Quotes from Jack Nicholson

My motto is: more good times.

If I go into a restaurant there's a very good chance that I'm going to spend my time being the mayor. If I want to have a good time, I'm happier having dinner here.

I'm content with the fact that I made a decent effort. That's what I've always worried about: that I wouldn't try hard enough.

I worry from the moment I take a job. I worry about how I'm going to do it, if I can do it... Then I walk on set and the director says, 'Roll', and all of a sudden, all of it disappears and it's all happening, and I relax, and I'm doing what I do, and I'm not even thinking about it.

I just like art. I get pure pleasure from it. I have a lot of wonderful paintings, and every time I look at them I see something different.

You have to do every movie one at a time. Trilogy is contrary to this ideology. My nightmare is to wake up and find myself the host of a TV series.

Well, a girlfriend once told me never to fight with anybody you don't love.

A lot of people can't remember things because they weren't actually there to begin with - they don't take it all in.

If you get an impulse in a scene, no matter how wrong it seems, follow the impulse. It might be something and if it ain't - take two!

Early on, if I was alone two three nights in a row, I'd start writing poems about suicide.

In this industry, there are only two ways up the ladder. Rung by rung or claw your way to the top. It's sure been tough on my nails.

Almost everybody's happy to be a fool for love.

I love working with women directors. They don't mind making you cute.

I used to think that one of the great signs of security was the ability to just walk away.

I am a person who is trained to look other people in the eye.

You can't handle the truth!

I sort of understood that when I first started: that you shouldn't repeat a success. Very often you're going to, and maybe the first time you do, it works. And you love it. But then you're trapped.

I love writing, but I stopped because I felt I was more effective approaching filmmaking from a different vantage point.

Acting is everybody's favorite second job.

I know I can act. There aren't too many other jobs I know how to do.

Most of the early part of an actor's career, you do the jobs you get.

My whole career strategy has been to build a base so that I could take the roles I want to play. I'd hate to think that a shorter part might not be available because I was worried about my billing.

I don't have any plugs or tucks but people do what they want. I look at it as mutilation.

Well, a younger woman is a type, but not necessarily a type for me. And what is a younger woman? I mean, I'm pretty old. Almost everyone is younger.