Jack Nicholson acts.
John Joseph `` Jack '' Nicholson ( born April 22 , 1937 ) is an American actor and filmmaker , who has performed for over 60 years . Nicholson 's 12 Academy Award nominations make him the most nominated male actor in the Academy 's history . 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 ) .