Everyone knows how difficult it is to break into show business. It involves long hours, hard work, and pretty crap pay, but some people are more than willing to put up with this suffering in the hopes of securing fortune and fame. One such person is music mogul Simon Cowell.
Cowell, who’s probably best known for horrifying viewers with his various reality TV series, didn’t get his showbiz start in Sony’s musical dungeon. No, he got it suffering on the set of Kubrick’s legendary horror movie The Shining, where he was apparently responsible for polishing Jack Nicholson’s axe (no pun intended).
According to The Guardian, Cowell’s half-brother says the X-Factor judge lived where the film was made and worked as a runner on the thriller movie. “I remember him saying he used to clean Jack Nicholson’s axe between takes for the most famous scenes,” he explained. “He took it very seriously and was very proud it was so shiny you could see your face in it.”
To be honest, in the past we’ve been too distracted by Nicholson’s terrifying performance to notice his super shiny axe. It’s only fair then that we go back and review the tapes to see how shiny the axe truly is.
Sorry, Simon, but that looks pretty dull to us. No way you’re seeing your reflection in that particular murder weapon. Still, The Shining is widely considered one of the best Stephen King movies ever made, so it’s not like anyone’s too bothered.
If you love The Shining, check out our list of the best ghost movies.