Jack Nicholson Is a ‘Great and Normal Dad’ to His Kids: ‘Always Picks Up the Phone When They Call’

Jack Nicholson has all but disappeared from the public eye in recent years. However, a source tells Closer that the Oscar-winning actor is “absolutely not hiding from anybody he loves,” especially his children.

“It’s a big deal when one of the kids posts a new picture of Jack on social media,” admits the source. “But the truth is that … he’s totally accessible to the kids and he always picks up the phone when they call.”

The Shining star, 89, shares daughter Jennifer, 62, with ex-wife Sandra Knight, son Caleb, 55, with Five Easy Pieces costar Susan Anspach, daughter Honey, 44, with model Winnie Hollman, and daughter Lorraine, 36, and son Ray, 34, with actress Rebecca Broussard. He also has a daughter, Tessa, 31, with Jennine Gourin but has never publicly claimed her, per People.

Some have even followed in Nicholson’s famous footsteps. Ray has starred in nearly 30 TV shows and films, such as Smile 2, and Lorraine has 12 movie credits to her name, including Click.

That being said, “he’s way more focused on whether these young adults are healthy, happy and in good spirits than he is on the scripts they’re reading or the meetings they’re getting,” shares the source. “It’s pretty clear that being a great and normal dad is his final mission in life.”

That’s not to say Nicholson hasn’t helped “point his children in the right direction professionally here and there,” Closer‘s source notes.

“Sure [he has] but there’s so little show business in how the three of them relate to each other,” reveals the source. “The focus is always on the family dinners they share at Jack’s L.A. house when everybody is in town.”

Ray and Lorraine, especially, “see Jack as their personal hero and they can’t get enough of the guy,” says the source. “They’re always checking in on one another and it’s heartwarming how supportive those kids are of their dad!”