Jack Nicholson Got 'Very Stoned' Filming 1 'Easy Rider' Scene

Publish date: 2024-05-13

Jack Nicholson has been a popular actor for decades. Some fans know him best as the Joker, while others remember his performance as the unhinged writer from The Shining. His talent has gained him three Academy Awards along with 12 Oscar nominations. Nicholson’s success began with the hit film Easy Rider. Several memorable moments exist in the movie, like when the actor’s character smokes weed. Apparently, Nicholson did get high in real life while filming the scene.

Jack Nicholson starred in ‘Easy Rider’

Easy Rider is a 1969 independent drama about two bikers traveling through the southwest part of the country. They have a significant amount of cash after completing a drug deal, so they travel to New Orleans. They hope to attend Mardi Gras but end up in jail, where they befriend a lawyer.

The actor who portrays the lawyer is none other than Nicholson. Not only does he help the bikers get out of jail, but he also joins them on their travels. The role led to Nicholson’s first Oscar nomination.

Fans may remember the campfire scene. The scene involves the three men sitting by a fire as they begin to smoke marijuana. Nicholson’s character is hesitant initially, but he decides to try a joint. Soon after, one of them claims to have seen something fly across the sky.

The sighting leads to the trio discussing UFOs and how aliens have been visiting earth for years. The conversation sounds like the ramblings of a stoned person. One of the actors revealed that was the case.

Jack Nicholson really smoked weed while filming the scene

Audiences praised Nicholson’s performance in Easy Rider, and some likely thought he was talented at acting high. However, Nicholson admitted that he was doing more than acting. According to BuzzFeed, he was smoking real marijuana while they filmed the scene.

After people learned about Nicholson smoking on set, the facts got mixed up. One of the rumors was that the actor used a total of 155 joints. The amount seems excessive for a short period, and Nicholson had to explain it was not true.

“The story about me smoking 155 joints — that’s a little exaggerated. But each time I did a take or an angle, it involved smoking almost an entire joint. After the first take or two, the acting job became reversed,” Nicholson stated.

Nicholson meant to start the scene sober before slowly pretending he was high. Due to smoking weed for real, he was “now stoned at the beginning and having to act straight.” By the end of the shooting, Nicholson “was very stoned.”

Easy Rider served as Nicholson’s big break in the industry, and he would go on to have a fruitful career. He starred in well-known films like The Little Shop of Horrors and The Shining. Many fans know him for his work in various dramas. However, the actors liked to venture into different genres.

Nicholson did not want to get typecast as an actor and decided to show that he had range. He once took on roles in comedy films to bring smiles to audiences’ faces instead of tears. He did a few comedies in a row during the 2000s.

In addition to the popular Anger Management, Nicholson appeared in How Do You Know. The 2010 flick was the last one has Nicholson appeared in to date. Although the actor never officially retired, it is unknown if he will be in a film in the future.

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