These days, Nick Nolte is best known for playing tough, no-nonsense characters, but he was once a major sex symbol.
Now, the talented actor is 82 years old, and I must admit, he looks very different from his heartthrob days in the 1970s.
I have a lot of respect for Nick Nolte’s incredible talent – he’s truly one of the greatest actors in American cinema.
I love how his strong facial features, square jaw, pronounced forehead, and wild hair make him look like a powerful, almost larger-than-life character, like someone from a Shakespeare play.
His ability to play different roles, along with the intensity and emotion in his eyes, is what makes his acting so powerful. Nick always gives raw and honest performances, and his career shows that many people admire his work.
In 1991, Nolte won a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama. He was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in *The Prince of Tides*.
Nick Nolte’s powerful roles in movies like *Affliction* and *Warrior* earned him more Academy Award nominations. But today, he looks very different from his Golden Globe-winning days.
His famous messy mug shot from 2002 damaged much of his reputation. His legal problems and personal scandals made things worse.
For younger audiences, it might be hard to believe that Nolte was once the all-American hero of the 1970s. He was even named People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive.
So how did Nick Nolte become one of the most famous faces in America?
In high school, Nolte wasn’t much of an actor, according to his football coach in Omaha. He was a talented football player, but also a “skinny, awkward kid with a crew cut.”
Nolte says he was very shy as a child and didn’t feel comfortable in groups. He struggled in school, and later in life, he found out he had dyslexia.
The handsome Nick Nolte, born in Omaha, Nebraska, on February 8, 1941, got his big break in the TV miniseries *Rich Man, Poor Man* (1976). Soon after, he became a well-known name and an American heartthrob.
However, Nolte started as a model in the 1960s. One of his most famous photos was with Sigourney Weaver for Clairol’s “Summer Blonde” hair color campaign in 1972. According to *Eighties Kids*, it’s the only time a man has ever appeared on a box of women’s hair dye.
When Nick Nolte was cast in *Rich Man, Poor Man*, he was mostly unknown, but he stole the show as Tom, the brother of Rudy Jordache. He played the role like a true all-American hero.
The series completely changed Nolte’s life, as he won over fans as the ultimate bad boy, Tom. Nolte also had to put a lot of effort into his physical appearance. In the early scenes, where he played a younger version of his character, he weighed about 150 pounds.
“I remember the different stages I went through for *Rich Man, Poor Man*. That was the biggest age range, from 16 to 45. I thought about my weight in high school, which was 150 pounds. So I dropped down to that weight and got my teenage body back. I ran around the Hollywood reservoir day and night,” Nolte told *Insider* in 2022.
After the success of *Rich Man, Poor Man*, Nick Nolte, born and raised in Nebraska, continued to prove himself as an outstanding actor with strong performances. In 1982, he became a huge star in Hollywood after starring in the hit action-comedy *48 Hrs*.
The movie, where Nolte starred alongside Eddie Murphy, was groundbreaking in many ways.
“The thing about *48 Hrs.* that isn’t often discussed is that it’s the first film where a black and white character criticize each other,” Nolte said in 2011.
“After the Civil Rights era, it was awkward for whites and blacks. We didn’t know how to talk to each other.”
In the 1990s, Nick Nolte’s career hit its peak. As a true A-lister, he earned millions and became one of the most respected actors in Hollywood.
His film and TV work speaks for itself, but in the 2000s, Nolte became known for other things.
He lived up to his reputation as one of Hollywood’s bad boys. Nolte faced personal struggles, went through three divorces, and was arrested several times.
The three-time Academy Award nominee went from being Hollywood’s “sexiest man alive” to being remembered for an infamous mug shot.
However, since 2002, Nick has been sober.
“I was at a low point and got careless,” Nolte said.
“I drank to cope with anything difficult—relationships, failed projects—even using alcohol to deal with the loneliness and isolation that often comes with fame.”
In recent years, Nick Nolte has mostly taken smaller supporting roles, and he looks very different from his Hollywood glory days.
Today, the veteran actor lives in a treehouse in the beautiful city of Malibu, California. Nolte built the house himself and lives there with his wife, Clytie Lane.
The *Prince of Tides* star loves spending time with his children, reading, and being outdoors. Nolte has a son, Brawley Nolte (born 1986), and a daughter, Sophia Lane Nolte (born 2001).
Both of Nick Nolte’s children have tried acting, and for a while, it seemed like Brawley and Sophia might follow in their father’s footsteps.
Sophia even acted alongside her dad, playing his granddaughter in *Honey in the Head*.
“She’s like a little grown-up. Sometimes she calls me Grandpa instead of Daddy because her friends’ dads are younger. I’m nearly 80. My son Brawley, who’s in his 30s, did some acting too, but it wasn’t for him. He’s studying to be a doctor,” Nolte told *Saturday Evening Post*.
Even after many years, Nick Nolte still has that cheeky smile, beautiful eyes, and charming personality. Now at 82, he looks great and continues to do what he loves most—acting.
He also seems to have a healthy attitude about aging.
“As for being old, I don’t regret it at all. I’m not having much trouble with age. I’m actually comfortable with it, knowing there’s one more big adventure ahead. It’s a bit scary, but I accept it. You fight hard right up until the end. I think you just have to keep moving and keep doing it,” he says.