Arte broadcasts this Sunday January 26, 2025 at 8:05 p.m., Dr. Jack & Mr. Nicholson. In this fascinating documentary, we find out why Jack Nicholson refused an important role in the film The Godfather.
With his unmistakable smile, Jack Nicholson is considered one of the sacred monsters of cinema… And rightly so! A true chameleon, this actor adapts to all registers by bringing any type of character to life. The one who plays Jack Torrance in Shining notably worked with the greatest directors such as Tim Burton, Miloš Forman, Stanley Kubrick, Roger Corman. In this non-exhaustive list appears the name of Francis Ford Coppola. A few years later The HallucinatedJack Nicholson could have worked again with the famous filmmaker… And not on just any film! The documentary Dr. Jack & Mr. Nicholson broadcast this Sunday, January 26, 2025, at 8:05 p.m., on Arte highlights the reasons for Jack Nicholson’s refusal.
Why did Jack Nicholson refuse to star in The Godfather ?
In the late 1960s, Jack Nicholson’s career finally took off. The actor owes this flight to his role in Easy Rider released in theaters in 1969. In this Dennis Hopper film, he plays George Hanson, a secondary role that he did not even ask for. However, his interpretation of the lawyer who is a little too inclined to drink gives a big boost to his career. Very quickly, the actor is overwhelmed by role offers and can even afford to be selective. Jack Nicholson notably refuses to play the main character in Francis Ford Coppola’s cult film: The Godfather. The documentary broadcasts an archive extract in which the star explains this choice: “The Godfather promised to be a good film. I always wanted to work with Marlon. But I was offered the lead role and I felt it should go to an Italian. And I didn’t have any scenes with him. Marlon in the script so I refused.”
Jack Nicholson and Marlon Brando: a later collaboration
Jack Nicholson lamented the lack of footage with Marlon Brando who plays the Corleone family patriarch in The Godfather. However, the two actors teamed up a few years later on the set of The Missouri Breaks. This western, released in cinemas in 1976, tells the story of the disagreement between a peaceful farmer and his new neighbor, a cattle thief. After the bandit has done some bad things to him, the farmer, determined to find peace, calls on a mercenary. Even though it brings together two of the biggest cinema stars of the time, The Missouri Breaks was not very successful. However, the complicity of its main duo was there.
