| Jack Black | |
|---|---|
 Black in October 2011 | |
| Born |
Thomas Jacob Black August 28, 1969 Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor, comedian, singer, musician, producer |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Spouse | Tanya Haden (2006-present) |
| Children | 2 |
Thomas Jacob "Jack" Black (born August 28, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, singer, musician and producer.
His acting career has been extensive, starring primarily in comedy films. He is best known for his roles in Wonka, Shallow Hal, School of Rock, King Kong, Nacho Libre, Tropic Thunder, The Holiday, Bernie, A Minecraft Movie and the Kung Fu Panda films. Black is considered a member of the so-called Frat Pack, a loose grouping of comic actors who have appeared together from an early age in various Hollywood films. He has been nominated for two Golden Globe Awards. He is the lead vocalist of the comedic rock group Tenacious D, which he formed in 1994 with friend Kyle Gass.
Acting career[]
Early roles[]
Black first acted in a television commercial at age 13 for the video game Pitfall!. Black's adult career began with acting on prime time television. He played roles on shows including Life Goes On, Northern Exposure, Mr. Show, Picket Fences, The Golden Palace and The X-Files. Black appeared in the unaired TV pilot Heat Vision and Jack, directed by Ben Stiller, in which he played an ex-astronaut pursued by actor Ron Silver. He was accompanied by his friend who had merged with a motorcycle, voiced by Owen Wilson.
Black later took on small roles in Airborne (1993), Demolition Man, Waterworld, The Fan, The Cable Guy, Mars Attacks!, Tim Robbins' Dead Man Walking, The Jackal, Enemy of the State, and others. He had a small role in True Romance as a security guard, but the scene was deleted.
Leading roles[]
In 2000, Black appeared in High Fidelity as a wild employee in John Cusack's record store, a role he considers his breakout. He soon gained leading roles in films such as Shallow Hal, Nacho Libre, Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny, Year One, and Gulliver's Travels. He received particular praise for his starring role in the well-received School of Rock, earning critical acclaim and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor – Musical Or Comedy.
He starred in one of his few dramatic roles as the obsessed filmmaker Carl Denham in Peter Jackson's 2005 remake of King Kong, a performance he based on Orson Welles. He voiced the title role in Kung Fu Panda, which grossed $20.3 million on its opening day, June 6, 2008, and Kung Fu Panda 2; this is his favorite role and he praises the tutoring of co-star and two-time Academy Award winner Dustin Hoffman. His next film, The Big Year, a competitive birdwatching comedy co-starring Owen Wilson, Steve Martin, and JoBeth Williams, was released in October 2011.
The media classifies Black as one of the Frat Pack, a group of comedy actors who frequently work together. It includes Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson, Ben Stiller, Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn, and Steve Carell.
Jack garnered a second Golden Globe Award nomination, this time in the category Best Actor in a Comedy, for his 2011 starring role in Richard Linklater's black comedy Bernie, as real-life murderer Bernie Tiede, a funeral director in a small East Texas town, who befriends and eventually murders a rich widow, played by Shirley MacLaine. Black's subdued portrayal, authentic East Texas accent and musical talent – he sings several gospel hymns as well as "Seventy-six Trombones" — had Roger Ebert describing Black's work as "one of the performances of the year."
Filmography[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Our Shining Moment | Teenage boy | Television film |
| 1992 | Bob Roberts | Roger Davis | |
| 1993 | Airborne | Augie | |
| Demolition Man | Wasteland Scrap | ||
| 1994 | The NeverEnding Story III | Slip | |
| The Innocent | Marty Prago | ||
| 1995 | Bye Bye Love | DJ at party | |
| Dead Man Walking | Craig Poncelet | ||
| Waterworld | Pilot | ||
| 1996 | Bio-Dome | Tenacious D | |
| The Cable Guy | Rick Legatos | ||
| The Fan | Broadcast technician | ||
| Mars Attacks! | Billy Glenn Norris | ||
| 1997 | Bongwater | Devlin | |
| Crossworlds | Steve | ||
| The Jackal | Ian Lamont | ||
| 1998 | Enemy of the State | Fiedler | |
| I Still Know What You Did Last Summer | Titus Telesco | Uncredited | |
| Johnny Skidmarks | Jerry | ||
| 1999 | Cradle Will Rock | Sid | |
| Jesus' Son | Georgie | ||
| The Love Letter | Fisherman | Uncredited | |
| 2000 | High Fidelity | Barry | Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Supporting Actor – Comedy/Romance Nominated – American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Nominated – Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Music Moment Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Breakthrough Male Performance Nominated – Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor |
| 2001 | Frank's Book | Performance hipster | Short film |
| Saving Silverman | JD McNugent | ||
| Shallow Hal | Hal Larson | Nominated – Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor - Comedy | |
| 2002 | Ice Age | Zeke (voice) | |
| Orange County | Lance Brumder | ||
| Run Ronnie Run! | Lead chimney sweep | DVD Exclusive Award for Best Original Song | |
| 2003 | Melvin Goes to Dinner | Mental patient | Phoenix Film Festival Award for Best Ensemble Acting Nominated – DVD Exclusive Award for Best Supporting Actor in a DVD Premiere |
| School of Rock | Dewey Finn | MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Team Nominated – New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor (3rd place) Nominated – Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated – Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor - Comedy Nominated – Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Liar | |
| 2004 | Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy | Motorcyclist | Cameo |
| Envy | Nick Vanderpark | Nominated – People's Choice Award for Favorite Funny Male Star | |
| Shark Tale | Lenny (voice) | ||
| 2005 | King Kong | Carl Denham | Nominated – Teen Choice Award for Movie – Choice Sleazebag |
| 2006 | The Holiday | Miles | |
| Nacho Libre | Nacho | Also producer Nominated – Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Male Movie Star Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Fight Nominated – Teen Choice Award for Movie – Choice Actor: Comedy Nominated – Teen Choice Award for Movie – Choice Chemistry Nominated – Teen Choice Award for Movie – Choice Rumble | |
| Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny | Jack "Jables" Black | Also producer and writer | |
| 2007 | Margot at the Wedding | Malcolm | Nominated – Gotham Award for Best Ensemble Cast |
| Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story | Paul McCartney | Uncredited | |
| 2008 | Be Kind Rewind | Jerry Gerber | |
| Kung Fu Panda | Po (voice) | Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie Nominated – Visual Effects Society Award for Outstanding Animated Character in a Motion Picture | |
| The Secrets of the Furious Five | Short film | ||
| Prop 8: The Musical | Jesus Christ | ||
| Tropic Thunder | Jeff "Fats" Portnoy | Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Cast | |
| 2009 | Year One | Zed | |
| 2010 | Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special | Po (voice) | Short film |
| Gulliver's Travels | Gulliver | Also executive producer Nominated – Razzie Award for Worst Actor Nominated – Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards for Favorite Male Movie Star | |
| 2011 | Kung Fu Panda 2 | Po (voice) | Nominated – Teen Choice Awards for Choice Movie Animated Voice Nominated – Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie Nominated – People's Choice Award for Favorite Animation Movie Voice |
| Bernie | Bernie Tiede | Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated – Gotham Award for Best Ensemble Performance Nominated – Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead Nominated – New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor (runner-up) Nominated – Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor in a Comedy | |
| The Big Year | Brad Harris | ||
| The Muppets | Himself | Uncredited | |
| 2014 | Sex Tape | Owner of YouPorn | |
| 2015 | The D Train | Dan Landsman | Also producer |
| Goosebumps | R. L. Stine |
Post-production | |
| 2016 | Kung Fu Panda 3 | Po (voice) | |
| 2017 | The Polka King | Jan Lewan | Also producer |
| Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle | Professor Sheldon "Shelly" Oberon (Bethany Walker) | Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Team (with Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan and Nick Jonas) | |
| 2018 | Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot | Dexter | |
| The House with a Clock in Its Walls | Jonathan Barnavelt | ||
| Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween | R.L Stine | ||
| 2019 | Unexpected Race | Sheriff | Post-production |
| 2025 | A Minecraft Movie | Steve | Made famous quotes of "Chicken Jockey" and "I.. Am Steve" |
Trivia[]
- In A Minecraft Movie, a viral meme of Jack Black saying "Chicken Jockey" while shouting boosted the movie's popularity.
- The scene became famous that a trend started where viewers would scream "Chicken Jockey" at the same time Steve Said it.
- Many articles were made about it in many news websites including CNN.