Ray Nicholson—the son of The Shining star Jack Nicholson—is the perfect addition to the new horror movie Smile 2.

Director Parker Finn said that he “totally” cast Ray as a nod to his father’s iconic 1980 movie, which he said is his “favorite film of all time.”

“Of course, Jack Nicholson is one of my favorite actors of all time,” Parker told Entertainment Weekly. “I love that Ray has very strong genes, and his smile, instantly, I was like, ‘Oh my God, it’s like looking at a young Jack.’” 

Ray Nicholson’s “strong genes” and resemblance to his father landed him the role in his newest project

Image credits: Michael Buckner/Variety

Smile 2 follows pop star Skye Riley, played by Naomi Scott, as she is chased by an evil spirit. It takes on the form of various people in her life, and Ray can be seen smiling eerily at the camera—a mirror image of his father in The Shining.

“What really struck me was how well he slipped into that venomous but charming character he’s playing in the film,” Parker said. “He could bring again that feeling of, I’m really, really anxious but part of it is also tickling me.”

The director stated that although he hadn’t originally written the role with Ray in mind, it turned out to be a “wonderful kismet” and worked in their favor.

While his father is a huge inspiration for him, Ray has made it clear they are two “very different people”

Image credits: Kevin Mazur/WireImage

During the premiere of Smile 2, Ray told Deadline, “I was born in 1992, he was born in 1937. The things that affect me don’t necessarily affect him. Obviously, I love him. He’s my inspiration. I ate dinner with him every night.

“I studied it, that’s how I learned to be a human being,” he continued. “So, of course we’re gonna be kind of similar.”

Image credits: Paramount Pictures

But the two Hollywood stars also “don’t talk that much about acting.”

“I think probably I’d hang onto his word too much,” Ray stated. “I think it’s important for me to find my way.” 

The director of Smile 2 found inspiration in the “tragic stories” of many pop stars to fuel his film

Image credits: IMDB

Iconic artists such as Whitney Houston and Amy Winehouse served as important reference points in charting Skye’s path to self-destruction.

“Certainly, Amy Winehouse was on my mind. Britney Spears, of course. We did a little tiny nod in the film; they mention that Skye is 27, which felt apropos to the character,” Parker said.

Image credits: Paramount Pictures

He continued, “Certainly those tragic stories, I was watching everything I could: documentaries, interviews, essays, articles, even Whitney Houston; there were a lot of women I was looking at who got destroyed by this process.

“I didn’t want to point to anyone in particular; I just wanted to take that, glean it, and filter it into this unique character.” 

Image credits: IMDB

@entertainmenttonight Ray Nicholson in ‘Smile 2’ is giving us the same energy as his father in ‘The Shining’ 😱 #raynicholson #jacknicholson #smile2 #theshining ♬ original sound – Entertainment Tonight

Smile 2, the sequel to the wildly popular 2022 film Smile, is now playing in theaters worldwide.

Ray Nicholson was described in comments as a “mirror image” of his father

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