Who is Jack Nicholson’s former partner Rebecca Broussard? The mother of Novocaine star Ray Nicholson and director Lorraine Nicholson began dating the actor while he was still with Anjelica Huston

Mar 20 , 2025

Jack Nicholson, nominated for Best Actor for As Good As It Gets, arrives with Rebecca Broussard at the 70th Academy Awards in Los Angeles in 1998. Photo: AP

Rebecca Broussard grew up in Kentucky and was a waitress before becoming a model and actress; she was introduced to the reclusive As Good As It Gets actor by a mutual friend

Hollywood actor Jack Nicholson has spent close to 15 years away from the spotlight – with the exception of a rare appearance on Saturday Night Live’s 50th Anniversary Special episode. However, another Nicholson has taken up the mantle since his unofficial retirement – his son, Ray Nicholson, whom he shares with his ex, Rebecca Broussard.

Ray Nicholson attends the Los Angeles premiere Of Novocaine on March 10, 2025 in Los Angeles. Photo: Getty Images/AFP

In an interview with People, the actor, who recently starred in the films Novocaine and Borderline, revealed that he juggled several career aspirations as a child: “I wanted to be an astronaut, and then maybe a sports agent … I later realised that, yeah, deep down I’d always wanted to do this [acting].” He also told USA Today that acting was “the absolute last thing that [he] wanted to do” as he struggled with the pressure of living up to his Oscar-winning dad’s legacy. However his love for the craft triumphed over his insecurities, and he realised, “I am my dad’s kid and I’m super happy about it.”

Nicholson also told the outlet that his father is his “favourite actor”, but he owes his “nice teeth, good manners, blue eyes, and curly hair” to his mum.

So, who is his mother, Rebecca Broussard?

What’s her background?

Rebecca Broussard is the mother of Jack Nicholson’s children Lorraine and Ray. Photo: @lnicholson/Instagram

Per IMDB, Broussard hails from Louisville, Kentucky. She attended the University of Louisville and served tables at Helena’s Hollywood nightclub before making her name as a model and actress. Speaking to USA Today, her son described her as “someone that came from a trailer park in Henderson, Kentucky” who “taught [him] how to be a human and how to have a heart”.

Her relationship with Jack Nicholson

Jack Nicholson (right), Rebecca Broussard and actor Greg Kinnear at an NBA all-star game in New York in 1998. Photo: AFP

Broussard, who was once married to music producer Richard Perry, dated the As Good as It Gets actor after meeting him through a friend while he was still in a relationship with actress Anjelica Huston, per Vanity Fair. When she fell pregnant with their daughter Lorraine, Huston and Nicholson parted ways. Lorraine was born in 1990 and the couple welcomed Ray in 1992, but split a year later. In 2001, she married actor and casting director Alex Kelly.