Stanley Kubrick had in mind some famous American actors for Jack Torrance’s role in “The Shining”: Robert De Niro, Robin Williams, Christopher Reeve, Leslie Nielsen, and Harrison Ford, but he ultimately chose Jack Nicholson. Stephen King turned against Nicholson because he thought the lead role in “The Shining” was “too crazy” for him.
Despite the author’s disapproval, Nicholson contributed to the film. The actor rightly supported Kubrick in that the adaptation, though based on the novel’s foundation, is independent fiction.
Following this thesis, Nicholson wrote a scene of his character himself. According to the actor, he relied on his own experience of divorce. According to the actor, he was desperately pursuing his career, disappearing during the day on set and writing the script at night. All this did not have the best effect on family relations and prevented being a good father and husband. This is what Nicholson put into his character.
Nicholson also improvised a lot, pushing himself through rehearsals into an incredible psychopathic state. The result of this method was the phrase “Here’s Johnny,” which Jack said during one of the takes in the door-cutting scene. Kubrick liked this moment so much that it was he who entered the final editing of the picture. By the way, this scene was shot within three days, Nicholson slashed down 60 doors.
