Crossword Dictionary
Nick Nolte
Nick Nolte, in full Nicholas King Nolte (born February 8, 1941) is an American actor known for playing dysfunctional leading roles, often cast as characters with tough exteriors and secret complex sensitivities.
In the early 1960s he first became interested in theater, and he began his stage career at the Pasadena Playhouse. In 1963 he joined a theatre group and for the next decade Nolte performed with repertory companies, traveling throughout the United States.
In 1973 Nolte returned to Los Angeles with playwright William Inge’s The Last Pad after finishing a successful run of the play in Phoenix. The production garnered great acclaim, and Nolte was soon offered roles on-screen. He made his first credited big-screen appearance in Return to Macon County, the sequel to Macon County Line. His next big break came in 1976, when he starred in the TV miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man.
Nolte continued to appear regularly on film thereafter, despite a growing battle with alcoholism. Notable films included North Dallas Forty, 48 Hrs., Another 48 Hrs., Down and Out in Beverly Hills, and Weeds. In the late 1980s he sought help for his alcohol addiction and subsequently starred in several highly praised films, including Q & A, Cape Fear, and The Prince of Tides. He then appeared in a series of films that were less well-received, but he earned a second Oscar nomination in 1998, for his role in Affliction.
In 2002 Nolte was arrested for driving under the influence, and he subsequently spent time in a rehabilitation clinic. He gradually worked his way back to his former acclaim, appearing in smaller roles in Hulk, Hotel Rwanda, and Tropic Thunder. He won further critical acclaim for his roles in Warrior, and the HBO series Luck. Later credits include The Company You Keep, Gangster Squad, and Hateship Loveship. Nolte also appeared in the television miniseries Gracepoint. In 2015 he starred opposite Robert Redford in A Walk in the Woods, and later starred in the satiric TV series Graves. In 2019 he voiced a character in the Star Wars-based show The Mandalorian.