Jack Nicholson fans furious after photos of reclusive actor published: ‘Leave him alone’

Jack Nicholson’s fans are defending him on social media after the first sighting of the actor in 18 months.

In January, there had been reports that Nicholson’s friends were concerned for the actor’s wellbeing after he wasn’t seen in public for more than a year.

On Thursday (13 April), unflattering pictures of Nicholson, 85, were published in a British tabloid, showing him wearing an orange T-shirt and looking sleepy on the balcony of his Beverly Hills home.

“When you’re Jack Nicholson, 85, you can look however the f*** you want to look,” one fan tweeted.

“He’s 85. Why not leave Jack Nicholson alone?” added another.

A third posted: “Leave Jack Nicholson alone. He’s 85.”

“I looked like this when I woke up this morning… I’m 37,” wrote a fourth, while a fifth added: “Jack Nicholson is still alive. He’s 85. I identify with this look. This look is my spirit animal.”

Another tweeted: “Jack Nicholson is still COOLER than most of us.”

Nicholson is widely considered one of the greatest actors of his generation. He often played scene-stealing eccentrics and starred in countless classics, including The Shining (1980) and The Departed (2006).

His axe murderer’s line “Here’s Johnny” in the former led to one of the most famous and frightening movie moments of all time.

He is the most nominated male actor at the Academy Awards. He took home Oscars for his performances as a rebellious mental patient in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), a retired astronaut and abrasive neighbour in Terms of Endearment (1983), and a misanthropic novelist in As Good as it Gets (1997).

Nicholson’s most recent film appearance was in the 2010 romcom How Do You Know, which also starred Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson and Paul Rudd.