I roto i te Passage: In About Schmidt (2002), i whakaahuatia e Nicholson he kaiwhakaari kua reti mai i Omaha, Nebraska, e patai ana ki tona ake oranga whai muri i te matenga o tana wahine. I roto i te Anger Management (2003), i takaro ia i tetahi kaiwhakangungu kaha i tukuna ki te awhina i tetahi tangata tino rangimarie (Adam Sandler). I te 2003, i whetu ano a Nicholson i roto i te Something's Gotta Give, hei kaitakaro tawhito e aroha ana ki te whaea (Diane Keaton) o tana hoa wahine. I te mutunga o te 2006, i tohu a Nicholson i tana hokinga ki te taha pouri hei Frank Cost, he rangatira mo te Boston Irish Mobello, i runga i a White Bulgery i rere tonu i taua wa, e whakahaere ana i a Matt Damon me Leonardo DiCaprio i roto i te kiriata a Martin Scorsese i toa i te Oscar, ko te whakahoutanga o Andrew Laufer i roto i te mahi a The Question About Affairs? i te tau, i whakawhiwhia a Nicholson ki nga whakaingoa i te ao katoa, tae atu ki te Golden Globe.
Ko te tau 2002