Jack Nicholson has played some of the most complex and intense characters in Hollywood history, but one of the most shocking twists of his life happened off-screen.The Shining actor spent nearly four decades believing the woman who raised him was his mother, until he learned the truth, which he called the ‘most f***ed thing [he’d] ever heard’.Born in 1937 in Neptune, New Jersey, Jack Nicholson’s early life was built on a carefully guarded family secret. His real mother, June, was only 18 when she became pregnant.

The father, a man named Don, was already married to someone else. To avoid scandal, June’s mother, Ethel May (Nicholson’s grandmother), stepped in and took on the role of Jack’s mum, while June was introduced to him as his much older sister, and his aunt Lorraine, June’s sister, as his other sibling.As a young woman, June left New Jersey for Miami, hoping to make it as a showgirl, while Jack stayed behind with who he believed was his mother, Ethel May.At 17, Nicholson left for Los Angeles, where June had relocated to chase a career in entertainment.“Since my only relative in the world was June, who was out here, I came out to look around,” he told Rolling Stone in 1986.His Hollywood journey began in the animated cartoon department at MGM Studios, where he worked as an office boy. It didn’t take long before his charm and natural talent were noticed, leading him to pursue acting, an endeavour that would change his life forever.