Kevin Spacey shares a funny Jack Nicholson cocaine gaffe anecdote

Last Updated on June 10, 2024

Jack Nicholson is one of the all-time Hollywood legends – and was one of the all-time partiers, too. With both comes a wealth of stories about his most raucous days. So saddle up, kids, it’s time to hear a funny tale about Jack Nicholson and cocaine!

As recalled by Kevin Spacey – who actually made his debut in the Jack Nicholson / Meryl Streep film Heartburn – the three-time Oscar winner put himself in a potentially awkward situation with a sound man during the making of Prizzi’s Honor, John Huston’s 1985 crime film which earned him his fifth Best Actor nomination. In a pitch-perfect Nicholson impression, Spacey remembered sound mixer Dennis Maitland telling him the story, which took place in Nicholson’s trailer.

As it goes, Maitland expressed his excitement for again working with the star, reminding the actor that they met back on 1976’s The Missouri Breaks. Nicholson replied, “Missouri Breaks, Jesus Christ! We were out of our minds on that film, holy sh*t! It’s a wonder I’m alive. There was so much drugs going on, we were stoned out of our minds!” At that point, as Nicholson was folding his clothes during the conversation, a bag of cocaine fell out of his pants onto the floor. As both Nicholson and Maitland stared at the coke on the floor, Nicholson quipped, “Haven’t worn these pants since Missouri Breaks!”

That’s a pretty fantastic story, with Jack coming out as cool, calm and collected as ever, especially since he just had an eighth – which most certainly was not a decade old – drop in front of a crew member. But certainly it would have been no surprise. After all, Nicholson hit the slopes quite frequently for decades, even being rumored to have “upstairs” and “downstairs” cocaine, with the former saved for his most special guests.

Those days may be long gone – as are his performances, having not been in a movie since 2010 – but the stories of Jack Nicholson’s peak cool are endless, just a part of what made him one of the guys in Hollywood. And yes, he is still going to Lakers games at the age of 87.

What other Jack Nicholson stories about his legendary partying stand out to you? Share one of your favorites with us in the comments section below.