An American remake of this year’s Oscar frontrunner for Best Foreign Language Film, “Toni Erdmann,” is the first project to lure the legendary actor Jack Nicholson out of semi-retirement. His last film was “How Do You Know” in 2010 for director James L. Brooks. Will this movie comeback be Nicholson’s chance to extend his Academy Awards records for nominations and wins?
Oscar-winning writer Adam McKay (“The Big Short”) will executive producer along with the German comedy’s director/writer Maren Ade, Jonas Dornback, Janine Jackowski, Will Ferrell, and Jessica Elbaum. Paramount will distribute but is still looking for the director and writer of the new effort. Nicholson’s leading lady will be Kristen Wiig (“Bridesmaids,” “Ghostbusters”).
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Nicholson is the all-time record holder among actors with 12 Oscar nominations. That ties him with Katharine Hepburn but is quite a long way from Meryl Streep with 20 (her latest this year for “Florence Foster Jenkins”). He is tied with Walter Brennan and Daniel Day-Lewis with three acting wins for men. Streep and Ingrid Bergman also have three, while Hepburn has four.
Let’s look back at the extraordinary Oscar career for Nicholson:
Best Supporting Actor for “Easy Rider” (1969); lost to Gig Young (“They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?”)
Best Actor for “Five Easy Pieces” (1970); lost to George C. Scott (“Patton”)
Best Actor for “The Last Detail” (1973); lost to Jack Lemmon (“Save the Tiger”)
Best Actor for “Chinatown” (1974); lost to Art Carney (“Harry and Tonto”)
Best Actor for “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975); WIN
Best Supporting Actor for “Reds” (1981); lost to John Gielgud (“Arthur”)
Best Supporting Actor for “Terms of Endearment” (1983); WIN
Best Actor for “Prizzi’s Honor” (1985); lost to William Hurt (“Kiss of the Spider Woman”)
Best Actor for “Ironweed” (1987); lost to Michael Douglas (“Wall Street”)
Best Supporting Actor for “A Few Good Men” (1992); lost to Gene Hackman (“Unforgiven”)
Best Actor for “As Good As It Gets” (1997); WIN
Best Actor for “About Schmidt” (2002); lost to Adrien Brody (“The Pianist”)
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