Received the first $1,000,000 director salary for Catch-22 (1970). When percentages were figured in, Nihols became the first director to earn $1,000,000 from a single film with "The Graduate.".
Recipient of the Producers Guild of America's Visionary Award.
Recovering from heart bypass surgery in New York hospital [July 17, 2008].
Since the early 1960s, he has been a well-renowned figure among Arabian Horse fans - breeder of over 400 registered Arabians and has bred and owned many US National Champion horses.
Son, Max Nichols, is married to ESPN reporter Rachel Nichols.
Teaches occasionally at The New Actor's Workship in New York City.
Through the television series "Faces of America with Henry Louis Gates Jr." (2010), learned that he is a distant relative of actor Meryl Streep.
Two of his films are on the American Film Institute's 100 Most Inspiring Movies of All time. They are Working Girl (1988) at #87 and Silkwood (1983) at #66.
Was at one point going to direct The Public Eye (1972). See the trivia page for the film for more information.
Was interested to direct First Blood (1982) with Dustin Hoffman as John Rambo.
When he won his first Oscar as Best Director for The Graduate (1967), the statuette was presented to him by actress Leslie Caron.
While paying tribute to Nichols during his 2003 Kennedy Center Honors, Meryl Streep and Candace Bergen read Nichols' "Five Rules for Filmmaking": 1: The careful application of terror is an important form of communication. 2: Anything worth fighting for is worth fighting dirty for. 3: There's absolutely no substitute for genuine lack of preparation. 4: If you think there's good in everybody, you haven't met everybody. 5: Friends may come and go, but enemies will certainly become studio heads.
Worked at the Howard Johnson's restaurant in New York's Times Square when he was 17 years old.