As I said Amergin, Old Hollywood etiquette is the reason why they would consult him--as an elder.

It would be the equivalent of not acknowledging the elders of folk music. Many musicians choose not to acknowledge their musician elders too.

While my feelings about acknowledging one's creative elders, I unequivocally would disagree that Jack Nicholson plays the same role in every film.

Both Chinatown and Five Easy Pieces were masterpieces of filmmaking, largely due to his very different characters in both films.

Nicholson is certainly over-rated as a star or celebrity. But as an actor? Not the old stuff he did. I haven't seen much of his recent stuff. But those roles he did in those two films at least, have yet to be topped by any actor.