Jack Nicholson’s Son Ray Nicholson Talks Borderline and Nepo Baby Pressure

Ray Nicholson fights his demons – and wins.

“I just have the saboteur in me,” explains Nicholson, 33 years old exclusively US Weekly While discussing his latest project, Limit. “You know, I think we are all in our own struggle. And part of this you reconcile with who you are and what you are. And I had the saboteur and I worked so hard and now I see that even when I say that I am nervous, which I really communicated.” “”

This “saboteur” was working overtime on the set of LimitA dark comedy that presents Nicholson like Paul, a mental patient who is fleeing a pop star (Samara weaving) In the hope of making her her bride. The grainy film sees Nicholson in its most dynamic role to date – and although, looking at it, it is difficult to believe that there was even a moment of doubt, Nicholson insists that the table read for the project was simply disastrous.

“When we started, we made this table read that I totally sang,” recalls the actor, laughing, revealing that he had to go to the toilet to make “jacks” in order to pass through. “I totally sang this read table. And I watched Samara watch her husband, [director Jimmy Warden]Being like: “Oh my God, this kid will ruin your film.” “”

Fortunately for Nicholson, he had Costars in his corner. “”Eric [Dane, who plays security guard Bell]came to me after and he said to me: “Hey, do you want to have lunch?” And I said to myself: “Yes!” “Said Nicholson, gratitude always lingered in his voice.” He was so kind and loving and united. “”

Calling Dane, 52, one of his “favorite people with whom to work” and an “empowering and giving stage partner”, Nicholson remembers having said to the seasoned star that he was “the most nervous” to work with him. (The duo opens the film with a hilarious if not disadvantaged, unusual-to-head that immediately puts the bar for the rest of the film’s 94-minute race.)

“I said to myself,” honestly, I’m so nervous. As, I am very nervous to work with you, you know, because you have all this experience with this whole band, “recalls Nicholson. Dane, however, surprised him with his answer.” He is like, “No, guy, I’m nervous to work with you! And it was this sweet moment.

With the first tremors behind him, Nicholson was preparing for filming – but found himself against another complication, slightly more urgent. The opening sequence forced Nicholson to engulf a series of hot pockets – famous known for their filling of sticky cheese – take after having taken despite the “intolerant lactose”.

“I said [our director] Jimmy, I say to myself: ‘Jimmy, you have to make me eat these hot pocket things, guy? We entered a small funny spat on this subject, but it was this opening sequence and we just tried to do it in many different ways. And he says: “I will continue to reduce the hot pockets.” So I ended up eating, like eight hot pockets that were all really hot and it was especially cheese and pepperoni, but they were incredibly hot. And I just made them breakup. I felt so sick.

Finally, production had to take a break. “We ended up having to go in overtime, because I know, I went 10-two [the shorthand on set for longer bathroom break]. Thus, the whole casting team had to be paid like two overtime hours and all the production was so furious towards me. And I said to myself: “Well, don’t make me eat these hot pockets to which I am allergic!” “He said WeInsist: “It’s a true story.”

With the debacle of hot pockets behind him, Nicholson can now come back to his experience with a new perspective.

“What I like about this work is that it is the thing that tests me the most. After this table read, I learned something on myself, ”he says. “It is as if I did not have the power to examine myself, but in one way or another, with each work, with each character, it requires something new. It requires something I didn’t know I had. “

The son of the Oscar -winning actor Jack NicholsonRay’s journey to defeat his “biggest fears and insecurity” go back much further than Limit. He said he spent years wondering if he was measuring his father, that he called his northern star.

“Do I have this pressure? I don’t know. Is it a good thing? Is it a bad thing? This is all these things, “he said, questioning his status as a” nepo baby “. “In the end, I know, going step by step in this trip, I begin to understand [my dad] more. And in a strange way, it becomes more human for me. I understand it more and it makes me love it more, even if we don’t necessarily talk about it. »»

It is not as if the actor had not been able to make his own way, despite the duo who had an affinity to represent badly complexes on the screen. In recent years, Ray has played in a multitude of notable projects, based on the independent success of 2021 Licorice pizza this year Novocaine opposite Jack Quaid.

He also appeared in last year Smile 2A monitoring of the horror film of 2022, in a role which forced him to pay a subtle – but undoubted – tribute to the emblematic performance of his father in the 1980s The brilliant. The unexpected moment has finally led the actor to acquire a new perspective to be considered as his father’s son.

“I tried to create my own image and this or this and the other,” he explains. “And then once I saw [Smile 2]I said to myself: ‘Oh my god, guy, what were you luta? It is good that your identity is that it is your father! You are your father’s child. It’s ok. ‘”

He adds: “It was almost like the time of the alchemist type when it was there all the time of the F ***, you know? I was too stupid and proud to see him. I definitely had this moment when, like someone did for me what I couldn’t do for me.

Defying or not “baby nepo” standards, Ray is just happy to do what he does. A bit like with LimitHe undertook to rise above his own fears and obstacles – from the variety of the bathroom or other – in order to provide a few hours of comfort in an often brutal world.

“Being on the set is like:” Today, I will not lose in front of my demons. Do not do today. Because other people are counting on me, ”he says We. “I am an artist, it is [a] service. People’s life is really difficult. People all cross the same thing as me, and I hope that I can exploit a certain truth with which other people identify and it helps them to see their S *** because they cannot see it in themselves. For me, it’s all the work and it’s all the industry, I could simply explain on this point forever. »»

Limit is on demand now.