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Jack Black was born in California in 1969. He spent his early life in Hermosa Beach. His parents were rocket scientists. Young Jack was always imaginative and keen to entertain. His parents divorced when he was 10, and he moved with his mother to Culver City, near MGM studios. Jack had many musical influences, one being his older brother Howard, an engineer on Devo's hit album Freedom Of Choice, who would often take little Jack along to see the band play.
While attending a specialist arts and science school, Jack realized his love of acting, a love that led him on to UCLA where he majored in theatre. Black took to hanging around Tim Robbins' The Actors' Gang. He loved their subversive use of mime, music, masks and placards, and their motto "Dare to be stupid". In 1989, after less than two years at UCLA, he left college to join The Actors' Gang where he explored all theatrical avenues, and he got to sing songs and recite his own poetry. It was a tremendous all-round education.
It was there that Jack became acquainted with fellow Gang member Kyle Gass. Gass had been recruited by Robbins while at UCLA and was heavily involved in sound tracking the shows. The Actors' Gang made Jack and Kyle part of LA's artistic underground, and led them to the creation of their musical act, Tenacious D. 'The D' scored a series on HBO, which was a major cult hit. At the same time, Jack's acting career began to flourish.
Jack went from playing cameo's in several hit films, to playing major roles, and then headlining in films such as, The School of Rock, which was penned especially for him. While enjoying a smash hit at the box-office, Jack also made an assault on the DVD charts with Tenacious D: The Complete Masterworks.
Opening this December, Jack is sure to be a monster hit in Peter Jackson's King Kong. He plays Carl Denham, the madly ambitious filmmaker and entrepreneur, who seeks a myth in the South Seas and then brings it back to an awe-struck and ultimately terrified New York. He certainly has the energy and charisma to carry it off.
As it stands now, Jack Black has it all: Tenacious D sees him pack houses across
the world, allows him to perform for charity, and gives him a political voice. And onscreen he's working alongside the biggest names and in the biggest productions.
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