Jack Black Born: Comedy's Rock-and-Roll Wildcard

Jack Black built a dual career as a comedy film star and rock musician, anchoring hits like School of Rock while fronting the satirical rock duo Tenacious D. Born in Santa Monica, California, in 1969, he grew up shuttling between divorced parents and channeled his restless energy into acting at the Actors' Gang theater company in Los Angeles, where he met Tim Robbins and other performers who would shape his early career. He appeared in supporting roles in High Fidelity, where his performance as an obnoxious record store clerk stole scenes from John Cusack, and in Shallow Hal, which became a surprise box office hit. School of Rock in 2003 turned him into a leading man, earning two hundred million dollars worldwide and demonstrating that his manic physical comedy could carry a film. His genuine musical talent distinguished him from actors who merely played musicians on screen. Tenacious D, the comedy rock project he formed with Kyle Gass in 1994, released albums and a feature film, Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny, that blended elaborate guitar work with absurdist humor about being the greatest band in the world. The act toured arenas and headlined festivals, drawing audiences who came for the jokes and stayed for musicianship that was far better than comedy rock had any right to be. Black voiced the title character in the Kung Fu Panda franchise, which grossed over 1.8 billion dollars worldwide, and appeared in the rebooted Jumanji films alongside Dwayne Johnson. His career has sustained itself by refusing to choose between comedy and music.