The Movie Scene Jack Nicholson Got Completely Stoned for and Why It Became Iconic

by

The iconic 1969 film Easy Rider follows two motorcyclists, Wyatt and Billy, on a journey through the American Southwest after making a lucrative deal in Mexico. The movie perfectly embodies the free-spirited atmosphere of the late 1960s. The pair travel through hippie communities and eventually arrive at Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Throughout their adventure, Wyatt and Billy often use drugs, reflecting the realities of the time more accurately than many viewers might expect.

Let me tell you, shooting this film was…a trip. The cinematographer, László Kovács, later confessed there was a lot of drug use happening on set – it wasn’t a secret at all, apparently. Peter Fonda, who was both the star and a producer, backed that up, saying pretty much everyone involved had their preferred substance. For Fonda and director Dennis Hopper, that usually meant alcohol, though Fonda admitted he’d dabble in other things from time to time. It definitely sounds like a wild environment to be working in!

While filming, Peter Fonda discovered that using marijuana made him overly anxious and hindered his acting. Jack Nicholson, who played the lawyer George Hanson, had a different experience. Nicholson was a dedicated follower of the “Method” acting technique and wanted to deeply connect with his character’s emotions. For the iconic campfire scene where Hanson first tries marijuana, Nicholson chose to smoke real marijuana to get into character.

The actor later revealed to Time magazine that he smoked approximately 155 cigarettes during the filming of a single scene. He described it as a difficult but rewarding experience, requiring him to maintain his performance while intoxicated, starting as if sober and gradually portraying increasing levels of impairment. The director, Kovács, was highly impressed, stating that the actor flawlessly remembered all of his lines despite being visibly high throughout the scene.

Jack Nicholson is still considered a Hollywood legend, even though he’s been out of the public eye for several years. At 88 years old, the three-time Oscar winner rarely makes public appearances, though he recently surprised fans with a cameo at the 50th-anniversary celebration of Saturday Night Live in February 2025.

He hasn’t starred in a major film since 2010, but a friend, James L. Brooks, has suggested that Nicholson still enjoys reading scripts and might be open to one last great role if a compelling project comes his way.

Read More

2026-02-03 16:14