The Classic Gangster Movie Jack Nicholson Turned Down (It Would Have Rewritten Hollywood History)

In hindsight, it seems impossible that any actor would have turned down a role in the iconic gangster film, The Godfather, and yet one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Jack Nicholson, absolutely did do that, and with an interesting reason attached. In the early 1970s, Nicholson and The Godfather were both on the cusp of becoming not just successful, but quintessential. Nicholson was riding high on his early films such as Easy Rider and Five Easy Pieces, while The Godfather’s 1972 release was met with immediate praise. So, why did these two influential pieces of Hollywood history never mix?