Jack Nicholson has laughed off reports suggesting his withdrawal from Hollywood is down to memory problems, and says he has a "mathematician's brain".

The actor, who last appeared in a film in 2010, was said to have stepped out of the spotlight because he can no longer memorise scripts.

Not driven ... Jack Nicholson is not interested in the movie business anymore. Credit:Getty Images

However, Nicholson insists the speculation is completely false and maintains the only reason he isn't on the big screen is because he no longer has the desire to act.

He tells Britain's The Sun, "I have a mathematician's brain... I'm not going to work until the day I die, that's not why I started this. I mean, I'm not driven. I was driven - but I'm not, I don't have to be out there any more.