‘He’s my inspiration’: ‘Smile 2’ star Ray Nicholson opens up on how his dad Jack Nicholson made him the man he is today

Jack Nicholson‘s son Ray Nicholson is about to reach new heights in his acting career with the release of the horror sequel Smile 2. Though it may be modern box office draws Ray is featuring in, he maintains a healthy level of respect for the iconic legacy his father cemented in the 80s.

Ray said, “He’s my hero,” during an Oct. 15 red carpet interview when comparisons between his Smile 2 character poster and his father’s eerie The Shining grin were made.

“He’s my inspiration. I ate dinner with him every night, you know. I studied. That’s how I learned how to be a human being. So, of course, we’re gonna be kind of similar,” he continued. “I’m just glad that I love him. I’m the luckiest kid in the world. That’s all I have to say about it.”

Between his unique take on the Joker in Tim Burton’s Batman to his underrated devilish turn in The Witches of Eastwick, there’s not a genre his father hasn’t excelled in. So, it’s no surprise Ray is not the only person who worked on Smile 2 that holds his dad in high regard; director Parker Finn says The Shining is one of the best horror movies of all time.

Finn wrote in a Variety essay, “Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining is not only my favorite horror film — it’s quite possibly my favorite film of all time.” He noted, “From its incredibly dreadful, icy, misanthropic tone to the iconic performances from Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall to the precision-crafted sets and eerie camerawork designed to burrow under the audience’s skin — The Shining continues to be an unforgettable experience that just exists in a category all its own.”

Smile 2 might not have much in common with Kubrick’s 80s Stephen King adaptation, but the follow-up to the 2022 sleeper hit promises expansion on the disease-like lore, answered theories, and more inventive jumps. It stars Naomi Scott, Lukas Gage, and Kyle Gallner as Joel, a character who survived Smile. Ray plays the character of Paul Hudson.

The sequel is set after the first movie and follows pop star Skye Riley as she embarks on a world tour. Unfortunately for Skye, this is her Smile Era. It hits theaters on Friday, Oct. 18.

It isn’t Ray’s first role. He has appeared in projects such as Panic, The Outsider, Out of the Blue, and Fear the Night. Ray is also set to appear in Borderline, an upcoming thriller about a bodyguard who must protect a superstar from a stalker.

As for Jack, his last role was in How Do You Know in 2010. He has appeared as himself in award shows and the like since then but has reportedly declined any movie offers. In a 2023 interview on the WTF With Marc Maron podcast, Lou Adler, a friend of Nicholson’s, said that Nicholson is “doing whatever he really wants to do”.

Adler added, “A friend of mine wanted to put him in a movie. And he had a conversation with him. But Jack says, ‘I don’t want to do it.’ He goes, ‘You know what I did today? I sat under a tree and I read a book.’” Good for him, let the man chill.