Jack Nicholson Exclusive: Actor Talks About Hillary Clinton, Campaign Ad -- 'This Woman Can Do This Job'

'The only thing I can say is, it's obvious one person is more experienced,' actor says.

By Josh Horowitz

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Barack Obama may have Oprah on his side, but he doesn't know Jack ... Nicholson, that is. Hillary Clinton does, and as millions have learned thanks to a recently released viral campaign endorsement, the senator from New York has a little star power on her side, even as some pundits write her 2008 campaign epitaph.

The Nicholson video, a mash-up of memorable moments from the three-time Oscar winner's career, begins with his Joker asking "Who do you trust?" and ends with the actor himself saying that he approves the message, a surprising appearance given his notorious press-shyness. (Nicholson spoke in a rare interview with MTV News last November about "Chinatown" and "Batman.")

MTV News' curiosity was piqued by Nicholson's seemingly sudden involvement in the '08 campaign and reached out to the actor to find out why he chose to make a public splash at this time in support of Clinton. Lo and behold, Nicholson was on the phone hours later, happily talking for the better part of an hour about the woman he wholly believes should be the next commander in chief. Check back Wednesday for the second part of the Nicholson interview, in which he discusses what went wrong and right with the Oscars this year and his personal connection to the death of Heath Ledger. (Check out the second part of the Nicholson interview, in which he discusses what went wrong and right with the Oscars this year and his personal connection to the death of Heath Ledger.)

Jack Nicholson: What put it in your head to give me a call today, Josh?

MTV: A lot of people here at MTV News were talking today about this video endorsement of yours that's suddenly all over the Web.

Nicholson: Yeah, I'm hot in the theaters. [He laughs.]

MTV: So the question is, why now? Why support Hillary in this public way now?

Nicholson: Well, I'm a longtime Clintonite. I guess that's no secret. I'm not a talking-points guy, Josh. I'm a rolling cannonball. I basically do it on my own