Don’t Call Jack Nicholson A ‘Sex Legend,’ He Doesn’t Like It

Gosh, it’s terrible when people call you a “sex legend,” isn’t it? Jack Nicholson seems to think so, admitting in a recent interview that he’s uncomfortable with the dubious distinction.

Sitting down with the UK-based tabloid The Sun, the 75-year-old actor admitted that the long-running rumor that he is a womanizer who has slept with over 2,000 women is a bit exaggerated.

“I am an extreme person. If someone says, ‘Jack, you are a womanizer,’ I don’t deny it. But the life of a gigolo always ends badly,” the Oscar winner said. “That is one of the reasons I feel uncomfortable about all that ‘sex legend’ stuff.”

Nicholson also revealed a slightly softer side to his dubious womanizing persona:

“There are also women I have seen, intimately, for a very long time over my life,” he adds. “Unexpected, perhaps, but true.”

The actor may be referring to high-profile and relatively long-lasting relationships he has shared with actress Anjelica Huston and model Janice Dickinson. Nicholson also admitted that he’s mellowed out quite a lot in recent years.

“Anger has always been a problem, and every once in a while I just have to let it out. I always regret it later. After a couple of hours I calm down and think, ‘What way could I have solved that problem other than blowing up?’ I should have learned how to do that long ago and that would have made my life easier — with less apologizing.”

Nicholson also confessed to receiving therapy in order to cope with his issues:

“I have been in a lot of therapy over the years and have found it has helped. The therapist I use in Los Angeles says to me, ‘Jack, you are one of the best patients I’ve ever had.’ And I say, ‘Why is that, Sidney?’ He says. ‘You usually know what your problem is, you do what I tell you and that’s the end of the therapy.'”

Nicholson also admitted that he wishes he had been a more involved parent to his children, who are all adults now.

“I didn’t see enough of my eldest daughter because I was trying to make a career,” he said of 48-year-old Jennifer. “I have a daughter, Lorraine, and a son, Raymond, with whom I was able to spend much more time.”

Still Nicholson says he is involved as he can be these days. “I give out advice all the time. I say, ‘Do not lie, do not steal and do not be afraid.’ Especially, the last one. Fear stops us doing things,” the actor says. “I also say it’s the things that you do not do in life that cause regret.”

Are you a fan of Jack Nicholson? Are you surprised that he’s uncomfortable with being considered a “sex legend?”