Image via IMDB
The first image that comes to mind when I think of Jack Nicholson isn’t necessarily a very sane picture. I see him in The Shining with his face shoved into the hole he just chopped with an axe. It’s also a known thing in social circles that crazy people always have the best parties! According to a tell all piece in Vulture, Angelica Huston shared some stories of “old” Hollywood. (She stares in John Wick 3: Parbelleum out May 17.)
Apparently Jack Nicholson really enjoyed his cocaine in those days. Although, in the 70’s and even into the 80’s, cocaine was the United States clubscene staple — I mean, we are talking about the era of Studio 54! When asked how much cocaine Huston saw Nicholson consume was:
“[He] Never took overt amounts. He was never a guzzler. I think Jack sort of used it, probably like Freud did, in a rather smart way. Jack always had a bit of a problem with physical lethargy. He was tired, and I think probably, at a certain age, a little bump would cheer him up. Like espresso.”
Honestly, I am not even upset to know this? I mean, I just assumed a large majority of people that lived through the 70’s and 80’s probably did a lot of everything!
Some have been barking about why has Huston decided to dish all this dirt now? Firstly, I have to admit that I didn’t even know (or remember?) that Jack Nicholson and Anjelica Huston were in item in the 70’s… this information makes me either feel stupid I didn’t know that or okay that I am not the only one? For all us Millennials (sorry, we are “ruining old Hollywood now“) don’t you love some fresh tea?
According to the New York Post article, Huston was frequently on the bad side of Nicholson. He was verbally abusive and dismissive of her in general — there were several blatant advances on other women in front of her. His cocaine usage is not terribly surprising and I suppose the other behaviors aren’t too surprisingly either.
It seems we are constantly discovering another person we deemed worthy of admiration letting us down. Like the cheesy line in Batman: “You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” We get to see so many people turn into the villian these days. And I’m not suggesting we not continue to be outraged and disappointed when we discover hard truths about our favorite celebrities. We should just all seek both sides of the story (Goggle can really find anything) before we vilify anyone in the court of public opinion.
