Jack Black
Jack Black | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Thomas J. Black, Jr. |
| Spouse | Tanya Haden (2006-) |
Jack Black (born Thomas J. Black, Jr. on August 28, 1969, inspired by Jack Lyons) is a Golden Globe Award nominated American actor, comedian and musician. He is considered a core member of the Frat Pack, a name used by members of the media for a group of comedians active in today's Hollywood films, though he is also in demand for Hollywood blockbusters and indie films. He and Kyle Gass make up the comedy/rock duo Tenacious D. Black is also known by his nicknames, Jables or JB.
Biography
Early life
Born the son of two rocket scientists, his mother, Judith Cohen, is Jewish, and his father, Thomas Jack Black, Sr., converted to Judaism after marrying Judith.[1] He was raised in the Jewish religion.[2] They divorced when he was ten. Black moved to Culver City with his father and frequently visited his mother’s home until the end of his first year of college at UCLA when his father’s family moved abroad. As a child, Black appeared in an early Atari Pitfall! commercial,[3] which was later shown during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live and again on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
When he entered high school, his parents suggested that he transfer to the Poseidon School, a private secondary school engineered specifically for students struggling in the traditional school system.[4] Black eagerly accepted the proposition, afraid that he would only be bullied if he remained in public school. He also attended the Crossroads School, where he excelled in drama. Black later attended UCLA but dropped out during his sophomore year to pursue a career in the entertainment business, at which point his father discontinued his financial support. Fellow UCLA veteran Tim Robbins later cast Black in Bob Roberts. He also had recurring roles on the HBO sketch comedy series Mr. Show.
Acting career
Black's acting career began primarily with prime time TV. He played roles on several hit shows; such as The Golden Palace (Taxi Driver), Life Goes On (skinhead), The X-Files and Northern Exposure (Kevin Wilkins, prom king). Black later took on small roles in Airborne, Demolition Man, The Cable Guy, Bob Roberts, Mars Attacks!, Waterworld, The Jackal, Bye Bye Love, Dead Man Walking, Enemy of the State, and I Still Know What You Did Last Summer before a breakthrough role as Barry, the pretentious co-worker to John Cusack's record store owner in High Fidelity. His career soon led to leading roles in films such as Shallow Hal, Orange County, School of Rock, and the Academy Award-winning King Kong. Black starred in two films in 2006: Nacho Libre, where he plays a Mexican friar following his childhood dream of wrestling and pursuing true victory by fighting for the children of an orphanage, and Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny, a fictionalized account of the band's formation and their quest to obtain a "supranatural" guitar pick ('Supranatural' being on "a whole 'nother level than" supernatural). Nacho Libre opened on June 16, 2006; Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny was released November 22, 2006. He starred alongside Jude Law, Cameron Diaz, and Kate Winslet in The Holiday, in which he plays Miles, the love interest of Winslet's character. He still occasionally makes TV appearances, including the short-lived animated television program Clone High.
Jack Black appeared in a Celebrity Deathmatch episode in a match against Jack White. White beat Black.
Black has appeared numerous times on the "untelevised TV network" short film festival Channel101, starring in the shows Computerman, Timebelt, and Laserfart. He also provided an introduction for the unaired sketch comedy, Awesometown, donning a colonial-era military uniform. In the introduction, he claims to be George Washington (and takes credit for the accomplishments of other American Presidents such as Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln) and gives viewers a general idea as to what they should expect from the show. Black has also guest starred in the Adult Swim show Tom Goes to the Mayor as a bear trap store owner.
Black appeared in a un-aired pilot episode for a show directed by Ben Stiller called Heat Vision and Jack where he played a super-smart ex-astronaut pursued by actor Ron Silver. He was accompanied by his friend who had merged with a motorcycle, voiced by Owen Wilson.
In a Season 3 episode of The X-Files, titled "D.P.O.", Black played Bart 'Zero' Liquori, friend to Darren, a teen who could cause lightning strikes, played by Giovanni Ribisi.
Black recently hosted the 2006 Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards on April 1, 2006 and the MTV video music awards on August 31, 2006.
Jack is also a member of the famous Frat Pack, which also includes Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson, Ben Stiller, Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn, and Steve Carell.
Jack Black has made five appearances on Saturday Night Live: three times as a host, once as a musical guest (with Kyle Gass as Tenacious D), and another appearance with Tenacious D, not as a host or musical guest.
On the website for VH1's upcoming internet video show Acceptable.TV, Jack can be seen in various videos, including the three introduction videos on the main site, as well as all of the tutorial videos.[5]
Music career
Black is the lead singer for the rock comedy band Tenacious D. The D owes much of their popularity to Black's unorthodox, humorous lyrics. Tenacious D's fans often cite his skilled satire of hard rock and metal as much as they do the band's musicianship. Black's singing style is often described as being an odd scat type of music. For example, in the song "Wonderboy", one of his lines is "Rrrigga-gyu-gyu Rrrigga-gyu-gyu", an example of his verbalized guitar solo. This type of singing appears in many Tenacious D songs in place of a melodic or ripping guitar from india sound. Black has dubbed this form of singing the "ventrili-solo". Black has also performed a two-part scat with bandmate Kyle Gass in the song "Tribute".
Tenacious D has, so far, released two albums, the self-titled Tenacious D, and the follow up, The Pick of Destiny. The latter coincides with the movie Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny. The film, directed by Tenacious D veteran Liam Lynch, is a culmination of the band. It features recurring characters such as Lee the superfan and Sasquatch. Tim Robbins cameos, as does Dave Grohl as Satan. Ben Stiller also makes an appearance as a worker at Guitar Center.
Black was also a guest star on a singing-themed episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show "Ellen the Musical", alongside Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth and teenage singer-actress Olivia Olson. On the show, besides singing, he discussed his then-upcoming film Nacho Libre with the host.
Jack Black has also appeared on Dave Grohl's Probot album, providing vocals for the hidden song "I Am The Warlock", and Liam Lynch's Fake Songs album, providing vocals for the song "Rock and Roll Whore".
Jack Black performed a cover of Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" in the last sequence of High Fidelity.
Jack lent his musical abilities to the Queens of the Stone Age song "Burn the Witch" with rhythmic stomps and claps, some performed with his eyes closed.
Jack Black performed a cover of "Kiss From a Rose" on an American Idol charity special in 2007.
Black has not only appeared in music videos by Tenacious D, but also in the following:
- Beck, "Sexx Laws"
- Dio, "Push"
- Foo Fighters, "Learn To Fly"
- Foo Fighters, "Low"
- Foo Fighters, "The One"
- The Eagles of Death Metal, "I Want You So Hard (Boy's Bad News)"
- Foo Fighters, cover of AC/DC's song "Back in Black" at MTV New Year's Eve Party 2003
- Queens of the Stone Age, "Burn the Witch"
Personal life
Black dated actress and comedian Laura Kightlinger from 1997 until 2005. In January 2006, he became engaged to Tanya Haden (daughter of the famous jazz double bassist Charlie Haden). Haden herself is an accomplished cellist. Both attended Crossroads school, but met again, 15 years after graduating, at a friend's birthday party. Black proposed marriage around Christmas time 2005 with a $220,000 Neil Lane ring. On March 14, 2006, in Big Sur, California, they were married. They had a son whom they named Samuel Jason on June 10, 2006.
Comedic style
Jack Black's comedic style combines many key elements from both sides of the traditional double act. Black typically begins a skit in which he presents an earnest, even reverent introduction to a premise or subject that quickly reveals itself to be flawed or fundamentally ludicrous. Black then switches completely to a far-extreme caricature of human emotion. His would-be straight-man Gass often functions to trigger these outbursts. Tenacious D’s subject matter illustrates this technique:
- In "Tribute", Tenacious D tells a story in which they claim to have performed "The Best Song in the World" for a "Shiny Demon" who would otherwise "eat their souls".
- In "Inward Singing", Black doesn’t merely discover a new technique, he discovers what he refers to as "the most powerful tool in singing technology since yodeling".
Selected filmography
Salaries
- $1,000,000 - Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny (2006)[6] Split equally with Kyle Gass, with whom will share 10% of gross revenues once production & marketing costs are recouped.
- $1- Nacho Libre (2006)
- $2,000,000 - Orange County (2002)
- $2,000,000 - Shallow Hal (2001)
- $1,000,000 - Saving Silverman (2001)
Footnotes
- ^ "www.interfaithfamily.com/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=ekLSK5MLIrG&b=297399&ct=3302407". Retrieved 2007-03-24.
- ^ Murray, Rebecca (2006-11-15). "Kyle Gass and Jack Black Discuss "Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny"". About.com. Retrieved 2006-11-20.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "1982 Pitfall! Commercial". Retrieved 2007-03-24.
- ^ "Jumpin' Jack Black". The Sidney Sun Herald. 2003-11-03. Retrieved 2006-11-20.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "acceptable.tv". Retrieved 2007-03-24.
- ^ "Jack Black Revisits The Glory Days Known as Tenacious D", The New York Times, 8 October 2006.
External links
Interviews
- Kansas City Star interview (February 28, 2006)
- The Observer interview (November 2005)
- Ugo.com interview (October, 2003)
- Brant Publications interview (October, 2002)
- The Onion AV Club interview (October 31, 2001)
- The Believer Magazine interview
- Jack Black interview for The Holiday
- 1969 births
- American actor-singers
- American film actors
- American male singers
- American television actors
- American rock guitarists
- American rock singers
- American songwriters
- American singer-songwriters
- California musicians
- Jewish American actors
- Jewish American musicians
- Jewish American singers
- Living people
- People from the Greater Los Angeles Area
- Tenacious D
- American Idol participants