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"Here's Johnny!"

There are many ways the above quote could be performed. But I can only think of one that would make it famous across space and time. "Here's Johnny" was of course said most famously by Jack Nicholson in "The Shining", a movie often listed as the most scary ever.

His ability to deliver such interpretations is why Jack Nicholson is by far the best actor ever. Nicholson has an unique way of taking a character and turning it into his own, and unlike others who has been able to do this in a few movies, Nicholson has delivered over and over again, both in different movies and genres. I can think of no other actors who handled drama, action, thrillers and comedy half as good as Nicholson partly with the exception of Robert de Niro.

Nicholson's performance in "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" was remarkable, as was his performance in "The Shining", where the somewhat arrogant, sympathetic Jack Nicholson suddenly turned out to be a monster. In "As Good As It Gets", you feel sorry for him, while in "The Departed", he's back to being the tough guy. While Heath Ledger might deliver a good Joker, he probably can not compare with Nicholson's performance, although that may also be too much to ask. Nicholson's Joker is clearly crazy and enjoyable to watch.

I could go on and on with this list of notable performances. Nicholson has impressed in numerous movies, and makes even average movies enjoyable due to his acting. One of those movies are "The Two Jakes", that he also directed. The movie clearly shows why Nicholson is no director, and if someone could explain to me what "The Two Jakes" was about, I would be happy to hear it, as that was the most confusing movie I've ever seen. Regardless of that, the movie wasn't awful at all, and that had quite a bit to do with Nicholson's performance.

While no other actors come close to Nicholson, several others are good. Robert De Niro is an obvious choice, and he also has succeeded in various movie genres. Al Pacino and Sean Connery are too other obvious choices. Leonardo di Caprio is starting to build a solid career, and he actually reminds me a little bit of Nicholson, while Sean Penn is an actor I always thought was somewhat underrated. His acting has been brilliant throughout his career, starting with "Bad Boys" and "Fast Times at Ridgemont High". Penn also has something to him that reminds me of Nicholson, and his only weakness must be that he has not improved as much as I think he could.

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