Thomas Jacob Black
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Jack Black, born Thomas Jacob Black on August 28, 1969, is an American actor, producer, and writer. He first gained attention for his role in High Fidelity 2000 and later starred in School of Rock 2003. He is also one half of the comedy rock duo Tenacious D with Kyle Gass. In 2018, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Names, aliases, and relatives of Jack Black — birth name, kin, and personal ties.
Jack Black by the numbers — life, work, and family.
Jack Black — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
Born in Santa Monica, California, Jack Black was raised in Hermosa Beach. His parents, Judith Love Cohen and Thomas William Black, were aerospace engineers. His mother helped create the abort-guidance system that rescued the Apollo 13 astronauts and also worked on the Hubble space telescope. Black attended Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences and later UCLA, where he joined Tim Robbins’ acting troupe.
Jack Black made his film debut with a background voice in Bob Roberts 1992. He broke out with High Fidelity 2000. School of Rock 2003 gave him the lead role. Co-founding Tenacious D with Kyle Gass, he released albums and the film Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny 2006. He also starred in King Kong 2005, Nacho Libre 2006, and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle 2017.
Jack Black married cellist Tanya Haden in 2006; they eloped after dating less than a year. They have two sons: Samuel Jason, born 2006, and Thomas David, born 2008. Black was previously engaged to Laura Kightlinger from 1997 until 2005.
Jack Black inspired a generation of performers with his high-energy comedy and music. He is a member of the Frat Pack comedy group. His Hollywood Walk of Fame star was unveiled in 2018. School of Rock and Tenacious D are his most recognized works.
The complete filmography of Jack Black — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.
Every award, honor, and recognition received by Jack Black — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.
A wall of memorable lines from Jack Black — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
Never for a Second Did I Think of Myself as the Sexiest Guy in the World. When I Was a Kid, I Thought I Was the Strongest Man in the World. Then the Fastest Runner and Then the Smartest Person in the World. One by One, My Delusions Got Shut Down. Now I Just See Myself as the Lamest Guy in the World.
I’d Just Like to Be in Films That I Would Like to See. I Think of Myself as an Entertainment Arsenal. Like I Have My Acting Bazooka and My Music Machete. and You Don’t Know What I’m Going to Come at You With.
I Was a Little Worried About Working with Kids. I Wanted to Make Sure We Didn’t Approach It Tip Toeing Around the Stuff That Would Normally Be Funny, or Make It Gentle, Rock a Bye Baby Bullshit.
I’m No Matt Damon, My Goal Was to Be a Character Actor. I Never Thought I Would Get Leads the Way That I’ve Been Able to in the Past Two Years.
I’m Hungry for Rock 24/7.
I’d Rather Be the King of Kids, Than the Prince of Fools.
There’s Nothing You Can Really Do to Prepare to Rock. Do You Prepare to Eat a Delicious Meal? Are You Hungry? Then You’re Gonna Eat It.
You Must Never Underestimate the Power of the Eyebrow.
If Beethoven and Bach Hooked up with Mozart and Made a Band, They COULD Be a Distant Runner up to the D.
I Should Take Down Someone Who Is Strong, so Steven Seagal Would Be Perfect with His Ridiculous Indian Gear, Ponytail and Swagger. He’s the Best Fighter in the World in His Own Mind, so I’ll Take Him Down Two Notches with My Anaconda Squeeze and Face Melter.
I Said I Named the Baby After Me. I Didn’t Say That My Actual Name Is Thomas.
I Like to Improv. If I’m Not Feeling a Scene Down to Po’s Panda Bones, I’ll Just Keep Tweaking It.
Little-known facts about Jack Black — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
When Black was 10, his parents, aerospace engineers Judith Love Cohen and Thomas William Black, divorced. His mother helped create the abort-guidance system that rescued the Apollo 13 astronauts, and also worked on the Hubble space telescope.
One half of the rock band Tenacious D alongside friend and collaborator Kyle Gass.
Often competes for the same roles with Philip Seymour Hoffman. On the Blu-ray audio commentary for School of Rock 2003, he jokingly calls Hoffman my nemesis. He was later considered for the role of Freddy Lounds in Red Dragon 2002, which went to Hoffman.
Is a member of the Frat Pack along with Will Ferrell, Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, Steve Carell and Luke Wilson. The Frat Pack name is a reference to the film Old School 2003. Black’s Frat Pack films include The Cable Guy 1996, Envy 2004 and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy 2004.
Despite poking fun at the genre, he is actually a very knowledgeable fan of hard rock/heavy metal music from the 1970s and 1980s. He even appears as part of Tenacious D in Ronnie James Dio’s music video for the song Push.
Starred in a management training film Manager of the Year – Effective Listening 1987 as a teenager who tells his father that the family car has been stolen.
Filmed a television pilot called Heat Vision and Jack 1999 co-starring Ron Silver and Christine Taylor, directed by Ben Stiller. The series was a parody of Knight Rider 1982, featuring a talking motorcycle voiced by Owen Wilson.
Sang backup vocals for the songs in Bob Roberts 1992.
Is good friends with Tim Robbins, Cesar Gonzalez, Dave Grohl and Will Smith.
Appeared in a parody of the Council of Elrond scene shown during the MTV Movie Awards. The Lord of the Rings director Sir Peter Jackson later cast him in King Kong 2005.
Was considered for the role of Hal Jordan / Green Lantern in an unproduced screenplay by Robert Smigel. The idea was ultimately scrapped by Warner Brothers for a less comedic screenplay.
Discovered he could act when he played a game of Freeze after a Passover seder.
Revealed on an Australian late night variety show that his favorite KISS rock song is I Love it Loud 1982 where he began singing parodied lyrics to the first verse.
Met his future wife Tanya Haden at Crossroads High School for the Arts and Sciences in Santa Monica, CA. They met again fifteen years after they graduated at a friend’s birthday party. They eloped after dating less than a year. They were married in Big Sur, California by the same minister who performed Shane Stanley and Val Barri’s ceremony 2005. She is a cellist and daughter of jazz great Charlie Haden. She is a triplet with sisters Petra and Rachel Haden, also musicians. Jack and Tanya have two sons: Samuel Jason born June 10, 2006 and Thomas David born May 23, 2008.
He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6144 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on September 18, 2018. Director Richard Linklater and Mike White were guest speakers.
On the Blu-ray audio commentary for School of Rock 2003, he calls himself the Pied Piper of rock music for leading the prep school students astray only to empower them.
Jack’s paternal grandfather, Thomas Walter Black, had Scottish, Northern Irish, and English ancestry, partly by way of Canada, and Jack’s paternal grandmother, Gladys Rose Zachman, was from an ethnic German family that had emigrated from Romania and Ukraine. Jack’s maternal grandparents, Morris Cohen and Sarah Roisman, were Russian Jewish immigrants. Jack’s father converted to Judaism when he married Jack’s mother.
Was engaged to actor/comedian/producer Laura Kightlinger from 1997 until 2005.
Hosted the MTV Movie Awards along with Sarah Michelle Gellar in 2002.
He and Mike White formed a production company called Black and White.
Mentioned in the song High School Never Ends by the rock band Bowling for Soup, as the clown.
Auditioned for the role of Cubby Barnes in Ransom 1996, which went to Donnie Wahlberg.
Born on the same date as Jason Priestley.
He and Kirsten Dunst were considered for Land of the Lost 2009. Black was in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle 2017 and Dunst was in Jumanji 1995.
Had his gall bladder removed.
Done commentary for a professional wrestling event.
Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Jack Black.
Celebrities similar to Jack Black — same craft, ranked by reach.
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