Michael Douglas says Jack Nicholson is doing fine, even if the three-time Oscar winner has largely vanished from public view in recent years. In a new interview, Douglas offered a rare update on his longtime friend and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" co-star, telling the outlet that Nicholson has "disappeared" from Hollywood's social circuit but remains in good health. "I still see him," Douglas said, adding that Nicholson is "well." The remarks mark one of the few recent public comments about the reclusive 89-year-old actor, who has not appeared in a film since 2010's "How Do You Know" and has been photographed only occasionally since then.

Douglas and Nicholson share one of the more enduring friendships in Hollywood, a bond that dates back decades and was cemented on screen in 1975's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," which won the best picture Oscar and earned Nicholson his first Academy Award for best actor. The two men later appeared together in 2003's "It Runs in the Family," a comedy-drama that also starred Douglas's father, Kirk Douglas. Their rapport has long been part of Hollywood lore, and Douglas has periodically taken it upon himself to reassure fans that his friend's retreat from public life is a choice rather than a crisis.

That reassurance matters because Nicholson's absence has fueled speculation for years. The actor, whose run of acclaimed work in the 1970s and 1980s included "Chinatown," "The Shining," "Terms of Endearment" and "Batman," has not taken a screen role since the 2010 James L. Brooks comedy. He has skipped major industry events and award ceremonies, and paparazzi sightings have been rare. Reports over the years have described him as content to spend his time at his home in the Hollywood Hills, away from cameras and red carpets. Douglas's comments appear to confirm that picture: Nicholson is not ill, he is simply retired in all but name.

Douglas himself has been open about his own perspective on aging and career longevity, and he has spoken warmly of Nicholson in past interviews. His latest remarks carry weight because he is one of the few people in Nicholson's inner circle who speaks publicly with any regularity. The update also fits a pattern: whenever questions about Nicholson's health resurface, it tends to be Douglas or a handful of other close associates who step forward to say the actor is fine and simply prefers privacy.

For fans, the news is likely to be received with mixed emotions. On one hand, confirmation that Nicholson is well is welcome, given his age and the fact that he has been out of the spotlight for more than 15 years. On the other, Douglas's characterization of his friend as having "disappeared" underscores that a return to acting is unlikely. Nicholson has given no indication that he intends to work again, and his last film was a modestly received romantic comedy rather than the kind of farewell that major stars often choose.

There is also a generational subtext to the story. Nicholson and Douglas are among the last surviving titans of the New Hollywood era, the period in the late 1960s and 1970s when a wave of ambitious, director-driven films reshaped American cinema. Nicholson was arguably its most recognizable face, with a run of performances that combined commercial success with critical acclaim in a way few actors have matched. Douglas, meanwhile, became a producer and star who helped shepherd films like "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" to the screen. Their friendship is a living link to that era, which is part of why any news about either man draws attention.

Douglas's comments were not accompanied by any details about when he last saw Nicholson, where the two men meet, or what they talk about. He did not elaborate on the nature of Nicholson's day-to-day life, and he did not suggest that a comeback is in the works. The takeaway is narrow but meaningful: according to one of his closest friends, Jack Nicholson is healthy and choosing to stay out of the public eye.

For an industry that has spent years wondering about the fate of one of its most decorated stars, that may be the most definitive answer available. Nicholson has never been a performer who explains himself, and if Douglas is right, there is nothing to explain. The actor is simply living his life away from the business that made him famous and, by all accounts from those who know him, is perfectly content to keep it that way.

Source: Variety