'Detached from reality': Jack Nicholson's friends fear legend will die a recluse like Marlon Brando
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Friends of Jack Nicholson reportedly fear the legendary actor will die a recluse like his late pal Marlon Brando as he hasn't appeared in public in over a year.
Nicholson, 85, remains one of Hollywood's most decorated actors, racking up a staggering twelve Academy Award nominations and three wins in his career. However, the star of 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest' and 'The Shining' hasn't appeared on screen since 2010 and in public since last year, resulting in widespread speculation about his retirement from both public life and acting. Nicholson reportedly remains holed up in his lavish Mulholland Drive mansion and hasn't been seen out and about since he attended a Los Angeles Lakers basketball game on October 19, 2021, with his 30-year-old son Ray.
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"He's made it clear his home is his castle. But people just wish he'd come out of the house and pop up to tell them how — or at least reassure folks he's OK," an insider told Radar Online. "Jack's in touch with certain relatives — especially Ray, his protégé, who he's so proud of — but his socializing days are long gone," they said. According to the source, the megastar's pals are worried he's following in the footsteps of fellow acting legend Brando. "Brando died a virtual recluse after leading such a colorful life, and Jack's friends are drawing the comparisons," the insider continued. "His kids will visit, but they're his only connection to the world. It's like he doesn't want to face reality anymore — and that's just sad."
"Jack and I have been friends for years and he doesn't leave his house anymore... I think his son and daughter are looking after him now,” a pal of his said in September 2021. "The Mulholland Drive community is pretty close-knit, and they are all worried about him. Physically he is fine — but his mind is gone. It's really sad to see such a super talented actor, like Jack, go out this way," the friend continued. Nicholson's last acting gig was in the 2010 romantic comedy 'How Do You Know' starring Reese Witherspoon and Owen Wilson. Over the next couple of years, rumors swirled that the star had retired due to memory problems. However, he was quick to shut down such claims.
“I have a mathematician’s brain,” Nicholson clarified to The Sun in 2013, adding, “I’m not going to work until the day I die, that’s not why I started this. I mean, I’m not driven. I was driven – but I’m not, I don’t have to be out there anymore." The accomplished thespian further reflected, “The movie business is the greatest business, but I only want to do films that move people, films about emotions and people. I had the most chilling thought that maybe people in their twenties and thirties don’t actually want to be moved anymore. They may want just to see more bombs, more explosions, because that is what they have grown up with. And I’ll never do that type of movie.”