Nick Nolte found himself under fire on Tuesday and this time
the actor wasn’t on the film set. The blaze broke out yesterday morning in Nick
Nolte’s Malibu, California, home and forced the “Under Fire”
star to break through a window so as to escape the flames.
The 67-year-old actor suffered smoke inhalation and minor
scrapes while he was trying to jump out the window, but his condition was not
serious and there was no need for him to be hospitalized, said Los Angeles
County fire Inspector Sam Padilla, as reported by the Associated Press. He added
that the actor’s private doctor would treat him for the injuries.
The fire was reported at approximately 11:34 a.m. and seems to
have been generated by an electrical problem. According to authorities, the
living room burst into flames first and Nick Nolte, who was in an upstairs
bedroom, broke a window to get out after realizing that his house was burning.
Following his escape, the “Cape Fear”
star grasped a garden hose in an attempt to put out the fire and was
subsequently lent a hand by firefighters, who arrived at the scene promptly.
The blaze was extinguished in approximately 26 minutes, but the fire damaged a
significant portion of Nick Nolte’s Malibu
home.
Although the actor’s spokesman, Arnold Robinson, explained
in a statement that no one had been severely injured in the fire and that
“there was no structural damage to the house,” authorities estimate the flames
caused $3 million worth of damage to the structure and contents of the
residence.
Fire Inspector Frank Garrido said that the items affected in
the fire included “collectibles, artwork, furniture,” the Associated Press
reported.
According to the statement released by Arnold Robinson, Nick
Nolte thanked authorities for their promptitude and efficiency. “Mr. Nolte is
grateful to the Malibu Fire Department and Sheriff’s Department for their quick
response and assistance,” the statement read.
The “Affliction” star first gained national attention and
critical acclaim for his performance in 1976’s “Rich Man, Poor Man,” a
television miniseries based on Irwin Shaw’s 1970 eponymous best-selling novel.
Nick Nolte has had a flourishing acting career ever since, impersonating a wide
variety of characters in dozens of productions.
He was nominated for two Academy Awards for his memorable
roles in “The Prince of Tides” and “Affliction.” Although he failed to win the
Oscars, he was awarded with a 1991 Los Angeles Film Critics Association prize
for Best Actor and a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Drama),
both for his performance in “The Prince of Tides.”
In addition to this, his role in “Affliction” won him two
1998 Best Actor awards from both the New York Film Critics Circle and the
National Society of Film Critics.
Other noteworthy movies whose cast lists include the name of
Nick Nolte are “Hulk,” “Clean,” “Hotel Rwanda,” “The Spiderwick Chronicles” and
the much talked about “Tropic Thunder.”
The renowned actor will appear next in the thriller “Nine
Miles Down” directed by British filmmaker Anthony Waller.
