The Jack Black movie he ranks as his favourite: “It’s on my tombstone”
While many actors are lucky enough to have long and varied careers full of excellent movies, there is always going to be that one project that stands out as a favourite – the movie that perhaps put them on the map or allowed them to give what they believe to be their most accomplished performance. For some actors, however, each film is like one of their babies, and they find it hard to pick just one that stands out as their favourite, but for Jack Black, there’s one that he will always choose over the others.
The actor rose to prominence in the 1990s as a member of Tenacious D, the comedy rock band he fronts with his friend Kyle Gass. While Black appeared in a few small roles in movies like Dead Man Walking and Mars Attacks!, he soon found himself contemplating whether to forgo acting in favour of his musical career.
He once told Consequence about this dilemma, which occurred when he was offered a major role in the film High Fidelity. “I was just worried that, at the time, Tenacious D had a full head of steam, and we were getting great crowds and were playing to big houses. And I had, in my mind, a legitimate rock and roll career, separate from film and television, that I wanted to protect.”
Yet, Black inevitably took on the role of Barry in Stephen Frears’ film, which propelled him into the mainstream. From there, Black became an established actor, leading him to various projects, ranging from a voice role in Ice Age to the controversial comedy Shallow Hal. Establishing his comedic persona from the start, Black was well-loved from the get-go, praised for his flamboyant and unforgettable presence.
Naturally, this led him to some more sizable parts, like the main role as Dewey Finn in 2003’s School of Rock, which has come to be his favourite project. The film saw Black win an MTV Movie Award for ‘Best Comedic Performance’, and he earned widespread acclaim for his portrayal of the excitable slacker who pretends to be a supply teacher, resulting in him forming a band with his students and finding a sense of purpose.
The movie was directed by Richard Linklater, who had previously helmed the likes of Dazed and Confused and Before Sunrise, although School of Rock proved to be much more successful at the box-office, grossing a whopping $131.3million.
It remains the movie that most people associate with Black, although he has since gone on to appear in many popular films since, from The Holiday and Kung Fu Panda to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and A Minecraft Movie. In an interview with MTV, Black was asked to pick his favourite movie of his career, and he asserted his love for School of Rock, stating, “It’s on my tombstone: Jack Black from School of Rock.”
He also emphasised the importance of the film to his career, explaining, “That was the one that really put me on the map.” Indeed it did; Linklater’s film allowed Black to become a familiar face in Hollywood, and he has since gone on to dominate various franchises, which is rather impressive.
