One of the greats may never again return to the screen. A report from Radar Online claims that Jack Nicholson has quietly retired from acting “due to memory loss.”  There’s been no official word from Nicholson’s camp so it’s unclear if the report has merit, but if true, it would be a massive loss for the film community.  The 76-year-old actor last appeared in longtime collaborator James L. Brooks’ 2010 dramedy How Do You Know, so it’s possible that this could be his final onscreen appearance.  Nicholson was offered a key role in Alexander Payne’s upcoming film Nebraska and another one opposite Robert Downey Jr. in The Judge, but he turned both down.  Bruce Dern ended up taking the Nebraska part, while Robert Duvall landed the Judge role.

A 3-time Oscar winner for his turns in As Good as It Gets, Terms of Endearment, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, the 12-time Oscar nominee has been a staple of the Academy Awards broadcast for years.  The report notes that Nicholson won’t be retiring from the limelight, so don’t rule out a front-row appearance at March’s ceremony. [Update: A source tells NBC News (via Digital Spy) that reports of Nicholson's retirement are "100% false" and the actor is "actively reading scripts and looking forward to his next project."]