Ray Nicholson Knows He’s Jack’s Doppelgänger—But Fans Keep Mistaking Him for Leonardo DiCaprio and Sebastian Stan

Ray Nicholson is well aware that he inherited his father Jack Nicholson’s signature smirk and undeniable charm, but surprisingly, that’s not who most people mistake him for.

“People Think I’m Leo or Sebastian Stan”

Despite his striking resemblance to his legendary father, the Novocaine star says he’s more frequently mistaken for other Hollywood heartthrobs.

“Mostly people are like, ‘You look like Leo,’” Nicholson told PEOPLE, referring to Leonardo DiCaprio. “Or, ‘You look like Sebastian Stan. I thought you were Sebastian Stan!’”

The 33-year-old actor finds it amusing that people don’t immediately connect him to his father, even though the similarities are uncanny.

“Which is weird because my dad and I do look so much alike. But, yeah, I either get Leo or Sebastian.”

Stepping Into the Spotlight

Nicholson is currently making waves in Novocaine, an adrenaline-fueled thriller starring Jack Quaid. In the film, he plays a bank robber whose meticulously planned heist spirals into chaos.

“It was so fun,” he says of playing the antagonist. But instead of portraying a straightforward villain, Nicholson chose to inject a sense of humor into the character.

“I like that likability in bad guys because I think it makes for better entertainment. You don’t know who to root for.”

Nicholson, who is also starring in Borderline, is embracing his acting career in his early 30s, insisting that the timing is just right. “I think things happen when they’re supposed to happen,” he says.

“I Just Wanted to Be Normal”

Growing up in the shadow of an iconic father, Nicholson admits he wasn’t eager to follow in Jack’s footsteps—at least not right away.

“To be honest with you, I just wanted to be normal,” he reveals. “I hated the feeling—especially in college—of being a zoo animal.”

Though he once felt pressure to live up to his father’s towering legacy, he’s since let go of those expectations.

Both Jack Nicholson and his mother, Rebecca Broussard, are simply happy to see him thriving.

“My dad and I don’t talk that much about acting,” he told CBS Mornings in 2024. “I think I’d probably hang on to his word too much. It’s important for me to find my own way.”

And while many see Jack when they look at Ray, his mother had the best take on his evolving looks: “You were such a beautiful boy, and then you started to look like your father!”

“Success Isn’t Everything”

For Nicholson, professional success isn’t the ultimate goal—happiness is.

“Career success is less important to my parents than how I’m living day to day,” he says. “My challenges were different than others, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t have them.

So I think they’re just happy with where I’m at in life as a man, rather than with my profession.”

With Novocaine hitting theaters on March 14, Nicholson is stepping confidently into his own spotlight—whether people mistake him for Leo, Sebastian, or, finally, the son of Jack Nicholson himself.