If you walked into a party at 12850 Mulholland Drive in the mid-1970s, you’d probably see a lot of smoke, hear some very loud jazz, and spot the most magnetic couple in the room. Anjelica Huston and Jack Nicholson didn't just date. They were an era.
It was 1973. Anjelica was 21, a striking former model with a face like a Renaissance painting. Jack was 36, already the king of the New Hollywood hill. They met at his birthday party, danced all night, and she basically never left. Well, she left eventually, but it took seventeen years of high-octane drama, cinematic triumphs, and enough heartbreak to fuel a dozen Oscar-winning scripts.
Honestly, we don't see relationships like this anymore. It was messy. It was glamorous. It was, as Huston later described it, an "emotional rollercoaster" that defined a decade of Los Angeles history.
The Mulholland Drive Years
Life at Jack’s house wasn't exactly a quiet domestic scene. Nicholson was a "world-class philanderer"—Huston’s words, not mine—and he didn't exactly hide it. You’ve got to remember the time. Monogamy in 1970s Hollywood was more of a suggestion than a rule.
She lived in his house while he filmed Chinatown. She watched him become the biggest star on the planet. But while the world saw a power couple, Anjelica was finding other women's things in the soap dish. She once found a jacket she thought was hers on a girl in the street. Imagine that. She actually took to wearing some of the jewelry other women left behind just to see if anyone would claim it. No one ever did.
Despite the "wandering eye," there was a real, deep intellectual connection. They were a match. Her father, the legendary director John Huston, actually liked Jack, which was no small feat. He even directed them both in Prizzi’s Honor (1985), the movie that finally won Anjelica her own Oscar.
Why she stayed so long
People always ask: why did she put up with it?
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Huston recently told The Guardian that it wasn't about being a victim. In that world, his behavior didn't feel personal. "It was how he was," she said. She knew how to protect herself. Sorta.
- The Love: She was genuinely obsessed with him.
- The Lifestyle: They were at the center of the universe.
- The Hope: She really thought they’d get married and have kids.
But whenever she brought up marriage, Jack would shut it down. Once, she told him, "If you had any balls, you'd marry me." His response? "Marry you? Are you kidding?"
That hurts. It would hurt anyone. She cried for three days after that one.
The Breaking Point and the "Savage" Beatdown
The end didn't come because of a simple argument. It came because of a dinner invitation.
In 1989, while Anjelica was rehearsing for The Grifters, Jack called her over. He had news. Rebecca Broussard, an actress he’d been seeing, was pregnant.
He told Anjelica, "Someone is gonna have a baby."
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That was it. The seventeen-year tether snapped. For Huston, who had struggled with fertility issues and endometriosis, this was the ultimate betrayal. She walked out.
But she didn't just walk out quietly. A few days later, after reading a Playboy article about Jack’s antics with another woman involving a ping-pong paddle, she snapped. She drove to the Paramount lot where he was working. When he came out of the bathroom, she went full prizefighter on him.
She beat him "savagely" about the head and shoulders. Jack didn't fight back; he just ducked and took it. Later, he called her and said, "Goddamn, Toots, you sure landed some blows on me." They actually laughed about it. That’s how deep the bond was—even the violence was just another chapter in their shared history.
Where They Are Now
It’s 2026, and the dust has long since settled. Anjelica married sculptor Robert Graham and stayed with him until he passed in 2008. Jack had two kids with Rebecca Broussard (Lorraine and Ray) and eventually became a bit of a recluse.
But they still talk.
During the Los Angeles wildfires in early 2025, Anjelica had to evacuate her home. Who was the first person to call? Jack. At 87 years old, he called to make sure she was safe and offered her a place to stay.
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"When the chips are down, he's there," she said.
Lessons from the Huston-Nicholson Era
You can't look at their story and see a "failed" relationship. Seventeen years is a lifetime in Hollywood.
- Honesty matters: Even when it's brutal. Anjelica's memoir Watch Me is a masterclass in being honest about your own obsessions.
- Friendship survives: If the foundation is deep enough, you can move past the romantic wreckage.
- Know when to walk: She didn't leave because of the cheating; she left because the future she wanted (a family) was being given to someone else.
If you want to understand this era better, start by reading Anjelica Huston's memoir, Watch Me. It’s way better than any tabloid summary. Then, go watch Prizzi’s Honor. You can see the real-life tension on the screen. It's electric because it was real.
To really get the full picture, look for the 1974 photos of them at the Mulholland house. There’s one where they’re just sitting on the floor. No makeup, no Oscars, just two people who were briefly the sun and the moon to each other.
Keep an eye on the upcoming BBC series Towards Zero—Huston is still working, still sharp, and still the most interesting woman in any room she enters. Jack might be staying inside these days, but as Anjelica proved, he’s never more than a phone call away when things get real.
Next Steps for Film Buffs:
Check out the 1985 film Prizzi's Honor to see the height of their creative partnership. For the most intimate details of their private life, read the second volume of Huston's autobiography, Watch Me: A Memoir, which covers the L.A. years in vivid detail.