It was in February 1998 at Madison Square Garden in New York. I was sent to cover the National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game and Nicholson was there to cheer for the four Lakers who made it to the West squad.
Nicholson walked into the arena and took his front row seat about an hour before tipoff. He wore lightly-tinted shades, a dark brown sportscoat, a black shirt, and a scowl on his face. A swarm of photographers swooped down on Nicholson who treated the paparazzi to his best plastic smile. When the furor subsided, I calmly approached the actor. Jeff Manibay, holding a TV camera, was behind me ready to shoot an interview.
I introduced myself to Nicholson as a broadcaster from the Philippines.
"Congratulations," he said sarcastically. I asked for a few minutes to do an interview. "Your millions of Filipino fans would love to hear from you," I groveled, my stomach turning.
"I don’t do TV interviews," he curtly shot back. "But thanks for asking anyway." Nicholson then turned his back on me. I was stunned, like a lightning bolt left me dumbfounded. I slowly walked away from the scene of my murder.
A few minutes later, an NBC TV crew surrounded Nicholson for an interview. Of course, he obliged. So much for not doing TV interviews.
Nicholson, 66, is known for his boorish and abnormal behavior in real and reel life. It was no surprise that he behaved the way he did when I asked him for an interview. It was also no surprise that he confronted referee Mark Wunderlich when Shaquille O’Neal was slapped his third foul in the second quarter of the Lakers game against San Antonio at the Staples Center last Sunday. Nicholson barged onto the court to protest Wunderlich’s call and should’ve been ejected.
But an ejection would’ve probably precipitated a suit from Nicholson. "I pay a lot of money for this seat," said Nicholson. "This is the NBA, you can’t tell me to sit down."
In 1980, Nicholson strayed below the belt when he berated Dallas coach Dick Motta to his face during a timeout. Motta punched and kicked Nicholson in a wild reaction to the tirade. In 1984, Nicholson infuriated Boston fans by making obscene gestures as the Lakers lost a 111-102 decision to the Celtics in the clincher of the NBA Finals.
In 1994, Nicholson went into a rage and smashed a car window with a golf club, apparently unprovoked. And last year, neighbors reported Nicholson strutted naked in his Nebraska home without bothering to draw the curtains, as if to invite attention.
Nicholson’s life has hardly been stable. He was married six years to Sandra Knight who delivered their daughter Jennifer, now 38, but they divorced in 1966. He lived with actress Angelica Huston for 17 years then split up in 1990. He has a boy Caleb with actress Susan Anspach and two children with waitress Rebecca Broussard. He recently broke up with actress Lara Flynn-Boyle who used to watch Laker games beside him.
Nicholson won Oscars for best actor in "One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest" (1975) and "As Good As It Gets" (1997) and best supporting actor in "Terms of Endearment" (1983).
Since Nicholson didn’t agree to be interviewed in 1998, I imagined how the conversation would’ve gone:
STAR: What ticks you off more–a bad referee or a stupid player?
Nicholson: A pesky broadcaster like you.
S: Why do you wear shades during a game?
N: So the Laker Girls won’t know if I’m casing their joints.
S: Are you the NBA’s No. 1 celebrity fan?
N: Of course and I don’t even have to write a book about it like Spike Lee.
S: Why did Motta hit you in 1980?
N: I can’t even remember he hit me. I must have blacked out.
S: Do you really hate the Celtics?
N: Funny you should ask.
S: Why don’t you bring your kids to the games?
N: I set a bad example to children when I’m watching basketball.
S: Do you think the Lakers will win the NBA title this year?
N: In my dreams.
S: Who’s your favorite player–Shaq or Kobe?
N: I think Mark Madsen’s cute.
S: Do you ever think of dating a Laker Girl?
N: I’m still waiting to be asked.
S: If you weren’t an actor, what would you be?
N: The NBA Commissioner–I would make sure the Lakers never lose a game, Kobe is the MVP, and senior citizens like Dyan Cannon get to watch the games for free.
I guess it’s just as well I never interviewed Nicholson.