Jack Nicholson was all smiles as he celebrated his 89th birthday this week, with his daughter Lorraine Nicholson sharing rare photos of the legendary actor on social media.
Lorraine, 36, posted a snapshot to her Instagram Story showing her beaming father clapping in an armchair, with his friend Joni Mitchell visible in the background. She captioned the photo simply: "89!!"
The actress also included a throwback picture of her father clutching a cigar and flashing his famous grin while wearing a red Diet Coke T-shirt, with the tagline "89?"
Last Thanksgiving, Lorraine shared a celebratory photo with her dad and her brother Ray as part of an Instagram carousel she called a "November to remember." The slideshow also featured pictures with her boyfriend, director Jason Reitman.
As she rang in the New Year, Lorraine posted another photo dump from her Christmas holidays that showed a sweet embrace between father and daughter.
"So great to see your dad...the picture of you two is priceless," one fan wrote, with another declaring, "He is the best Hollywood will ever get."
Filmmaker Nancy Meyers, who directed Nicholson in 2003's Something's Gotta Give, commented, "Your dad looks great."
In addition to offering rare glimpses into her father's life, Lorraine has made headlines for an essay she wrote for W Magazine in which she criticized Los Angeles as the "status-anxiety capital of the world" and "a city where people will chase clout to the grave."
Nicholson keeps a low profile
Once a staple on the Hollywood scene, Nicholson has stayed out of the spotlight in recent years, retiring from acting after his role in 2010's How Do You Know opposite Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, and Owen Wilson.
In February 2025, the three-time Oscar winner attended Saturday Night Live's 50th anniversary special, where he introduced a skit featuring his Anger Management co-star Adam Sandler.
Before that, the last public sighting of Nicholson was at a Los Angeles Lakers playoff game in April 2023. A video shared on social media showed The Shining star hugging Lakers star LeBron James before tipoff. It was the first time Nicholson had sat in his courtside seats since the opening-night game in 2021.
Nicholson has been a season ticket holder for the Lakers since the 1970s and is widely considered the team's most famous fan. According to the Associated Press, during the team's heyday, he famously adjusted his shooting schedules and personal meetings to keep himself free for every big Lakers game.
Fans trash viral paparazzi pics
In April 2023, paparazzi snapped Nicholson on the balcony of his Beverly Hills home wearing an oversized orange T-shirt and baggy sweatpants. The photos were shared by the Daily Mail with the caption: "Jack Nicholson, 85, looks dishevelled on LA balcony as he's seen for first time in TWO YEARS."
But Nicholson's supporters quickly lashed out at the "garbage publication" for posting the pictures. One person tweeted, "Today in news: 85-year-old man who just woke up looks like an 85-year-old man who just woke up. More at 10."
"I can't believe some vulture would hang outside his balcony like this," a second critic scolded, with a third dismissing the photos as "tasteless."
"I wonder if the photographer sat there for 18 months waiting for the perfect shot," another person wrote on Facebook. "When you're Jack Nicholson, 85, you can look however the f*** you want to look," a fifth fan tweeted. "He's 85. Why not leave Jack Nicholson alone?" another supporter begged.
Earlier that year, close friends expressed concern about the legendary actor's disappearance from the public eye as he increasingly lived as a recluse. "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," a source told RadarOnline in January 2023.
Some friends worried that Nicholson was heading down the same path as his longtime pal Marlon Brando, who became a recluse before his death at age 80 in 2004. "Brando died a virtual recluse after leading such a colourful life, and Jack's friends are drawing comparisons," the source said.
