Jack Nicholson's Advice For Those Trying to Make It In Film and Television

Hollywood is a town built on legends and legendary figures, and there are very few whose careers have been as staggering as Jack Nicholson's.

The guy is a titan of American cinema whose work over six decades has helped define modern filmmaking and inspired countless actors around the world.

While scrolling on YouTube, I found a video of him accepting an AFI award, and he gave a speech that I found so inspirational.

Nicholson boiled down his approach to acting and sustaining a career into something I'll use as my north star.

He said:

"My work motto is: Everything counts. My life motto is: More good times."

Let's dive in.

Jack Nicholson’s Passion For The Craft #acting #cinema #filmmaking #motivation www.youtube.com

"Everything Counts"

We've talked about committing to the bit before, but what happens when the bit is actually the entirety of your career and belief system?

When Nicholson says "everything counts," he's describing the relentless attention to detail that separates good performances from iconic screen moments and the effort he puts in every day and in every role to make sure he delivers.

Now, you may not be a famous icon, but what you can replicate is that consistency of effort.

Are you giving your all to everything? Are you trying to commit to being great?

There are no throwaway scenes or projects.

And when you're working on them, you also can't be precious or lazy. Sometimes, you have to work really hard rewriting and reimagining because it's that pursuit of greatness that maybe helps you wind up being great after all.

In the same clip, Nicholson describes cinema as a field that demands your entire life:

"I love this work. It’s dangerous. You give your life to it... I feel these things matter, these little patterns that we are [in] the universe."

Film isn't a safe 9-to-5; it requires emotional vulnerability, long stretches of uncertainty, and deep collaboration.

The only reason to do this is to chase it and chase every angle until you find out what works and elevate it.

That leads to the good times he's talking about, too.

These careers are about having a conversation with the audience and the world around you, and finding something that you can all appreciate.

That kind of stuff takes your all. And when you find people to collaborate with who feel the same way, there is nothing better in the world.

"I'm proud of all of my collaborations," Nicholson said.

What I find so beautiful here is that he's talking about a rather ideal version of what we're all trying to make it. We want to move people and to work with people who can help us be the best versions of ourselves, so that our work gets out there to the most people.

The only path to doing that is pure dedication.

Summing It All Up

When you balance intense dedication to craft with a genuine passion for the process, you can create work that stands the test of time.

This world is not easy, and not everyone makes it, but Nicholson shows why those good times are so wonderful, and what it takes to find them.

Let me know what you think in the comments.