Anjelica Huston Opens Up About Cancer and Ex-Jack Nicholson’s Sweet Call During Fires

LOS ANGELES, April 10, 2025 — Anjelica Huston revealed in an interview with PEOPLE that her former partner Jack Nicholson unexpectedly called her during the Los Angeles wildfires earlier this year, offering her a place to stay. Huston, 73, had to evacuate her ranch near the Sierra Nevada mountain range while dealing with the emergency.

“The phone just rang out of nowhere, and it was him,” Huston recalled. “It’s always a comfort when he calls. It was heartbreakingly sweet. I’ve gone back over it several times in my head, and I think next time I’d accept the invitation.”

Huston and Nicholson, 87, were in a well-documented on-again, off-again relationship from 1973 until 1990. Their last split occurred after Nicholson fathered a child with actress Rebecca Broussard. Despite the end of their romantic relationship, Huston maintains that their friendship is significant. “Life gets in the way,” she reflected, noting that visiting Nicholson has become increasingly difficult due to construction delays around his home.

“They’ve been doing endless rerouting and road work near his house, so it takes hours to get to him, and that’s always irritating,” Huston explained. “I always managed to be late going to see him, which is very irritating for him.”

The couple first met in 1973 at a party thrown at Nicholson’s home, shortly after Huston ended her relationship with photographer Bob Richardson. Huston’s father, legendary director John Huston, later cast both of them in the film “Prizzi’s Honor” in 1985, which earned Huston an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

“It was significant and important,” Huston said of the film, recalling the successful dynamic she shared with Nicholson and her father. “They managed to circumvent all the difficulties, and we triumphed in the end.”

Huston’s journey has not been without challenges. In a candid moment, she revealed that she was diagnosed with cancer shortly after “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum” premiered in 2019. “That was a very serious moment for me,” Huston shared. “I managed to survive it, and I’m proud of myself. It came as a big shock, but it made me conscious of what I shouldn’t do.”

Now four years cancer-free, Huston emphasized the importance of embracing life. “When the opportunity arises, I laugh, and I try not to make a big deal out of things,” she said. She described her celebratory moment upon receiving news of her cancer-free status as simply walking in her garden, smelling the roses, and feeling accomplished. “I’m at the four-year mark, and that means so much to me,” Huston added.

Continuing her career, Huston will star as Lady Tressilian in BritBox’s upcoming murder mystery series “Agatha Christie’s Towards Zero,” premiering over three nights starting April 16. Reflecting on her busy life, she expressed no desire for retirement. “I can’t imagine such a thing,” she stated. “I think it would be too much, even for me.”

For more insights from Anjelica Huston, be sure to check out this week’s issue of PEOPLE on newsstands Friday.