While the name Jack Black is pretty recognizable, it’s not his real first name. He’s named after his dad Thomas; Thomas Jacob Black.
You’d figure that a goofball like Jack would come from a funny family, and you’d be right. But they actually had very serious jobs. Both his parents were satellite engineers for the Hubble Space Telescope.
After his mom died in 2016, he and his half brother made a $70K donation to the Society of Women Engineers.
He raised his portion on a celebrity charity week of The Price is Right.
He also got accidentally slapped in the face.
Jacks first acting gig was when he was 13, in a commercial for the Atari game Pitfall.
He also had some bit parts on other shows, including playing Zero across from Giovanni Ribisi in an episode of the X-Files.
His big break came with the role of Barry Judd in High Fidelity.
The film that cemented his legendary status, however, was School of Rock. Jack was actually roommates with the film’s writer, Mike White, so the character of Dewey Finn was based on Jack’s antics.
This was Jack doing his own stunts, and the stage dive was authentic.
While most actors who pick an instrument, try to consider themselves a ‘serious musician/actor,’ Jack likes to be funny about it.
He’s got a band with his friend Kyle Glass called Tenacious D. Since the early 90’s, they’ve been selling out arenas, headlining films and shredding their guitars as “The Greatest Band in the World.” They won a Grammy for Best Metal Performance in 2015.
He and Kyle also wrote their own movie called Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny. It didn’t bring in big bucks, but became a cult classic over time.
What’s ironic is that they didn’t get along when they first met, but then buried the hatchet over dollar tacos in 1989.
While he’s been stellar in his comedies, he’s also taken on some serious and complicated roles. This gif is from a film called Bernie where he played a morticians assistant charged with the murder of his 80-year old millionaire companion.
When asked, however, what his favourite role has been to date, he says he has a soft spot for Po in Kung Fu Panda.
You’d think a giant goof like Jack would have nothing to fear in public, he’s admitted several times that talk shows make him nervous. He says there’s a lot of pressure.
Jack is defined by family. When his older brother was diagnosed with AIDS and his parents divorced, Jack turned to cocaine at the age of 14.
He battled addiction in his teens, but kicked it and learned the value of family. Now he spends his downtime with his wife and kids as a homebody.
In a recent interview, he’s admitted that his recent work in family friendly movies isn’t what he’s always gonna do. He’s having fun with them right now, but when the right PG or R rated film comes up, he’ll be there.
Yes, Jack. You make me fly.
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