Born February 8, 1941 in Omaha, Nebraska, Nicholas King Nolte, known professionally as Nick Nolte, was the son of Franklin Arthur and Helen King Nolte. Following high school graduation in 1959, Nolte attended several colleges and universities and eventually acted at the Pasadena Playhouse and other venues throughout the country. He was a model in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Nolte had roles in various TV series and made-for-TV movies from 1969 on. His breakthrough came with his starring role in the 1976 TV mini-series, Rich Man, Poor Man in which Peter Strauss and he were billed over a cast of Hollywood heavyweights. Both actors as well as Susan Blakely, Dorothy McGuire, Ray Milland, Robert Reed, Bill Bixby, Norman Fell, Van Johnson, Kim Darby, Kay Lenz, Ed Asner and Fionnula Flanagan were nominated for Emmys with Asner and Flanagan winning.

The success of Rich Man, Poor Man led Nolte to starring roles in some of Hollywood’s most prestigious films over the next few years including 1977’s The Deep opposite Jacqueline Bisset, 1978’s Who’ll Stop the Rain opposite Tuesday Weld, 1979’s North Dallas Forty opposite Mac Davis, 1980’s Heart Beat opposite Sissy Spacek, 1982’s Cannery Row opposite Debra Winger, the same yer’s 48 Hours opposite Eddie Murphy and 1983’s Under Fire opposite Gene Hackman. Nolte was billed first in all of them.

The first film in which Nolte did not received top billing since his breakthrough was in 1984’s Grace Quigley in which he was second billed to Katharine Hepburn in her last starring role. Later films included 1984’s Teachers opposite JoBeth Williams, 1986’s Down and Out in Beverly Hills opposite Bette Midler, 1987’s Weeds for which he received a Golden Globe nomination, 1990’s Q&A opposite Timothy Hutton and 1992’s Cape Fear opposite Robert De Niro and The Prince of Tides opposite Barbra Streisand who also directed, for which he received his first Oscar nomination.

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