Jack Nicholson Had A Bitter Feud With Director Miloš Forman On The Set Of One Who Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

Highlights

• Jack Nicholson and director Miloš Forman had a massive feud on the set of One Who Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, causing tension during production.
• Nicholson had creative differences with Forman, particularly regarding the portrayal of the character McMurphy.
• Nicholson took on a leadership role during production, leading secret rehearsals with the cast.

One Who Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest is perhaps one of the most beloved films in 20th-century American cinema. After it was released in November 1975, the film went on to win five Oscars including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Director.

The movie only furthered the legendary actor Jack Nicholson's fame, as well as earned him a fortune. Randle McMurphy became the role of a lifetime. While the film was a critical and commercial success and received plenty of accolades, One Who Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest was a troubled production. This was particularly because Jack Nicholson and director Miloš Forman had a massive feud while on set.

Why Did Jack Nicholson And Miloš Forman Have A Feud While Filming One Who Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest?

Jack Nicholson, in his prime, was an actor's actor. He recognized the importance of artistry in his work and desired to creatively portray characters. Eccentric, Nicholson's personal life has been just as wild as some of his most iconic characters. Throughout the filming of One Who Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Nicholson had certain ideas on how to convincingly play McMurphy, according to Far Out. Unfortunately, some of Nicholson's suggestions were dismissed by the film's director, Miloš Forman.

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One particular incident that caused beef between Nicholson and Forman was when Nicholson grew a beard for the character. Forman did not think McMurphy should be bearded. The disagreement caused a feud between the two entertainers, that had an undeniable effect on the film's production. According to Far Out, Nicholson and Forman began to stop talking to one another and found a middle man in Bill Butler, One Who Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest's cinematographer.

Creative differences were not the only reason why Nicholson and Forman bickered on set, however. According to Looper, Forman would not show dailies of the film to its actors, and this frustrated Nicholson, who desired to use the footage as a tool for improvement. Michael Douglas, who produced One Who Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, spoke about Forman's refusal candidly: "the cast was beginning to lose a little confidence in Miloš."

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Furthermore, Nicholson began to question Forman's ability to direct the film in a compelling manner, especially after Forman's beliefs about mental institutions were denounced by Dr. Dean Brooks, the leader of the Oregon State Hospital, according to Looper. The film was being made at the hospital, and Forman allegedly lacked respect for the hospital's actual patients. The situation at the hospital was getting so severe, that Brooks allegedly told Forman, "This has got to stop! This has got to stop! You have been here for weeks, months, don't you have any idea how an institution is run?"

Ever the perfectionist, Nicholson had a particular vision for One Who Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest and was deeply invested in creating a meaningful film. So much so, Nicholson began to use his influence on set to take a leadership role during production.

According to William Redfield, who was a cast member, "Jack has taken over directing the actors." Nicholson began "leading secret rehearsals with the cast", according to Looper.

With Nicholson's leadership, the film was completed and proved to be a monumental success. While Forman's direction was eventually aided by Nicholson, Forman still won an Oscar for Best Director for his contributions to One Who Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. Nearly five decades later, the film is still beloved and regarded as a timeless piece of American cinema. It was even selected to be preserved in the Library of Congress's National Film Registry in the early 1990s.

How Did Jack Nicholson Make Randle McMurphy His Own?

Jack Nicholson was committed to portraying Randle McMurphy in an authentic, but original way. After reviewing the original book in which One Who Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest was based upon, Nicholson decided to give McMurphy an alternative motive for his actions in the film. According to a New York Times interview, Nicholson spoke candidly about his take on McMurphy:

"My secret design for it was that this guy's a scamp who knows he's irresistible to women, and in reality, he expects Nurse Ratched to be seduced by him. This is his tragic flaw."

Nicholson's McMurphy thought he could take advantage of the mental institution because he felt he would earn the romantic attention of Nurse Ratched, according to Collider. While McMurphy tries his best to win the affection of Nurse Ratched, she does not falter and remains cold throughout the film. The more McMurphy tries, the more challenging their relationship becomes. Nicholson's take on the character shows just how creative and artistic the actor could be.

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Nicholson did not reveal his motive for McMurphy with anyone from the film's cast or production crew, besides Louise Fletcher, who played Nurse Ratched. According to Nicholson, "This is why he ultimately fails. I discussed this with Louise. I discussed this only with her. That's what I felt was actually happening with that character — it was one long, unsuccessful seduction which the guy was so pathologically sure of."

Randle McMurphy gave Jack Nicholson's career a huge boost and helped solidify his reputation as a method actor. Nicholson, after the success of One Who Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, later took on roles such as the Joker in Batman. Impressively, he was able to earn $50 million from the superhero film. Nicholson retired from acting in 2010, according to Screen Rant. Despite not being active in the industry for more than a decade, Nicholson remains one of Hollywood's most celebrated actors.