Jack Nicholson was 36 when he filmed Chinatown (1974). He had begun working in Hollywood in the late 1950s on B movies directed by Roger Corman. His big break into wider fame and critical acclaim came with his supporting role in Easy Rider (1969). Nicholson was friends with Chinatown screenwriter Robert Towne, and the part of private investigator J.J. (“Jake”) Gittes was written specifically for him.