Jack Nicholson, 88, Makes Rare Public Appearance With Cane After Nearly a Year Out of Sight
Jack Nicholson has made a rare public appearance, and fans were quick to notice. The 88-year-old actor was recently spotted in New York City, walking with the help of a cane. The sighting stood out because Nicholson is rarely seen in public these days.
During the brief outing, Nicholson stopped to sign autographs for fans who had gathered along the sidewalk.
According to reports, the crowd quickly became excited, which led his security team to step in. They decided it was best to move him along and escorted him away for safety reasons.
Jack Nicholson, 88, was seen using a cane during a very rare sighting in New York City.
— Victor Bigham 🇺🇸 (@Ravious101) December 14, 2025
He agreed to sign autographs for fans who had lined up along the sidewalk, but they became so excited that his security team decided it wasn’t safe and quickly escorted him away. pic.twitter.com/uQn0nI8Kna
This marks Nicholson’s first public appearance in nearly a year. Before this, he was last seen in February at the SNL 50 anniversary party, where he surprised guests with a short appearance.
In 2024, he was also photographed using a cane during a casual outing in Beverly Hills. Going back even further, fans last saw him in October 2021 when he attended a Los Angeles Lakers game with his son Ray Nicholson, who has since built his own acting career, including a role in the horror film Smile.
Nicholson stepped away from acting years ago. His final movie role was in the 2010 film How Do You Know, where he starred alongside Owen Wilson and Reese Witherspoon. Since then, he has kept a very low profile.
Despite concerns from fans, close friend Danny DeVito has shared reassuring news. In July, DeVito spoke to People while celebrating the 50th anniversary of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. He confirmed that Nicholson is doing well. I just saw Jack a couple of weeks ago – it was his birthday a month ago, and he’s great, DeVito said.
DeVito also reflected on their long friendship, which began decades ago when they worked together on the classic film. He recalled how down-to-earth Nicholson was even as his career took off. There was no need for an icebreaker. He was immediately just so embracing, DeVito shared. He started out exactly the way everybody else did, where he couldn’t get a job… he was always just as open and genuine.
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!
