Jack Nicholson Parents: Meet June Frances Nicholson, Donald Furcillo

Jack Nicholson is an American retired actor and filmmaker. Jack Nicholson is the son of June Frances Nicholson and Donald Furcillo.

John Joseph Nicholson was born in Neptune City, New Jersey, on April 22, 1937. In 1936, his mother married Italian-American showman Donald Furcillo without realising he was already married.

According to biographer Patrick McGilligan’s book Jack’s Life, Eddie King, June’s manager, may have been Nicholson’s biological father rather than Furcillo. According to other sources, June Nicholson was unsure of the father’s identity.

June’s parents agreed to raise Nicholson as their own child without disclosing his true parentage, with June acting as his sister.

In 1974, Time magazine researchers discovered and informed Nicholson that his “sister” June was actually his mother and his other “sister” Lorraine was actually his aunt.

Both his mother and grandmother had died by this point. Jack Nicholson described the discovery as “a pretty dramatic event, but it wasn’t what I’d call traumatising… I was pretty well psychologically formed.”

“Nick,” as he was known to his high school friends, went to nearby Manasquan High School, where the Class of 1954 elected him “Class Clown.” At the school, he has a theatre and a drama award named after him.