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Jack Nicholson's most iconic role?

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gamecockcat

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Happened to catch last 30 minutes of 'A Few Good Men' last night and this question popped into my brain.

The Shining
A Few Good Men
The Departed
Easy Rider
As Good As It Gets
Batman

So many to choose from. Colonel Jessep would be on my short list, but really difficult to omit Jack Torrance in The Shining.
 
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AustinTXCat

AustinTXCat

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Five Easy Pieces.

Waitress: You want me to hold the chicken, huh?
Bobby: I want you to hold it between your knees.
 
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KY_Kid

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For me, it has to be...

Colonel Nathan R. Jessep, Commanding Officer, Marine Ground Forces, Gauntanamo Bay, Cuba
 
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Nightwish84

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Jack Torrance

The speech in A Few Good Men is great but there's dozens of other pieces of written dialogue in film history that's equal to, or better. At the time, Jack playing Joker was insane and that magic lasted decades...until Heath Ledger took the role and made it his own, and it defined his legacy. Torrance is a horror icon with several scenes from The Shining which have stood out since 1980. Maybe he's had better roles, but iconic? It's him playing Jack Torrance.
 
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Ron Mehico

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The shining is what he will ultimately be remembered for imo but my favorite of his is the departed. I have no idea how as good as it gets got so many Oscar wins that movie sucks complete ***
 
LineSkiCat14

LineSkiCat14

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I love The Shining, but I have to put Frank Costello from The Departed at the top. He just played such an amazing Irish mob boss.

I probably won't pick it as his best acting, nor the best movie he's been in.. but it's my favorite. Not gonna lie, kind of idolize that character lol.
 
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hmt5000

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Has to be the Shining. He was famous before and did great things after but everyone I knew was saying "here's Johnny" for the last 40 years. "you can't handle the truth" is close but if you grew up when that movie came out.... He was just THE actor.
 
TortElvisII

TortElvisII

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Nightwish84

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I rewatched the 4K of The Departed a few months ago and it really is a perfect film. Trouble is, Scorsese has about four perfect films and Goodfellas and Taxi Driver kind of overshadow The Departed. In online, film nerd communities, folks rarely bring it up now, which is ashame.
 
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mrhotdice

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Chinatown is probably the greatest screenplay ever written and studied more than Citizen Kane. Jack work in that movie is why it’s so great. That movie is flawless
 
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gamecockcat

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I love how several posters have emphatically stated, 'This role is the correct answer' and they've all mentioned a different film/role. Everyone can't be correct, right? He's had an unbelievable career and, obviously, has had multiple very memorable roles that he will be remembered for.
 
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