Jack Nicholson Makes Rare Appearance During “SNL50: The Anniversary Special ”to Introduce Adam Sandler

Jack Nicholson made a rare appearance in New York City to celebrate a big TV milestone.

On Sunday, Feb. 16, the 87-year-old actor stepped out to attend the SNL50: The Anniversary Special event. Seated among Studio 8H's starry audience, the One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest star wore a black jacket and button-up shirt. Nicholson accessorized with sunglasses and a New York Yankees beret.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Adam Sandler!" he said, introducing the comedian onstage with a guitar in hand. "Let's hear it for Jack, baby! Jack made it out tonight! Love you, brother," Sandler, 58, said before performing an emotional original song honoring the series.

Sandler and Nicholson costarred in 2003's Anger Management.

While Nicholson has never hosted Saturday Night Live, he did serve as a presenter during the variety sketch show's 40th anniversary in 2015.

Related: NBC Looks Back at Saturday Night Live History in First Trailer for Peacock's SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night

Nicholson, whose last movie was 2010's How Do You Know, was last snapped at a public event in April 2023 while watching the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA playoffs.

In a video posted to X at the time, The Shining star could be seen hugging and shaking hands with LeBron James.

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More recently, Nicholson was seen sharing a sweet moment with his daughter Lorraine in an Instagram photo she shared Jan. 2. The rare image saw Lorraine, 34, smiling as she wrapped her arms around her dad’s shoulders and the star placed his hand on her arm.

“Your dad looks great,” filmmaker Nancy Meyers, who directed Nicholson in the 2003 film Something's Gotta Give, wrote in the comments section.

Related: Jack Nicholson's Life and Career in Photos

Aside from Lorraine, Nicholson is also dad to Jennifer, 61, Caleb, 54, Honey, 43, Ray, 32, and Tessa, 30, the latter of whom the actor has been estranged from for most of her life.

In October 2024, Ray referred to his father as "my inspiration" as he spoke with Deadline at the premiere of his horror movie Smile 2, for which his eerie smile displayed on posters for the film has drawn a clear comparison to Nicholson's iconic grin in The Shining.

“You know, we’re very different people,” Ray told Deadline at the premiere. “I was born in 1992, he was born in 1937. The things that affect me don’t necessarily affect him. Obviously, I love him."

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"I ate dinner with him every night. I studied it; that’s how I learned to be a human being. So of course we’re gonna be kind of similar," he continued. "As far as talking about it, if he ever did tell me something, I probably wouldn’t investigate it for myself because I’d be like, ‘You’re the best, of course, that’s right.' And it might not work for me."

But regardless of their different approaches, "I love him," Ray told the outlet. "He’s also my hero. I’m the luckiest kid in the world."

SNL50: The Anniversary Special is airing on Sunday, Feb. 16 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and streaming on Peacock.

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