Jack Nicholson’s youngest son, Ray Nicholson, stars in the upcoming horror movie Smile 2 alongside the likes of Naomi Scott, Lukas Gage, and Peter Jacobson. A shot of Ray from the movie proves the striking resemblance he shares with Jack’s The Shining character, Torrance.
During the movie premiere, Ray acknowledged Jack as his inspiration, although noting that they are very different. He pointed out his mission to chart his course apart from Jack’s fame, and for that reason, he hardly discusses his acting career with him.
Ray Nicholson was cast as a nod to his father
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Director Parker Finn admitted that he cast Ray as a reference to his dad’s 1980 movie The Shining, as he was blown away during the auditions. Jack is one of Finn’s favorite actors, and in his words, working with Ray was like relating with a younger version of the 87-year-old.
He praised Ray for getting into character without a hassle, noting that his character was not written for him, but he embodied it instead. Upon seeing the film teaser, fans also raved about how Ray reminds them of Jack. “Nepo casting is rarely good, but Ray Nicholson in SMILE 2 is the best nepo casting of all time. This is just insanely iconic,’ someone quipped.
Ray Nicholson feels lucky to be Jack Nicholson’s son
He admitted to feeling like the luckiest kid in the world for having Jack as a father, admitting that the movie legend taught him how to be a human being. They both have a close relationship, and on rare occasions, when Ray receives advice from Jack, he hardly bothers to fact-check because the movie legend is always right.
Ray has older half-siblings Jennifer, Caleb, and Honey, from Jack’s previous relationships, as well as his sister Lorraine. After Ray, Jack had his youngest daughter, Tessa Gourin, with Jennine Gourin, although they are estranged from each other.