Morgan Freeman on the experience of working with Jack Nicholson | CPT PPP Coverage

Nicholson is up there with Freeman in status, cited as one of the greatest actors ever appearing on the screen. Where Freeman overpowers a scene through his trademark vocal work and solemn persona, Nicholson does the same with his wild, immersing eye contact and eccentric yet controlled energy. When asked in 1985 about how he views himself as an actor, Nicholson revealed: “As an actor, I want to give in to the collaboration with the director because I don’t want my work to be all the same. The more this can be done with comfort, the more variety my work has had. I think this is inherent to the actors’ craft. It is a chosen theoretical point of departure.” This method came through in The Shining, the acclaimed horror film Nicholson starred in under the direction of Stanley Kubrick, a perfectionist who provided non-stop feedback to Nicholson in between shootings. 

Nicholson also appeared in Five Easy Pieces, a 1970 drama directed by Bob Rafelson and written by Carole Eastman. In the film, Nicholson plays an oil rig worker named Bobby Dupea, who feels his blue-collar lifestyle fails to show his true talent in piano playing. After learning his father is dying, Dupea returns to his hometown with his girlfriend. Nicholson received praise for a haunting and intense performance that impressed Freeman upon seeing. The Bruce Almighty star shared how Nicholson was an actor he had wanted to work with for a long time. “I think we all have a private bucket list. It may not be written down, but I’m constantly checking them off. I just checked off Jack Nicholson,” Freeman shared, speaking about the buddy adventure comedy the two starred in together. “Every day was a holiday because I’ve been praying at the temple of Jack ever since Five Easy Pieces.” 

Coincidentally, in regard to a bucket list, it would be that phrase that joined the two actors. The Bucket List was directed by Rob Reiner, known for The Princess Bride and Stand by Me, and featured Freeman and Nicholson as two terminally ill men who carry out a shared bucket list of everything they want to do with the rest of their lives. Despite mixed reviews towards the film’s handling of its subject matter, the two stars gave earnest and brilliant performances, as usual. The National Board of Review listed The Bucket List as one of 2007’s top films. It’s also an excellent opportunity to watch two of the best living actors perform side by side.