Jack Nicholson Isn’t Retiring, Not Suffering Memory Loss

Jack Nicholson may not be retired from acting after all.

After a report emerged this week that the Academy Award winner was ready to retire from acting, other sources have stepped forward to debunk the rumors.

A report from Radar Online got the ball rolling this week when it claimed that the 76-year-old actor was having difficulty remembering his lines, prompting him to call it quits.

“Jack has, without fanfare, retired,” a source told the celebrity news outlet. “There is a simple reason behind his decision, it’s memory loss. Quite frankly, at 76, Jack has memory issues and can no longer remember the lines being asked of him. His memory isn’t what it used to be.”

If the report were true, it would not mean an abrupt end to Nicholson’s career. Though he still appears at awards shows and other Hollywood functions, Jack hasn’t acted in a movie in three years. His last on-screen appearance was in the 2010 film How Do You Know.

The news was met with sadness across social media. On Twitter fans mourned the end of Nicholson’s career, and publications printed “best of:” lists recalling his top movies. Others treated the news as if it were an obituary. The sentiment was understandable — though his acting has become more sporadic, Nicholson is still regarded as one of Hollywood’s biggest draws, and his resume is nearly unmatched among current actors.

But soon after the Radar Online report, E! News refuted the rumor that Jack Nicholson is retiring. An unnamed source told the news outlet that while Jack isn’t working right now, he is “actively reading scripts and is looking forward to his next project.”

NBC’s Maria Shriver also threw cold water on the reports that Nicholson was struggling with memory loss or dementia, calling those rumors 100 percent false.

Jack Nicholson has not yet commented on whether he’s retired or not.