Quotes from Jack Nicholson

What's beautiful is all that counts, pal. That's all that counts.

In my last year of school, I was voted Class Optimist and Class Pessimist. Looking back, I realize I was only half right.

There's a period just before you start a movie when you start thinking, I don't know what in the world I'm going to do. It's free-floating anxiety. In my case, though, this is over by lunch the first day of shooting.

The camera photographs what's there.

When I was in high school, I earned the pimple award and every other gross-out award.

Just let the wardrobe do the acting.

Take caution in your tone, commander. I'm a fair man, but this -- heat is making me absolutely crazy.

I think of a man and I take away reason and accountability.

Never rub another man's rhubarb.

We are going as fast as we can as soon as we can. We're in a race against time, until we run out of money.

I believe in making all movies at their most reasonable. That I get a lot of money as an actor is because nobody else will get it if I don't.

I am in an age group where it is rude to discuss money, and now it is all anyone cares about.

I'm fairly well off. I can't poor-mouth that away from people's sensibilities about me, which is something I worry about as an actor. But it would be real stupid of me to do something for the money.

I've always understood money; it's not a big mystical thing to me.

I didn't know that my sister was really my mother until I was thirty-seven years old. But life has taught me that there have been a lot of things that I didn't know.

The blues and jazz will live forever... So will the Delta and the Big Easy.

When we make mistakes they call it evil. When God makes mistakes they call it Nature!

Having kids is the most innately positive thing that anyone can do.

Do you think God knew what he was doing when he created woman?

I do pray. I pray to something...up there. I have a God sense. It's not religious so much as superstitious. It's part of being human, I guess.

It's not like I'm starved for company - I have a few very good lady friends - but there's only a certain amount of times a woman wants to see you and never go out for dinner.

I'm such a perfectionist. I always feel overpraised or whatever. In the abstract, I know I'm a good person, a good professional. But it's nice to be noticed a little bit, ain't it?

Charlize Theron and Cate Blanchett are very good actresses.

I don't remember if I've been asked seriously to direct a picture. I understand that. I'm very good business for people as an actor and perhaps they'd rather I didn't.