Jack Black

Born Thomas Jacob Black in Santa Monica, California. His parents were both satellite engineers. They divorced when he was 10. He attended the Poseidon School, a private school for children struggling with mainstream education.

Forms Tenacious D with Kyle Gass. They meet in an acting class. Their acoustic comedy-rock duo starts performing at open mic nights in LA. HBO gives them a series in 1997. Three episodes.

High Fidelity opens. He plays a record store clerk opposite John Cusack. The role is small but he steals every scene. Hollywood notices. School of Rock, his star vehicle, comes three years later.

School of Rock opens at No. 1. He plays a substitute teacher who turns fifth graders into a rock band. The film makes $131 million on a $35 million budget. He improvises much of the dialogue.

Receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He's built a career spanning Kung Fu Panda, Jumanji, and gaming YouTube. His channel, Jablinski Games, hits millions of subscribers in its first week.