as he got disappointed when he saw an article online that featured acclaimed method actors but Nicholson was not one of them.
Jack Nicholson Talked About His Method Acting Skills
In an interview with Esquire, 1989’s Batman actor, Jack Nicholson recalled his conversation with fellow actor, Sean Penn when he eventually addressed an article that didn’t mention him in the acclaimed method actors list.
He shared,
“I was talking to Sean Penn on the phone today. I told him it was interesting that they managed to leave me off this long list of method actors they’d published in some article.”
While it would have made anyone feel bothered, it was an accomplishment for him since he is aware of his great craft. In the same interview, he shared,
“I told him, ‘I’m still fooling them!’ I consider it an accomplishment. Because there’s probably no one who understands method acting better academically than I do, or actually uses it more in this work. But it’s funny – nobody really sees that. It’s perception versus reality, I suppose.”
He is truly a great actor who has used different techniques to intensify his method of acting to get into a character. His one classic method acting example is his 1969 project Easy Rider in which he smoked 155 joints on set for his character, George Hanson’s stoned look. It was just one of the many instances that impressed the audiences with Joker being one of them. He revealed how he ended up associating with the 1989 film.
Jack Nicholson Joined Batman Due to Tim Burton
Nicholson portrayed the antagonist role of Joker opposite Michael Keaton’s caped crusader in Tim Burton’s movie. Gaining widespread acclaim for his portrayal, he once told MTV News why he joined the project.
He praised the filmmaker for his righteous approach to the movie stating,
“Tim Burton’s a genius. He had the right take on it. That’s why I did the movie. I did the movie based on a single conversation with him. We both come from the cartoon world originally. We had similar ideas. Tim said [the Joker] should have a humorous dark side to him.”
In the same interview, he further mentioned how the gruesome character is a crucial part of his childhood which was another factor that led him to get involved with the movie. Meanwhile, Keaton’s movie was an incredible success both critically and commercially racking over $400 million at the worldwide box office.
Batman is available to watch on Max.
