You’ve seen the face before. That specific, slightly predatory arch of the eyebrows and the wide, Cheshire-cat grin that seems to suggest he knows a secret you don’t. It’s a look that defined Hollywood for fifty years. But the man sporting it lately isn't the guy from The Shining. It's his son.
Ray Nicholson is currently carving a weird, fascinating path through the industry, and honestly, it’s about time we talked about it. For years, he was just the "Lakers kid"—the young guy sitting courtside next to a legend in sunglasses. Now, he’s becoming a "Scream King" in his own right, and he’s doing it by leaning into the very thing most celebrity kids try to run from: the family resemblance.
Who Exactly is Ray Nicholson?
Born in early 1992, Raymond Nicholson is the son of Jack and actress Rebecca Broussard. He’s 33 now. Unlike some of Jack’s other children who have stayed mostly private, Ray has spent the last decade-plus quietly building a resume that actually has some weight to it.
He didn't just wake up and decide to be a movie star because his dad is "The Jack." In fact, he spent a lot of his childhood wanting to be an astronaut or a sports agent. He played football at the Brentwood School in LA. He was a "set rat," as Jack famously called his kids, but he was also a kid who stayed behind to finish varsity training instead of going on European vacations. That says a lot about his personality.
Jack has six kids in total:
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- Jennifer Nicholson (from his marriage to Sandra Knight)
- Caleb Goddard (with Susan Anspach)
- Honey Hollman (with Winnie Hollman)
- Lorraine Nicholson (Ray's full sister)
- Ray Nicholson
- Tessa Gourin (who has been outspoken about her estrangement from Jack)
Ray is widely considered to be the one Jack is closest to. They eat dinner together. They talk about life. But interestingly, they don't really talk about acting. Ray has mentioned in interviews that he avoids asking for technical advice because he'd probably take his father’s word as gospel, and he knows he needs to find his own "lane."
The Smile That Went Viral
If you saw the posters for Smile 2 in late 2024, you probably did a double-take. The director, Parker Finn, knew exactly what he was doing. He cast Ray as Paul Hudson, and the marketing leaned heavily on Ray’s ability to mimic that iconic, menacing Nicholson leer.
It was a meta-moment for Hollywood.
Usually, "nepo babies" try to distance themselves from their parents' most famous tropes. Ray did the opposite. He embraced it. He told Entertainment Tonight that he knows they look alike—they’re related, after all—and he used that genetic inheritance to give audiences a genuine chill. It worked. People weren't just talking about his last name; they were talking about how effectively he used it to be creepy.
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Not Just a Horror Guy
While horror has given him a big platform, Ray’s filmography is actually pretty diverse.
- The Benchwarmers (2006): His first "baby step" role as a kid.
- Promising Young Woman (2020): He played Jim. It was a small but memorable part of a massive, Oscar-winning film.
- Panic (2021): A lead role in an Amazon Prime teen drama that showed he could carry a series.
- Licorice Pizza (2021): A bit part, but being in a Paul Thomas Anderson movie is basically a badge of honor for any "serious" actor.
- Out of the Blue (2022): Starring opposite Diane Kruger. This was a noir thriller where he really started to show his leading-man chops.
By the time 2025 rolled around, he was popping up everywhere. He starred in Borderline with Samara Weaving, playing a dangerously obsessed fan. Then there was Novocaine, the action-comedy where he played a bank robber. He’s staying busy. He’s not just waiting for the phone to ring; he’s taking roles that allow him to be "likable but dangerous," which, let’s be real, is the family specialty.
Living in the Shadow of Seven Oscars
Can you imagine the pressure? Ray once admitted that on his first day of acting class, he wondered if his performance was "good enough for seven Oscars." That’s a heavy backpack to carry to work every day.
He’s been open about the "crippling pressure" he put on himself early on. He’s 33 now, which is relatively late for a Hollywood breakout, but that’s because he took "baby steps." He wanted to be able to audition as just Ray.
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Honestly, the way he handles the "Jack's Son" label is refreshing. He calls his dad his hero. He calls himself the "luckiest kid in the world." There’s no manufactured drama there. Just a guy who loves his dad, happens to look exactly like him, and is trying to figure out how to be a human being in a very strange industry.
The Personal Side
Ray is currently dating Victoria's Secret model Sara Sampaio. They’ve been seen together at events and, of course, courtside at Lakers games. He lives a relatively low-key life in Los Angeles, enjoys fly-fishing and yoga, and seems to have a good head on his shoulders.
He’s also interested in the behind-the-scenes stuff. He’s dabbled in screenwriting and directing, which suggests he isn't just looking for fame—he’s looking for a career.
What’s Next for Ray?
As we move through 2026, Ray Nicholson is no longer just a trivia answer. He’s a working actor with a specific "edge" that Hollywood is currently missing. With projects like Novocaine under his belt and a growing reputation for being a "scene-stealer," he’s successfully transitioned from "Jack’s kid" to "that guy from the movie."
If you want to follow his career, keep an eye on his choice of directors. He seems to gravitate toward indie-leaning thrillers and projects with a bit of a bite.
Next Steps for You:
Check out his performance in Smile 2 if you haven’t already—the resemblance is wild, but the performance is his own. If you’re more into thrillers, find Out of the Blue on streaming. It’s a great showcase of his ability to play a complicated lead without leaning on his father's legacy. Watch for his upcoming 2026 projects; he’s moving into more mainstream action-comedy roles that will likely cement his place as a permanent fixture in the new Hollywood landscape.