It took him only 10 years to hit it big -- with Easy Rider (1969), for which he garnered the first of many Academy Award nods. Five Easy Pieces (1970) came next, as well as The King of Marvin Gardens (1972) and Chinatown (1974), for which he finally nabbed an Oscar.

He repeated the feat with One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), again for his portrayal of astronaut Garrett Breedlove in Terms of Endearment (1982) and once more for As Good as It Gets (1997). Other notable films include Reds (1981), Prizzi's Honor (1985), Ironweed (1987), The Crossing Guard (1995), About Schmidt (2000) and Something's Gotta Give (2003).