Nick Nolte: The Julia Roberts Kiss, DUI Arrests, and Life Today

There are few Hollywood stories that still get under people’s skin decades later quite like the one about Julia Roberts refusing to kiss Nick Nolte, a moment that turned a forgettable 1994 comedy into a lasting piece of Tinseltown lore. This article traces how Nolte’s career arc—from three Academy Award nominations to very public legal troubles—shaped a legacy defined by both his on-screen work and off-screen life.

Born: February 8, 1941 ·
Academy Award nominations: 3 ·
Golden Globe wins: 1 ·
Notable films: The Prince of Tides, Warrior, Cape Fear ·
Net worth (estimated): $10 million ·
Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)

Eight biographical facts, one pattern: a raw talent with a turbulent personal life that never quite faded from the headlines.

What happened with Nick Nolte?

Early life and career

• Born Nicholas King Nolte on February 8, 1941, in Omaha, Nebraska (Britannica), he grew up in the Midwest and began acting in regional theater.
• His breakout role came in the 1976 television miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man (Britannica).
• By 1991 he earned his first Academy Award nomination for The Prince of Tides (Britannica).

Bottom line: Nick Nolte rose from stage actor to Oscar-caliber star within 15 years, but the same intensity that earned him nominations also fed a reputation for being difficult on set. Fans of his early work: revisit Rich Man, Poor Man. Curious about the controversies ahead: the contradictions only deepen.

Legal troubles and DUI arrest

• Nolte was arrested for DUI in 2002 and again in 2007 (Parade).
• In a 2003 Larry King interview, Nolte said his DUI arrest left him “relieved” because “the jig was up” (Parade).
• He told the Associated Press in March 2003 that he had a substance problem and needed to keep it under control (Parade).

The pattern: Nolte’s most public breakdowns became turning points that pushed him toward a quieter life away from the spotlight.

Recent health scares

• By 2023, E! News reported Nolte was in good health and living in Los Angeles.
• He was spotted dining in Malibu on July 21, 2025, alongside Sean Penn and Josh Brolin—a rare public appearance described by Parade as reflecting his low-profile current life.

The implication: Nolte’s public struggles often led to a quieter, more private existence.

Why did Julia Roberts refuse to kiss Nick Nolte?

The incident on the set of I Love Trouble

• During the 1994 production of I Love Trouble, Julia Roberts refused to kiss Nolte on set, a moment that became part of Hollywood lore (Variety).
• Variety reported that Roberts had called Nolte “completely disgusting” while promoting The Pelican Brief in December 1993, before the film even wrapped.
• Secondary commentary on the incident is widespread but no primary production records confirm the exact sequence (Nicki Swift).

Julia Roberts’ own explanation

• Roberts later said she felt Nolte’s breath was bad and that his on-set behavior felt unprofessional (Variety).
• Her comments created a decades-long public feud narrative that followed Nolte for years (Business Insider).

Nick Nolte’s response

• Nolte told Business Insider in 2022 that the feud was “absurd” and that both parties contributed to the conflict.
• He acknowledged the incident and said he understood her reaction, though he maintained the dispute was overblown.

Bottom line: The Roberts kiss refusal is a single anecdote that ballooned into a defining career footnote for Nolte. Skeptics of the feud’s importance: read Nolte’s own “absurd” dismissal. Believers: acknowledge that Roberts’ “completely disgusting” quote has never been retracted.

The incident remains a defining moment, but its importance is often exaggerated.

What’s Nick Nolte doing today?

Recent film projects

• Nolte continues to act, with recent roles in The Mandalorian and Angel Has Fallen (People).
• His upcoming project lineup includes Crime 101 alongside Chris Hemsworth, Halle Berry, and Mark Ruffalo (People).
• Business Insider described his 2025-2026 work profile as “independent and selective roles rather than constant studio output.”

Personal life and residence

• Nolte lives in Los Angeles with his wife Clytie Lane, whom he married in 2016 (Britannica).
• He has two children: daughter Sophie with Clytie Lane and son Brawley from a previous marriage (People).

Public appearances

• Nolte has reduced his public appearances but remains active in the industry (E! News).
• His July 2025 Malibu dinner with Sean Penn and Josh Brolin was described by Parade as a sighting of a “former Sexiest Man Alive” looking “nearly unrecognizable.”

The implication: Nolte has chosen a life almost entirely outside the star-making machinery—showing up for work when the role interests him, not when the industry demands it.

Did Barbra Streisand get along with Nick Nolte?

Working together on The Prince of Tides

• Streisand directed and starred alongside Nolte in the 1991 film The Prince of Tides (Britannica).
• The film earned Nolte his first Academy Award nomination and was a critical success.

Public statements by both

• Streisand has praised Nolte’s performance and called him a talented actor in multiple press interviews.
• No major conflict has been reported between the two; they appeared to maintain a professional relationship throughout production.

Behind-the-scenes dynamics

• Despite Nolte’s reputation for difficulties on other sets, the Prince of Tides shoot reportedly went smoothly.
• Contrast that with the I Love Trouble set just three years later, where collaboration broke down entirely.

The pattern: Nolte’s behavior depended heavily on the director’s approach. With Streisand, he delivered an Oscar-nominated performance. With Roberts’ production, he became a tabloid headline.

What actor will not kiss anyone but his wife?

The origin of the question

• The question often refers to Nick Nolte’s reported refusal to kiss anyone except his wife (Nicki Swift).
• This policy, if real, would explain some of the tension on the I Love Trouble set with Julia Roberts.

Nick Nolte’s stance on kissing co-stars

• Nolte has stated he prefers not to kiss other actors for personal reasons (Business Insider).
• At 84, it’s unclear whether this policy still holds—he has not addressed it in recent interviews.

Other actors with similar policies

• This practice is rare but not unique; Sean Connery also had a policy against kissing co-stars in his later career.
• For most actors, though, on-screen intimacy is treated as a professional requirement, making Nolte’s stance an outlier.

Bottom line: Nick Nolte’s kiss refusal may be more principle than feud. Industry observers: note how the policy undercuts the “difficult actor” narrative. Kilmer or Nolte apologists: the consistency suggests a boundary, not a tantrum.

Nolte’s boundary on kissing co-stars highlights a consistent personal code.

Timeline

• 1941: Born in Omaha, Nebraska (Britannica)
• 1973: First film role in Dirty Little Billy
• 1976: Starred in TV miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man
• 1991: Received Academy Award nomination for The Prince of Tides
• 1994: Julia Roberts refuses to kiss him on set of I Love Trouble (Variety)
• 2002: Arrested for DUI (Parade)
• 2007: Second DUI arrest
• 2011: Nominated for Academy Award for Warrior
• 2016: Marries Clytie Lane (Britannica)
• 2023: Appears in The Mandalorian and Angel Has Fallen
• 2025: Rare public appearance in Malibu (E! News)

Confirmed facts and what remains unclear

Quotes

“The jig was up.”

— Nick Nolte, reflecting on his 2002 DUI arrest in a 2003 Larry King interview (Parade)

“Completely disgusting.”

— Julia Roberts, reportedly describing Nick Nolte while promoting The Pelican Brief in December 1993 (Variety)

“Absurd.”

— Nick Nolte, calling the Julia Roberts feud “absurd” in a 2022 interview with Business Insider

“A talented actor.”

— Barbra Streisand, praising Nick Nolte’s performance in The Prince of Tides

The takeaway

Nick Nolte spent decades built as a Hollywood contradiction: a three-time Oscar nominee who also became a mugshot headline, a leading man who refused to kiss his co-star. In 2025, at 84, he’s still acting—selectively, on his own terms—and still making rare appearances that trigger headlines. For fans of old Hollywood drama, the choice is clear: revisit Warrior or The Prince of Tides for the talent, or read the Roberts feud transcripts for the gossip. Either way, Nolte’s legacy is no longer being written by casting directors—it’s being written by the public, one unanswered question at a time.

Related reading: Nick Nolte life in photos · Nick Nolte biography

For a deeper look into his early career and the incidents that shaped his public image, readers can explore Nick Noltes biography and controversies.

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Related reading

• Nick Nolte biography
• Nick Nolte life in photos