Jack Nicholson is an actor.
Five Easy Pieces . The film stars Jack Nicholson , with Karen Black , Susan Anspach , Ralph Waite , and Sally Struthers in supporting roles . John Joseph `` Jack '' Nicholson ( born April 22 , 1937 ) is an American actor and filmmaker , who has performed for over 60 years . Nicholson is one of only two actors to be nominated for an Academy Award for acting in every decade from the 1960s to the 2000s ; the other is Michael Caine . He played Jack Torrance in Stanley Kubrick 's horror film The Shining ( 1980 ) , the Joker in Tim Burton 's superhero film Batman ( 1989 ) , and Frank Costello in Martin Scorsese 's neo-noir crime drama The Departed ( 2006 ) .