Kevin Pollak is sharing a behind-the-scenes story about the playful moment when Tom Cruise punched Jack Nicholson during the filming of A Few Good Men.
Pollak revisited the memory earlier this week while appearing on Steve Kmetko’s Still Here Hollywood podcast.
The actor, who also appeared in the 1992 courtroom drama, recalled filming the movie’s explosive final exchange between Cruise’s Lt. Daniel Kaffee and Nicholson’s Col. Nathan Jessup. As Kaffee closes in on Jessup and demands, “I want the truth,” the camera was positioned near Nicholson’s face to capture the scene from Jessup’s perspective.
According to Pollak, Cruise was met with an unexpected distraction. While Cruise delivered the intense scene, Nicholson leaned toward the camera and pulled what Pollak described as “the most ridiculous clown face you’ve ever seen,” even imitating the expression during the podcast.
Pollak said Cruise stayed focused, completed the take and then playfully punched Nicholson in the shoulder. The two actors immediately laughed, turning a tense filming moment into a memorable example of their off-screen chemistry.
A Few Good Men was directed by Rob Reiner and written by Aaron Sorkin. The 1992 legal drama follows Kaffee, a military attorney played by Cruise, as he defends two U.S. Marines accused of killing a fellow Marine at Guantánamo Bay.
At the center of the case is the alleged “code red,” an unauthorized act of violent discipline that may have been ordered by the Marines’ superiors. Demi Moore plays Lt. Cdr. JoAnne Galloway, Kaffee’s determined colleague, while Nicholson portrays Jessup, the commanding officer whose testimony sets up the film’s iconic courtroom clash and the famous line, “You can’t handle the truth!”
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The cast also includes Pollak, Kevin Bacon, Kiefer Sutherland and J.T. Walsh. The film became both a critical and box-office success, earning four Academy Award nominations, including best picture, best supporting actor for Nicholson and best film editing.
In June, Pollak also reflected on his experience working with the late Reiner and the lasting lesson he learned while making the cult favorite.
“The big thing with Rob was just, if we’re not having fun, there’s no point in any of this,” Pollak told People at the time.
He said Reiner’s philosophy made a lasting impression, particularly because the production involved such emotionally demanding courtroom scenes.
Pollak also shared one of his favorite personal memories from working with the celebrated director.
While filming exterior scenes in Washington, D.C., Pollak recalled walking back with Reiner one evening when a passerby recognized the director and asked what he was working on. Reiner answered, “The Godfather.”
When Pollak later asked why he had given that answer, Reiner explained that saying A Few Good Men might have led to a longer explanation if the person had not seen the Broadway play. “If I say The Godfather, we’re done talking, and you and I can keep going with our lives,” Reiner told him. Pollak said he has used the same strategy ever since.