Jack Nicholson Couldn’t Help Himself on the ‘A Few Good Men’ Set — And Tom Cruise’s Reaction Was Perfect

More than three decades after A Few Good Men became one of the most iconic courtroom dramas in Hollywood history, a behind-the-scenes story has emerged that reveals just how much fun Jack Nicholson was having while the cameras were rolling — particularly at Tom Cruise’s expense.

Kevin Pollak, who played Lieutenant Sam Weinberg in the 1992 Rob Reiner film, shared the story with PEOPLE at the Los Angeles premiere of Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass, recalling how Nicholson made a habit of deliberately disrupting Cruise’s concentration during some of the film’s most pivotal filming moments.

According to Pollak, Nicholson would position himself just off camera whenever Cruise was building toward an important scene — and rather than staying still and neutral, he would spend that time pulling funny faces at the younger actor in a clear and deliberate attempt to throw him off his rhythm.

The behavior reached its most memorable peak during one of the most celebrated sequences in the film — Cruise’s legendary “I want the truth” declaration in the courtroom. Even during that intensely charged moment, Nicholson was standing just out of frame, making faces as Cruise poured everything into the delivery.

Cruise, to his credit, didn’t break. He pushed through the take without losing focus, completing the scene — and then immediately walked directly over to Nicholson and punched him in the shoulder. Pollak noted that Nicholson absolutely loved the response, suggesting that provoking exactly that kind of reaction may have been the goal all along.

Directed by Rob Reiner and adapted from Aaron Sorkin’s 1989 Broadway play, A Few Good Men starred Cruise and Demi Moore as military lawyers defending two marines accused of killing a fellow soldier, with Nicholson delivering one of his most memorable performances as the antagonistic Colonel Jessup. The ensemble also included Kevin Bacon, Kiefer Sutherland, and Noah Wyle.

Pollak also shared a separate but equally memorable anecdote involving Reiner, who passed away at the age of 78 last December. During a period when the production was shooting exterior scenes in Washington D.C., the two were approached by a fan who recognized the director. When asked what he was working on, Reiner told the man they were filming The Godfather — reasoning that since A Few Good Men was still primarily known as a stage play at that point, claiming a more universally recognized title was simply the fastest way to end the conversation and move on. Pollak noted that he has used the same tactic himself on multiple occasions ever since.