Reclusive Jack Nicholson’s son Ray makes rare admission about their relationship: ‘We can’t talk about a lot’

See more of our coverage in your search results. Jack Nicholson’s son, Ray Nicholson, offered a rare glimpse into his relationship with his father, revealing that although they “can’t talk about a lot,” sports are their shared “love language.” Ray, 34, sat down for an interview with his sister, Lorraine Nicholson, for Interview magazine in a new story published this week, where they discussed his acting career, love for football, and their family. “I love sports so much. It’s also the language of love that me and dad share. We can’t talk about a lot, but we can talk about the f–king Lakers until kingdom come,” Nicholson said in the piece, as he was describing his sports career. Ray Nicholson spoke about his relationship with his father, Jack Nicholson in a rare interview. Getty Images Ray called sports their shared love language. (He is pictured here with his father in 2015.) Kevin Mazur Ray played football in high school, and was so serious about it that he thought that he was going to play the sport at Boston College. However, his career ended abruptly after a severe staph infection in his arm turned into MRSA, and they nearly had to amputate. “They put a mark on my arm that was like, ‘If it gets past here, we’re cutting your arm,'” he said during the interview. Jack Nicholson, left, and Ray Nicholson watch the Los Angeles Lakers in May 2023. Ray noted they can always talk about the Lakers. Getty Images Ray recently starred in the film “The Mosquito Bowl.” Getty Images But after his injury, the “Smile 2” star described having a “voice-of-god moment” that led him into his true passion in life — acting. However, he admitted that he was nervous to share this news with his father. “I was really scared to tell dad,” Ray admitted. “But I went to USC and learned to love everything about filmmaking. My education really taught me that dad isn’t god. He’s not the only thing in this film industry. He’s a beautiful part of it, but a very small part.” Lorraine recently interviewed Ray for Interview Magazine. Lorraine Nicholson, 12, and Ray Nicholson, 10, attend a movie screening in 2002. Getty Images Ray originally wanted to be a football player, until a gruesome injury stopped him from doing so. Rick Davis / SplashNews.com “Yes, of course, making dad proud is high on my list, but this is really a way of finding who I am. And I feel that I’m on the right path to that,” he said. Ray’s interview with his sister comes on the heels of his role in the new Netflix film “The Mosquito Bowl.” In the movie, Ray plays football player Tony Butkovich, who was a college football star at the University of Illinois and Purdue University. He said that he wants to make his dad proud, but also find out who he is. Getty Images for BAFTA Ray Nicholson speaks at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta on Oct. 26. He plays a former college football star in his new film. Getty Images for Netflix Want more celebrity and pop culture news? Start your day with Page Six Daily. Thanks for signing up! He was drafted by the Cleveland Rams in the first round of the 1944 NFL draft, but instead enlisted in the US Marines and fought in World War II. The film follows four elite college football players who enlist in the Marines to serve in the war, based on Buzz Bissinger’s 2022 bestselling nonfiction book. It was directed by Peter Berg. Ray said that he bonds with his father over sports, as the two are seen here at a Lakers game in 2020. Getty Images Ray said that he was “scared” to tell his dad about his acting dreams at first. (The two are pictured here in 2014). WireImage Last month, Ray admitted that he felt like acting was the “thing” that took his dad “away from [my] home.” “I think I had every right to be a little trepidatious. I grew up around it. It was the thing that made my family different,” he told USA Today. “It was the thing that took my dad away from my home. So, of course, I had different feelings about it.” Community Guidelines Welcome to the Page Six Community! Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas in a safe space. In order to do so, we've created a simple set of rules that will improve your experience. Simply put, keep it civil. Your post will/might be rejected if it contains: Spam Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language and threats of any kind Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author User accounts will/might be blocked if we notice: Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected Racist, sexist, or homophobic comments Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk So, how can you be a power user? 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