Thomas Jacob Black, better known as Jack Black, or perhaps Jables, Jablinski, or simply J.B., is an American actor and musician known for his iconic film personality. Black’s wacky brand of humor has made him an onscreen staple for the past twenty years, and audiences have come to expect a particular quirkiness to films in which he stars.
Recently, Black had been speaking about slowing down or even retiring from acting saying, “I’ve got a couple of tricks up my sleeve. But not too many. I’m looking to wrap it up pretty soon. Ride off into the sunset.”. Audiences would surely miss him if this was the case. Here are the 10 best Jack Black roles.
Dewey Finn In School of Rock (2003)
Jack Black has always found comfort onscreen when it comes to dealing with rock-and-roll, and none of his films showcase this better than School of Rock. Black plays Dewey Finn, a down and out guitarist who, as a ploy to make some quick money, impersonates a private school substitute teacher. Upon realizing the musical talents of his students, Finn decides to form a new band.
The electrifying film was highly praised and was for a time the highest-grossing music-themed comedy of all time. It spawned both a television adaptation as well as a Broadway musical. A sequel has been teased since 2008 and though Black himself has called it unlikely, he has also said, “never say never”.
Bernie Tiede In Bernie (2011)
In what has been called his most impressive performance, Jack Black plays Bernie Tiede a mortician beloved by his Carthage, Texas community. Bernie becomes the sole companion of a wealthy and abusive widow who he eventually murders. This dark comedy sounds almost ridiculous until you find out the story it chronicles happened in Carthage, Texas in 1996. While some of the gossip in the film is fictionalized, several townspeople are played by members of the affected community. Bernie is a thought-provoking comedy that exactly toes the line between comedy and tragedy and may have even had a legal impact on the real Bernie Tiede, who spoiler alert, is still in jail.
Barry Judd In High Fidelity (2000)
Considered by Black to be his breakout role is that of Barry Judd in High Fidelity. In the film, Black plays Barry, a wild employee, and fountain of musical knowledge in Rob Gordon’s (John Cusack) record store. The film is another in which Black can show off his love of music, especially through Barry’s band “Sonic Death Monkey” and its rendition of the popular love song “Let’s Get it On”. High Fidelity is a classic among romantic comedies, and it has recently been announced that a television adaptation is in the works with Zoe Kravitz in the lead role. Hopefully whoever plays the analogous character to Barry can bring as much whimsy as Jack Black.
Carl Denham In King Kong (2005)
Black is primarily known for comedic roles but has been known to stray into dramatic territory, as is the case for his role as Carl Denham in Peter Jackson’s epic remake of King Kong. Denham is an obsessive film director who obtains the map to Kong’s Skull Island and plans to sail to and film the island before chaos ensues. Black was cast for the role based on his performance in High Fidelity. In preparation for the role, Black studied legendary director Orson Welles and showman P.T. Barnum in order to “capture the spirit” of Denham. King Kong was a huge success and received three Academy Awards for Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Visual Effects.
Tenacious D In The Pick of Destiny (2006)
In addition to his work as an actor, Jack Black is also a Grammy Award-winning musician with his band Tenacious D. Formed in 1994 with Kyle Gass, the duo were the stars of their own film with Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny. In the movie, Black and Gass play fictionalized versions of themselves and the origins of their band, which takes them from Hollywood to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to a “Rock Off” contest with Satan himself. The musical comedy also features performances by other rock legends such as Ronnie James Dio, Meatloaf, and Dave Grohl.
Po in Kung Fu Panda (2008)
For the voice of a clumsy kung fu loving panda, it would seem that Jack Black is perfectly cast. Set in ancient China, Kung Fu Panda is the story of Po, a reluctant “Dragon Warrior” who, along with the help of a quintet of kung fu masters, must stop the nefarious kung fu warrior Tai Lung.
The film was a smash hit and grossed over $630 million. Additionally, the popularity of the unexpected ursine warrior has spawned two film sequels, two television series, a manga, and a video game. Another three film sequels have been teased, so it seems that we have yet to see the last of Po.
Ignacio In Nacho Libre (2006)
Nacho Libre is a goofy comedy about love, sacrifice, and wrestling. Black stars as Ignacio, a cook for a monastery orphanage in Mexico, with dreams of becoming a luchador. His dream is forbidden by the monastery for being sinful, but to raise money for the orphanage, Ignacio must dawn a mask and the pseudonym Nacho and begin wrestling for prize money with the help of his friend Steven, aka Esqueleto (Skeleton). The film is loosely based on real-life Mexican Catholic priest Rev. Sergio Gutiérrez Benítez, who became a luchador known as Fray Tormenta (Friar Storm) in order to support the orphanage he directed.
Professor Sheldon Oberon In Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
In this sequel to the classic Jumanji, Black portrays Professor Sheldon Oberon, a scientist and cartographer, who is a playable character in the Jumanji video game. When a reluctant group of high school students stumbles into the game, the popular girl Bethany must play as the Professor in order to escape the game and return home. Watching Black play a vain teenage girl in a bumbling professor body is guaranteed comedy fodder.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle was well received and spurred a second sequel Jumanji: The Next Level. In it, Black reprises his role as Professor Oberon, only this time his character is played by Fridge, the stellar college athlete, none too pleased with his new physique. Given the success of the films, another sequel would not be unexpected in the future.
R.L. Stine In Goosebumps (2015)
Goosebumps is evidence enough of Jack Black’s ability to combine humor with brooding spookiness. In this horror-comedy, Black portrays a fictionalized version of famed Goosebumps horror writer R.L. Stine. Stine’s daughter, Hannah, and his new teenage neighbor Zach unwittingly allow the release of all of Stine’s literary monsters from their locked books. Stine, his daughter, and Zach must stop these monsters before they can continue their villainous rampage through the small Delaware town. Interestingly, Black also provides the voices for evil ventriloquist dummy, Slappy, and the invisible boy. The film was a critical success and spawned a sequel, Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween.
Zed In Year One (2009)
Just because a film isn’t critically acclaimed, doesn’t mean it’s not a great watch. Every actor is bound to have their share of unpopular movies, for Jack Black one of those is Year One. In the film, Black plays Zed, an unpopular hunter in an early tribe of hunter-gatherers. Feeling like he is meant for more in life, Zed eats from the Forbidden Tree of Knowledge and is banished from the tribe. He along with his trusted friend Oh (Michael Cera) embark on a journey to discover the world. Written by the legendary Harold Ramis, the film was considered a flop. However, Black’s performance and camaraderie with Cera make this film a hilarious entry in the Jack Black filmography.
