Jack Black facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jack Black
Black in 2023
Born	Thomas Jacob Black (1969-08-28) August 28, 1969 (age 56) Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Other names	JB Jables Jablinski Jackalous McBlackelby
Occupation	Actor comedian singer musician songwriter guitarist
Years active	1982–present
Works	Filmography
Height	1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Spouse(s)	Tanya Haden ​ (m. 2006)​
Partner(s)	Laura Kightlinger (1996–2005)
Children	2
Parent(s)	Judith Love Cohen (mother)
Relatives	Neil Siegel (half-brother)
Musical career
Genres	Comedy rock acoustic rock hard rock heavy metal
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Jack Black Subscriber and view counts updated as of January 2, 2025.
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Thomas Jacob "Jack" Black, born on August 28, 1969, is a famous American actor, comedian, and musician. You might know him from his main roles in many fun family and comedy movies. He also lends his voice to popular animated films. Jack Black has won an Emmy Award and a Grammy Award. He also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame since 2018!

Jack Black's Early Life and Beginnings

Jack Black was born in Santa Monica, California, on August 28, 1969. His parents were engineers. He grew up in Hermosa Beach, California. His mother was also a writer. Jack has three older half-siblings. His family raised him in the Jewish faith. He went to Hebrew school and had a bar mitzvah.

When Jack was 10, his parents divorced. He moved with his father but often visited his mother. For high school, Jack attended the Poseidon School, a special private school. He also went to the Crossroads School, where he loved drama. Later, he studied at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). However, he left college to follow his dream of becoming an entertainer. A fellow UCLA student, Tim Robbins, later gave Jack a role in the movie Bob Roberts. Jack also appeared in the TV comedy series Mr. Show in the mid-1990s.

Jack Black's Acting Journey

Early Roles on Screen

Jack Black started acting at 13 in a TV commercial for the video game Pitfall! in 1982. Later, he joined a theater group called the Actors' Gang. He performed in many stage plays. His adult acting career began with small parts on TV shows. These included Life Goes On and The X-Files.

After his role in Bob Roberts (1992), Jack started getting small movie parts. He appeared in films like Demolition Man (1993) and Mars Attacks! (1996).

Becoming a Star in the 2000s

In 2000, Jack Black became widely known for his role in High Fidelity. He played a lively employee in a record store. This led to bigger roles in movies like Shallow Hal (2001) and Orange County (2002).

He became a leading actor with his starring role in the musical comedy School of Rock (2003). His performance earned him a Golden Globe nomination. Jack also lent his voice to animated movies. He was Zeke in Ice Age (2002) and Lenny in Shark Tale (2004).

Black and Tom Howard on set of Nacho Libre in 2006

In 2005, he played filmmaker Carl Denham in Peter Jackson's King Kong. He also starred in the comedy Nacho Libre (2006). In 2008, he began voicing Po in the popular Kung Fu Panda movie series. This is one of his favorite roles!

Blockbusters and Voice Acting in the 2010s

Jack Black received praise for his serious role as Bernie Tiede in Bernie (2011). He played a funeral director who gets into trouble in a small town. His performance was highly regarded.

Black at a Kung Fu Panda 2 premiere in June 2011

He continued to star in family-friendly films. These included Goosebumps (2016) and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017). In Jumanji, he played a teenage girl stuck in a professor's body. He also appeared in The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018). He reprised his role in Jumanji: The Next Level (2019). He also voiced characters in the animated YouTube series "Tenacious D in Post-Apocalypto".

Recent Roles in the 2020s

In 2022, Jack Black lent his voice to the animated film Apollo 10 1⁄2: A Space Age Childhood. He also voiced Po again in the Netflix series Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight. He made guest appearances on Big Nate and Rick and Morty.

In 2023, Jack Black voiced Bowser in Illumination's The Super Mario Bros. Movie. This movie was a huge success worldwide. That same year, he played Joseph Stalin in the Hulu comedy series History of the World, Part II. He also appeared as Captain Bombardier in the Disney+ series The Mandalorian. Jack Black reprised his role as Po in Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024). He voiced Claptrap in Borderlands (2024). Most recently, he portrayed Steve in A Minecraft Movie (2025).

Music with Tenacious D

Tenacious D performing in 2016

Jack Black is the lead singer and guitarist for the comedy rock duo Tenacious D. He formed the band with his friend Kyle Gass. They have released five albums, including their first, Tenacious D, and The Pick of Destiny. Some of their songs, like "The Metal" and "Master Exploder", have been featured in video games such as Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock and Brütal Legend.

Tenacious D also starred in their own comedy film, Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny. Many celebrities, including Dave Grohl and Ben Stiller, made cameo appearances in the movie. In 2012, Jack Black joined other stars to record "Book People Unite". This song was sponsored by the Library of Congress. Tenacious D won a Grammy for Best Metal Performance in 2015. They won for their cover of "The Last in Line" by Dio.

Solo Music Projects

Black performing in 2006

Jack Black has also worked on music outside of Tenacious D. He provided backing vocals for the band The Vandals in 2000. He sang on Dave Grohl's Probot album and Liam Lynch's Fake Songs album. Jack performed a cover of "Let's Get It On" in the movie High Fidelity.

He has also appeared in many music videos. These include videos for Beck, Foo Fighters, Weezer, and "Weird Al" Yankovic. In 2025, Jack Black's song "Steve's Lava Chicken" from A Minecraft Movie made history. It became the shortest song ever to appear on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Other Cool Projects

Making a Difference: Activism

Jack Black and Tenacious D have supported various causes. They helped the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation raise awareness and funds. In 2016, Jack joined the climate change documentary show Years of Living Dangerously. He was one of the celebrity reporters.

Jack Black encourages people to vote. He hosted events to help voters understand ID requirements. He believes in protecting the environment and supporting important issues. He also encouraged people to wear face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Behind the Scenes: Production Company

In 2006, Jack Black started his own production company, Electric Dynamite Productions, Inc. This company helps create movies and TV shows. They produced the mockumentary Branson in 2009. They also produced TV movies like My Life As an Experiment.

The company produced the TV series Ghost Ghirls in 2013. They also worked on films where Jack Black starred, such as The D Train (2015) and The Polka King (2017). More recently, they produced The Aquabats! RadVentures! in 2018 and the film Happily in 2021.

Gaming Fun: Jablinski Games

On December 21, 2018, Jack Black launched his YouTube channel called Jablinski Games. It quickly gained over a million subscribers. The channel features fun vlogs with Jack and his two sons. It also includes gaming content. Jack created the channel to spend more time with his son, who helps film and edit the videos.

In July 2019, Jack Black participated in a Minecraft stream with YouTuber PewDiePie. They raised money for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to support mental health awareness. As of June 2025, Jablinski Games has 5.14 million subscribers and 239 million video views.

Jack Black's Family Life

Jack Black dated actress Laura Kightlinger for several years. In January 2006, he got engaged to singer Tanya Haden. They had known each other since high school. They married on March 14, 2006, in Big Sur, California. They have two sons, born in 2006 and 2008.

Jack Black's oldest brother, Neil Siegel, is an engineer, scientist, and musician. Although Jack Black is an atheist, he identifies as nominally Jewish. He decided to raise his children in the Jewish faith.

Movies and Music

Filmography Highlights

Music Albums

With Tenacious D

• Tenacious D (2001)
• The Pick of Destiny (2006)
• Rize of the Fenix (2012)
• Post-Apocalypto (2018)

Soundtrack Albums

Charted Songs

Awards and Recognitions

On September 18, 2018, Jack Black received a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.

Accolades

See also

In Spanish: Jack Black para niños