The co-star Jack Black called one of the greatest living actors: “A pro on another level”
No disrespect intended, but nobody will go out on a limb and call Jack Black one of cinema’s greatest actors. He’s popular, has been for a long time, and is very good at what he does, but he’s not the type of performer who’ll ever find themselves troubling the Academy Awards unless something drastic changes.
That’s not to say that Black couldn’t reinvent himself as an acclaimed dramatic thespian were he to ditch the boisterous funnyman shtick, abandon his comedic roots and dedicate himself completely to a cynically designed play for awards season glory, but it’s about as unlikely as it gets, even in the weird and wonderful world of Hollywood.
However, he’s worked with some incredible scene partners during his decades-long career, and there’s one he pointed towards as the best. Despite getting their name wrong, Black was adamant that nobody he’s ever worked with could hold a handle to a star who’s definitely in the thick of the conversation when it comes to naming the finest of the modern era.
After years of sticking to his tried-and-trusted form of physical comedy and endearing buffoonery, Black buttoned down his usual persona to play a romantic lead in writer and director Nancy Meyers’ rom-com The Holiday, which did what most of her pictures do and became a heart-warming favourite with endless rewatch value.
Reflecting on the highs and lows of his career with Vanity Fair, Black initially made a huge faux pas when he drew attention to Cate Blanchett, although he quickly corrected himself when he realised he’d put his foot right in it, right on the cusp of singing the praises of somebody else entirely.
“The great, not to be confused with any other Kate, Winslet,” he apologised. “I was like, ‘Wait, this isn’t really going to happen. Kate Winslet’s not going to want to do a movie with me’. She’s going to go from Leonardo DiCaprio to Jackey McBlacketey? Yes, she was.”
Unusual nickname aside, even if it was fair game considering The Holiday was when he bestowed Winslet that became a term of affection that’s followed her everywhere for the last two decades, Black couldn’t speak highly enough of the awards-laden star who built her career on the back of being better at this whole acting lark than most.
“I was the winner there because just getting to be in a movie with her, and the cameras were rolling, and I’m looking across at one of the best actors living, and in her eyes are the reality of the character,” he continued. “And she’s just, like, a pro on another level. So I learned a lot from just doing scenes with her and watching her and how committed she was and so real. She was, that’s not something you can really learn.”
Some actors don’t have to work too hard to become known as the best in the business when it seems to come to them so effortlessly, and Black was hardly the first to come to that conclusion regarding Winslet, who’s more than deserving of her reputation as one of the best around.
