The Iconic Roles That Jack Nicholson Turned Down

When you look back on the career of Jack Nicholson, it’s hard to not immediately jump to the conclusion of him just being the greatest film actor of all time. I mean, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Chinatown, The Shining, The Departed, his record is undeniable. And it somehow was almost a lot longer.

Nicholson has rejected a lot of big roles in his tenure, so let’s look back on some of the biggest ones.

Roy Neary in Close Encounters of the Third Kind

'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'Credit: Columbia Pictures

What’s perhaps most strange about this near casting is not that Nicholson almost had Dreyfuss’ part, but that Spielberg’s follow-up film to Jaws struggled to find someone to play the part at all. In addition to Nicholson, the part was offered to actors including Gene Hackman, Al Pacino, Steve McQueen, and Dustin Hoffman, who all turned it down due to various conflicts.

Dreyfuss had been loudly campaigning to Spielberg since their time on Jaws for the part, since he felt that he was perfect for the role. Spielberg initially disagreed, citing that he thought Dreyfuss was too young, but then when push came to shove, he ultimately changed his mind. The right decision, in my opinion, as seeing Nicholson in this role is a bit of a weird image to picture.

Raymond Babbitt in Rain Man

‘Rain Man’Credit: United Artists

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