Jack Nicholson Wasn't the First Pick for 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'

For young budding cinephiles immersing themselves in the art of cinema, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is one of the boxes that needs to be checked off. Anyone who has seen it can confirm that watching the film for the first time is not merely cinematic homework. Cuckoo's Nest encompasses all the values and sentiments that we hope to consume when watching a film. The Milos Forman film is humorous, downbeat, endearing, deeply skeptical of humanity, and inspiring all in the same breath. The film is indelible for many reasons, with the most notable being that it provided Jack Nicholson with his most iconic role. As is the case with nearly every Hollywood triumph, the casting of the beloved star was fortuitous. Originally, Burt Reynolds was offered the lead role, nearly altering the trajectory of film history.