Nick Nolte Is An Academy Award-nominated American Actor

Nicholas King Nolte (born February 8, 1941) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor, film producer and ex-model.Nolte was born in Omaha, Nebraska, the son of Helen (née King), a department store buyer, and Franklin A. Nolte, a farmer's son who worked in irrigation pump sales and was an All-American candidate at Iowa State in 1934. Nolte's father was of German descent.Nolte's maternal grandfather, Matthew Leander King, invented the hollow-tile silo and was prominent in early aviation. His maternal grandmother ran the student union at Iowa State University.

Nolte first gained national attention and critical acclaim for his performance in Rich Man, Poor Man, the 1976 television miniseries based on Irwin Shaw's 1970 best-selling novel. Since then he has had a successful career playing a wide variety of characters in more than 40 films. Diversity of character is Nolte's signature of his film career. He is known for his trademark athleticism and gravel-voiced characters. According to a written note owned by Richard Donner, Nolte was the first choice to play Superman in the 1978 film starring Christopher Reeve. He also lost the role of Han Solo to Harrison Ford in the 1977 classic, Star Wars.

Nolte has a long history of alcoholism. In July 2007 he was found passed out at the Kauai Airport in Hawaii.Nolte has been married and divorced three times. His wives are Sheila Page, Sharyn Haddad and Rebecca Linger, with whom he has a son named Brawley. He has also been involved with Karen Louise Eklund, Debra Winger, and Vicki Lewis. On October 3, 2007, Nolte's longtime partner Clytie Lane gave birth to their daughter. The baby's name is Sophie Lane Nolte as revealed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on August 7, 2008.Nolte has an older sister, Nancy, who was an executive for the Red Cross. His son Brawley Nolte is also an actor, having been prominently featured as Mel Gibson's kidnapped son in the 1996 film Ransom.