Here’s Johnny!
Jack Nicholson, 87, made a rare public appearance at the “Saturday Night Live” 50th anniversary special on Sunday night.
The show celebrated 50 years on the air with a three-hour special called “SNL50: The Anniversary Special,” Feb. 16 (8 p.m. on NBC and Peacock).
Nicholson was one of the many celebs in the crowd. He was sitting in the audinece near Robert DeNiro, Blake Lively, and Ryan Reynolds — in one of the 200 extra chairs the “SNL” production designer told The Post he had to add.
“The Shining” star was briefly on camera to introduce a musical act from Adam Sandler.
After the camera cut to Sandler, he said, “Let’s hear it for Jack, baby! Jack baby out tonight!”
The “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” actor was also at “SNL’s” 40th anniversary special a decade ago.
Nicholson has gotten reclusive in his eight decade.
Before “SNL50,” one of his recent public appearances was two years ago, as he was photographed at a basketball game in May of 2023. He was with his son, Ray Nicholson, 32, watching the Lakers play the Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena.
The Oscar winner has kept a low profile after his last appearance in the 2010 rom com “How Did You Know” starring Paul Rudd.
James L. Brooks, who directed Nicholson in “Terms of Endearment,” “Broadcast News” “As Good as It” Gets and “How Do You Know,” told People in 2023 that he stays in touch with Nicholson, and isn’t certain Nicholson is retired.
“I keep on thinking he’s going to get itchy and scratch it,” he said.
“My theory is it’s not his last movie,” he added about “How Did You Know.”
The same year, Brooks told The Wrap about “The Shining” star, “I don’t think he’s retired. I don’t buy that he’s retired.”
In January 2023, the actor’s friends shared concerns about his solitary lifestyle, saying they’re worried about the end game.
At that time, the Oscar winner hadn’t been seen in public in three years, with his pals claiming he was “living like a recluse.”
Brooks got his wish, for a comeback, sort of, as Nicholson was onscreen to introduce Adam Sandler’s song.
Sandler, 58, proceeded to play a guitar and sing a song about how “SNL” is celebrating, “50 years of prank calling some New York Magazine critic.”
He joked in his song that the show is also celebrating, “50 years of of your sketch killing at read through – then finding out they didn’t pick it because the host didn’t want to take off his shirt,” and “50 years of asking an intern to pick up your laundry at 2:30 am not realizing that the internet was Scorsese’s kid” or the child of whatever celebrity Lorne Michaels had dinner with that week.
Sandler’s song also included a video tribute to iconic cast members such as Eddie Murphy and Will Forte – and some late cast members such as Chris Farley and Phil Hartman.
