At 89, Hollywood veteran Jack Nicholson lives his life away from the spotlight, and now it is his son, Ray Nicholson’s turn to shine as he stars in the new film “The Mosquito Bowl,” which is in theaters and will premiere on Netflix on November 25.
Ray Nicholson Reveals How He Communicates With His Famous Father
In a chat with his sister, Lorraine Nicholson, for Interview magazine, published on Thursday, November 12, Ray revealed that he connects with his father through their mutual love of basketball.
“I love sports so much. It’s also the language of love that me and dad share,” Ray said. “We can’t talk about a lot, but we can talk about the (expletive) Lakers until kingdom come.” Ray and Lorraine are two of Jack’s six children from five relationships. Their mother is actress Rebecca Broussard.
In his interview, Ray revealed that before pursuing acting, he thought he would go to Boston College and play football. “I thought I was going to be Jerry Maguire,” he said. He felt “really scared” to tell Jack he wanted to act, but going to USC changed everything when he discovered a love for filmmaking. “My education really taught me that dad isn’t god,” he said. “He’s not the only thing in this film industry. He’s a beautiful part of it, but a very small part. Yes, of course, making dad proud is high on my list, but this is really a way of finding who I am. And I feel that I’m on the right path to that.”
Ray Nicholson Becomes Vulnerable While Reflecting on His Childhood
Ray also showed vulnerability as he reflects on his feelings of inadequacy and shame as a child. He explained how he was overweight and “probably weighed the same as I do now when I was nine years old.”
He continued, “I just had this sense of shame growing up. At my first basketball practice, we were running around the court as a warm-up lap, and I was so exhausted, and these kids were effortlessly running ahead of me. I literally tripped over the half court, and I was so ashamed I had to sit out crying the rest of the practice. But these guys picked me up, and so much of sports is about family, brotherhood, and lifting someone up. I was a total stranger, and these were all inner-city kids, and I had never experienced anything like that.”
Ray reflected the important role that coaches play. “Every coach that you have becomes a surrogate father and somebody that’s really pushing you. I really respond to that. I’m very averse to love,” he shared.
Ray has previously spoken about his father in an interview with People, revealing how it was challenging to be compared to Jack early in his career. “It’s so hard. I think for me the thing is just keeping it really simple. When I first started taking acting classes and doing the simplest of Meisner exercises, I was comparing myself to a three-Oscar-winning, five-decade career,” he said.
Jack Nicholson’s Son Ray Nicholson Makes Rare Comments on His Famous Father & How They Bond