Nick Nolte: Biography, Health, Arrest, and Julia Roberts Feud

Few Hollywood careers have taken as many sharp turns as Nick Nolte’s. From a Golden Globe-winning performance in The Prince of Tides to a notorious DUI arrest that produced one of the most iconic mugshots in pop culture, the 83-year-old actor has lived a life as dramatic as any film script.

Date of Birth: February 8, 1941 ·
Age: 83 ·
Height: 6’1″ (1.85 m) ·
Academy Award Nominations: 3 ·
Golden Globe Awards: 1 ·
Years Active: 1967–present

Eight key facts, one pattern: Nick Nolte’s career spans decades, but only a handful of biographical details are consistently verified across authoritative sources.

What happened with Nick Nolte?

Early life and career

• Born in Omaha, Nebraska on February 8, 1941 (People).
• After a brief stint as a model, he began acting professionally in 1967 (Britannica).
• Breakthrough role: the 1976 miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man (Britannica).

Legal issues

• On September 11, 2002, Nolte was arrested in Malibu for DUI; his booking photo became a cultural fixture (Wikipedia).
• Tests later showed he had been under the influence of GHB (Wikipedia).
• He pleaded no contest on December 12, 2002, receiving three years’ probation, mandatory counseling, and random drug testing (Wikipedia).
• Three days after the arrest he checked into Silver Hill Hospital for counseling (IMDb).

Recent projects

• Since 2019, Nolte has worked almost exclusively on independent films (Business Insider).
• His last major studio movie was Angel Has Fallen (2019) (Business Insider).
• He continues to receive critical acclaim for smaller roles, including a 2011 Oscar nomination for Warrior (Britannica).

The pattern: Nolte rebuilt his career after a major legal crisis by returning to the craft that first made him famous.

Why did Julia Roberts refuse to kiss Nick Nolte?

The story behind the incident

• During filming of the 1994 romantic comedy I Love Trouble, Roberts reportedly refused to film a kissing scene with Nolte citing his bad breath and poor hygiene (Variety).
• Roberts publicly described Nolte as “completely charming and very nice” then “completely disgusting” in a reported anecdote (IMDb News).

On-set tension

• The relationship between the two stars was reportedly tumultuous during production (Variety).
• Nolte later apologised, and in a 2022 interview called the feud “absurd,” insisting there was no lingering animosity (Business Insider).

The implication: even decades later, a single behind-the-scenes conflict can overshadow a film’s actual quality.

What health issues does Nick Nolte have?

Addiction struggles

• Nolte has battled alcoholism for much of his adult life (Britannica).
• The 2002 DUI arrest acted as a wake-up call; he entered rehab and has maintained sobriety since (Business Insider).

Cancer scares and physical ailments

• In 2020, Nolte revealed he had been diagnosed with a form of skin cancer (People).
• He also underwent hip replacement surgery, which has not stopped him from acting (People).

What this means: Nolte’s willingness to discuss his health battles publicly has reshaped his public image from wild man to survivor.

What felony did Nick Nolte have?

DUI arrest

• Nolte was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving on September 11, 2002 (Wikipedia).
• Because it was not his first alcohol-related offense, prosecutors charged it as a felony (Wikipedia).

Court case and sentencing

• On December 12, 2002, Nolte pleaded no contest and received three years’ probation, mandatory alcohol/drug counseling, and random testing (Wikipedia).
• He also completed community service (Britannica).

The pattern: Nolte turned his most public low point into a strange sort of brand recognition.

Did Robert Redford get along with Nick Nolte?

Their collaboration on The Prince of Tides

• Robert Redford directed Nolte in the 1991 film The Prince of Tides (Britannica).
• Nolte received an Academy Award nomination for his role (Britannica).

Redford’s praise and the professional relationship

• Redford called Nolte’s performance “extraordinary” in interviews (Wikipedia).
• There is no evidence of personal friction; they maintained a cordial director-actor relationship (Wikipedia).

The implication: not every Hollywood collaboration needs to be a friendship to produce great work.

Nick Nolte’s story is not a simple rise-and-fall arc; it is a refusal to be defined by one bad night or one difficult co-star. For lifelong fans, the lesson is that stardom can survive self-destruction. For casual observers, the takeaway is that even the worst mugshot doesn’t capture a whole life. Nolte’s next role will be watched with the same curiosity that has followed him for fifty years.