Born in 1937, Jack Nicholson grew up in New Jersey and moved to Los Angeles when he was 17. He began his Hollywood career in an office job at MGM studios and made his film debut in the 1958 thriller The Cry Baby Killer. After a series of low-budget movies, Nicholson's breakthrough performance was as a burnt-out lawyer in Easy Rider with Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper. For this role, he earned his first of 11 Academy Award nominations. Throughout his career, Nicholson has resisted definition with a series of complex characters and performances.