Jack Black is about ready to pop as a major movie star. He of course has his previous hit School of Rock but the release of Peter Jacksons reinterpretation of King Kong should send Black into the stratosphere. Black has nearly as much screen time as Academy Award nominee Naomi Watts.
Jack Black first came to notice as a character actor in such films as The Jackal, Mars Attacks! and The Cable Guy. But he is best known as one half, with Kyle Gass, of the humorous rock band Tenacious D who had three legendary episodes on HBO and is set to release their first feature film next year.
Check out the official site for King Kong
Daniel Robert Epstein: The character youve cultivated with Tenacious D and some other works makes no appearance in King Kong. How challenging was it to create Carl Denham?
Jack Black: Every movie presents its challenges. This one was tricky because it was set in the 1930s and its not easy to improvise in a 1930s style of talking so I stuck totally to the script. I really had to trust totally in Peter, [co-screenwriter] Fran [Walsh] and [co-screenwriter] Philippa [Boyens] and their vision. They would lead me towards the perfect take.
DRE: Would you have done the movie even if it wasnt Peter Jackson directing?
JB: It was a cool role regardless of who was directing it. It was a really great written script but I didnt read the script when I accepted the role. I did it because I wanted to party with Peter Jackson. That was a secret goal of mine and it was unbelievable. I talked to my agent a few months beforehand and said, God, I want to be in a Peter Jackson movie, cant you make it happen? Youre a power agent. She was like, Dude, everybody wants to be in a Peter Jackson movie. Then he called, weirdly enough, and asked me to interview for King Kong. I would have come and interviewed for Carrots on Ice if he was directing it. Luckily it was one of the most amazing parts Ive ever read.
This is the biggest budgeted movie that Ive ever been on but its still the same job. You want to work with cool people with great minds and Peter Jackson was just an artist that I wanted to hang out with. Youre spending like a year of your life with that person so you want it to be someone whos company you enjoy.
DRE: You play a crazy out of control director who runs away with all the film and money, did you base that on anyone you worked with?
JB: Not really. They told me that they were looking for an unsuccessful version of Orson Welles type of filmmaker who is a real cocky with youthful exuberance and a little bit of hubris. Hes got this chip on his shoulder, but also this hunger to be hailed as a genius.
DRE: How was it acting with all those special effects?
JB: Acting with special effects was a breeze. I felt like I was born to do it. Its the same job as all the movies Ive done because it is just pretending that somethings happening thats not really happening and pretending like youre feeling something that youre not really feeling. I loved it. I loved running as fast as I can and screaming as loud as I can. I feel like I am ready to be in extreme death-defying situations now.
DRE: Do you hope this will change the kind of roles you get in the future?
JB: Well see. But its not like I was frustrated, God, why dont people take me seriously? I want a better career where people will see me for Kramer vs. Kramer type material. I can make them cry and get awards. Ive had so much fun in the last five years. Its been such a great run. I just hope I get to be in another Peter Jackson movie. But it doesnt really matter as long as its someone Im excited to work with.
DRE: Did Colin Hanks get cast after you because you two had that previous relationship from Orange County?
JB: Im not sure. But I did not have a hand in getting him. I didnt say, Look if you want me you got to have Colin. Were a team. But I do love Colin so I was really stoked when they cast him.
I was checking out the interesting pairings, because me and Colin had worked together and had a great time on Orange County. Thomas Kretschmann and Adrien Brody worked so great together in The Pianist and I was like, Whats going on here? Theyre bringing in the pairings. It was good, because a lot of us had that good working rapport.
DRE: Youre character is constantly running around Skull Island filming everything, did you really learn how to use one of those old timey cameras?
JB: Yeah. Luckily, Peter is a collector of many old, cool artifacts of Hollywood lore. He had one of the cameras that they used to film some of the original King Kong with. Me and the other people who were on the film within the film learned how to load and shoot movies with it. We actually shot some really dumb movies in preparation. I think they might be one of the DVD extras. In fact theyd better be because we put a lot of thought into those turdy little movies. One of them was called The Chase and was a homage to Buster Keaton.
DRE: Is Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny definitely coming out next October?
JB: I dont know what the release date is right now. We are going in to do a re-shoot of the finale. I thought the finale was kickass with us in a club singing a song. But then when we watched it the movie is so exciting and ridiculous up to that point so now the world has to explode. It was my first time writing and producing so there was a learning curve. Ive learned that theres no shame in going back and re-shooting. So were going to go and explode the world for the end of the movie.
DRE: How is the rest of the film going?
JB: I love it. This is my chance to show the world what I think is funny, because Ive been in a lot of comedies and nothing makes me laugh as much as what me and my friends come up with when were stoned and farting around in our apartments. So thats what this movie is going to be.
DRE: What else are you working on?
JB: A film with Edgar Wright, who directed one of my favorite movies ever, Shaun of the Dead. Theres a book called Them about all the extremists of the world and all the shapes and sizes they come in from different cultures. A lot of them believe that the whole world is controlled by a small group of billionaires called the Bilderberg Group and they control everything. It is a big conspiracy theory but when you look at the people who have these theories, theres a lot of humor but theres also this little scary thing that makes you think that maybe there are these rich, scary, a-holes who are controlling everything and having dinner parties and doing blow.
DRE: Do you ever see a DVD release for Heat Vision and Jack?
JB: [laughs] No, I wish. We might make a movie out of it someday. My friends are writing it.
DRE: You did some videos with Dan Harmon of [Channel 101] right before King Kong. Was that a conscious decision to do something small before this blockbuster film?
JB: A little bit. You hear about a lot of actors who go make huge movies but then theyll go back to their roots in the theater. I dont go to Broadway. Ill just go and do some underpants videos for the internet. It reminds you of why youre doing it. As much fun as it is now I had just as much fun before I was getting cast in anything. I got into it for fun and the buzz you get from performing in front of people. Its good to remind yourself.
DRE: Will you work with Dan Harmon and Rob Schrab again?
JB: Yeah, were always working on stuff and talking about stuff. Theyre writing a draft of an animated feature that Im working on called Kung Fu Panda.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
Jack Black first came to notice as a character actor in such films as The Jackal, Mars Attacks! and The Cable Guy. But he is best known as one half, with Kyle Gass, of the humorous rock band Tenacious D who had three legendary episodes on HBO and is set to release their first feature film next year.
Check out the official site for King Kong
Daniel Robert Epstein: The character youve cultivated with Tenacious D and some other works makes no appearance in King Kong. How challenging was it to create Carl Denham?
Jack Black: Every movie presents its challenges. This one was tricky because it was set in the 1930s and its not easy to improvise in a 1930s style of talking so I stuck totally to the script. I really had to trust totally in Peter, [co-screenwriter] Fran [Walsh] and [co-screenwriter] Philippa [Boyens] and their vision. They would lead me towards the perfect take.
DRE: Would you have done the movie even if it wasnt Peter Jackson directing?
JB: It was a cool role regardless of who was directing it. It was a really great written script but I didnt read the script when I accepted the role. I did it because I wanted to party with Peter Jackson. That was a secret goal of mine and it was unbelievable. I talked to my agent a few months beforehand and said, God, I want to be in a Peter Jackson movie, cant you make it happen? Youre a power agent. She was like, Dude, everybody wants to be in a Peter Jackson movie. Then he called, weirdly enough, and asked me to interview for King Kong. I would have come and interviewed for Carrots on Ice if he was directing it. Luckily it was one of the most amazing parts Ive ever read.
This is the biggest budgeted movie that Ive ever been on but its still the same job. You want to work with cool people with great minds and Peter Jackson was just an artist that I wanted to hang out with. Youre spending like a year of your life with that person so you want it to be someone whos company you enjoy.
DRE: You play a crazy out of control director who runs away with all the film and money, did you base that on anyone you worked with?
JB: Not really. They told me that they were looking for an unsuccessful version of Orson Welles type of filmmaker who is a real cocky with youthful exuberance and a little bit of hubris. Hes got this chip on his shoulder, but also this hunger to be hailed as a genius.
DRE: How was it acting with all those special effects?
JB: Acting with special effects was a breeze. I felt like I was born to do it. Its the same job as all the movies Ive done because it is just pretending that somethings happening thats not really happening and pretending like youre feeling something that youre not really feeling. I loved it. I loved running as fast as I can and screaming as loud as I can. I feel like I am ready to be in extreme death-defying situations now.
DRE: Do you hope this will change the kind of roles you get in the future?
JB: Well see. But its not like I was frustrated, God, why dont people take me seriously? I want a better career where people will see me for Kramer vs. Kramer type material. I can make them cry and get awards. Ive had so much fun in the last five years. Its been such a great run. I just hope I get to be in another Peter Jackson movie. But it doesnt really matter as long as its someone Im excited to work with.
DRE: Did Colin Hanks get cast after you because you two had that previous relationship from Orange County?
JB: Im not sure. But I did not have a hand in getting him. I didnt say, Look if you want me you got to have Colin. Were a team. But I do love Colin so I was really stoked when they cast him.
I was checking out the interesting pairings, because me and Colin had worked together and had a great time on Orange County. Thomas Kretschmann and Adrien Brody worked so great together in The Pianist and I was like, Whats going on here? Theyre bringing in the pairings. It was good, because a lot of us had that good working rapport.
DRE: Youre character is constantly running around Skull Island filming everything, did you really learn how to use one of those old timey cameras?
JB: Yeah. Luckily, Peter is a collector of many old, cool artifacts of Hollywood lore. He had one of the cameras that they used to film some of the original King Kong with. Me and the other people who were on the film within the film learned how to load and shoot movies with it. We actually shot some really dumb movies in preparation. I think they might be one of the DVD extras. In fact theyd better be because we put a lot of thought into those turdy little movies. One of them was called The Chase and was a homage to Buster Keaton.
DRE: Is Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny definitely coming out next October?
JB: I dont know what the release date is right now. We are going in to do a re-shoot of the finale. I thought the finale was kickass with us in a club singing a song. But then when we watched it the movie is so exciting and ridiculous up to that point so now the world has to explode. It was my first time writing and producing so there was a learning curve. Ive learned that theres no shame in going back and re-shooting. So were going to go and explode the world for the end of the movie.
DRE: How is the rest of the film going?
JB: I love it. This is my chance to show the world what I think is funny, because Ive been in a lot of comedies and nothing makes me laugh as much as what me and my friends come up with when were stoned and farting around in our apartments. So thats what this movie is going to be.
DRE: What else are you working on?
JB: A film with Edgar Wright, who directed one of my favorite movies ever, Shaun of the Dead. Theres a book called Them about all the extremists of the world and all the shapes and sizes they come in from different cultures. A lot of them believe that the whole world is controlled by a small group of billionaires called the Bilderberg Group and they control everything. It is a big conspiracy theory but when you look at the people who have these theories, theres a lot of humor but theres also this little scary thing that makes you think that maybe there are these rich, scary, a-holes who are controlling everything and having dinner parties and doing blow.
DRE: Do you ever see a DVD release for Heat Vision and Jack?
JB: [laughs] No, I wish. We might make a movie out of it someday. My friends are writing it.
DRE: You did some videos with Dan Harmon of [Channel 101] right before King Kong. Was that a conscious decision to do something small before this blockbuster film?
JB: A little bit. You hear about a lot of actors who go make huge movies but then theyll go back to their roots in the theater. I dont go to Broadway. Ill just go and do some underpants videos for the internet. It reminds you of why youre doing it. As much fun as it is now I had just as much fun before I was getting cast in anything. I got into it for fun and the buzz you get from performing in front of people. Its good to remind yourself.
DRE: Will you work with Dan Harmon and Rob Schrab again?
JB: Yeah, were always working on stuff and talking about stuff. Theyre writing a draft of an animated feature that Im working on called Kung Fu Panda.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
VIEW 6 of 6 COMMENTS
annisa:
yeknomyknuf:
Jack rocks. I can't wait to see The Pick of Destiny, I know Liam Lynch helped write it. Those two together are gonna make me cough blood they're so funny.