Nick Nolte made his first red carpet appearance in four years at the Venice Film Festival on September 8, 2026. The 85-year-old actor attended the festival for the premiere of "Company," directed by Casey Affleck, marking his second movie role of the year after "Crime 101," which was released in February 2026. Nolte last walked a red carpet at the world premiere of "The Golden Voice," previously titled "Rittenhouse Square," at the 31st Philadelphia Film Festival in October 2022.
At the Venice Film Festival, Nolte was joined by Affleck and his "Company" co-stars Emily Alyn Lind, Scoot McNairy, Adelaide Clemens, and Caylee Cowan, who is Affleck's girlfriend, as well as his son, Indiana, whom he shares with ex-wife Summer Phoenix. Affleck's other son with Phoenix, Atticus, also appears in the film, along with Ben Mendelsohn, neither of whom attended the festival.
During a press conference for the film, Nolte discussed his preparation for his role in the anthology mystery, stating, "It’s preparation, it’s the amount of time. You get the story, and then I started to prepare for it. And if you’re lucky, the timing of your preparation matches the shooting schedule, and you hit moments that you didn’t know if you could conjure them up if they are not."
Nolte described Affleck as a "good director" who understood the process and did not try to "push" a performance, but instead "coaxes it along" and collaborates with the actor. Affleck stated that there was "no coaxing necessary" when working with Nolte, praising him for his ability to reach "vulnerable and emotional places very, very quickly," a skill he attributed to "a lifetime of doing it — and doing it well."
Affleck noted that when Nolte came on set, everyone was eager to see his performance, and there was not a wasted take, making the selection process the only difficulty. Nolte, who was named People’s Sexiest Man Alive in 1992, has largely stayed out of the spotlight and rarely appears in public. His recent acting credits include "Die My Love," released in 2025, and an episode of "Poker Face" in 2023.