Hollywood legend Jack Nicholson‘s 27-year-old grandson, Duke, is firmly following in his footsteps, landing his first starring role in the upcoming thriller, The Deputy.
Duke, the son of Jack’s daughter Jennifer Nicholson and Mark Norfleet, plays part-time Deputy Toby Sawyer, who is plunged into a perilous conspiracy after the dead body he’s instructed to watch over mysteriously vanishes.
© Flynn KocheyIn the newly released trailer, Duke is the spitting image of his grandfather, donning the same dark, wild hair and unkempt beard. Determined to prove himself and secure a full-time role, Duke embarks on a desperate mission to find the missing body and soon finds himself in the crosshairs of dangerous criminals.
Keep reading to find out more about The Deputy…
What is The Deputy about?
Directed by Matt Sukkar and written by Carlo Bernard, the film follows part-time Deputy Toby Sawyer, who is jolted awake by Chief Krueger to guard a dead body until the coroner arrives. An hour later, the corpse mysteriously vanishes.
© Flynn KocheyThe synopsis continues: “Though an unlikely hero, Toby’s frantic search to find the body exposes decades of wrongdoing, a truck full of immigrants, a freezer stuffed with cash, vengeful siblings, and several cops who have turned a blind eye, including Deputy Billy Banks (Stephen Dorff) who pressures Toby to ignore his findings.
© Flynn Kochey“Only Deputy Amanda Jackson (Tiffany Haddish) appears trustworthy. Desperate to keep his job and provide for his family, Toby must unravel the town’s deep corruption before his career – and his life – end up as dead as the missing victim.”
Who stars in The Deputy?
William H. Macy joins Duke Nicholson in the star-studded cast, alongside Tiffany Haddish, Stephen Dorff, Billie Lourd and Julia Fox.
© Flynn KocheyWhen will The Deputy be released?
The Deputy will be released in theaters, digital and on demand on 25 September.
Duke Nicholson’s career
Duke made his feature film debut in Jordan Peele’s 2019 horror Us, which was followed by a string of minor roles in major projects, including the 2021 crime thriller Crisis, 2024’s The Trainer with Brad Pitt and Julia Fox, and the 2025 drama, In the Hand of Dante, alongside Gal Gadot and Oscar Isaac. He also featured on the cover of Lana Del Rey’s album Norman [Expletive] Rockwell!
In a recent interview, Duke revealed that he didn’t catch the acting bug until he was a teenager. “Initially, I wanted to direct — that was my first thing,” he told Highland Film Group last year. “Then, in film class in high school, people asked me to act in their projects. I did that and was like, ‘OK, I like this too,'” said Duke, who landed parts in music videos and short films before getting a manager.
© WireImage via Getty ImagesWhen asked if his grandfather shared any advice about working in the industry, Duke said, “One thing he’s always emphasized is the importance of developing your own material – writing, creating projects with friends, being part of the process,” adding that Jack has “always been more than an actor; he’s a writer and director, too.”
“That advice has been inspiring to me,” he added. “I never want to just rely on self-tapes to feel creatively fulfilled.”
