BALANCE_DECEMBER_2019 - 23

COVER
JACK
BLACK

dubious 2013 hit single: "Not to be confused with Blurred Lines by that
controversial artist."
Black, like BALANCE, has "failed" when it comes to escaping screen
time, and adds: "I've failed in that regard. I've given in to the electronics.
I've been swallowed whole by The Matrix. Jack loves his tech - he also has
an old Addams Family pinball machine (a birthday gift from his wife) in
the basement, which provides escapism - but similarly likes the idea of
getting away from all things electric.
"I do think about going on a vacation where we don't take any phones
with us. I think that's a great idea. But we have yet to do it. We've got to
get the boys out to nature, where there's no signal. That's the plan for
next summer. It's hard to find a place that doesn't have WiFi now. That's a
problem. You've got to go up on that mountain, with Dwayne's diamond
nipples." Again, BALANCE is in hysterics.

YOU KNOW JACK

It's not just on screen where
Jack is loved; he has a warm
reputation away from the
camera as well, and says
avoiding the madness of
Hollywood is vital for keeping
both feet on the ground.
"You try to keep it real to
hold on to your sanity," he says.
"This is a crazy industry. A
crazy biz. If you get too carried
away with the Hollywood
parties and the hobnobbing
with the rich and famous and
the schmoozing up a storm
night after night, you can
definitely go off in the deep
end. I just try to keep it real
with my peeps, you know?
I'm still Jables from the block.
I don't really trust anyone
outside of my close group of
friends and family.
"It's the one thing about
the industry that's a shame,
though: you have to build
a wall, because it always feels like
somebody wants something from
you. So you have to close ranks
and your circle of trust shrinks
a little bit."
Did he ever get sucked in?
"When I did High Fidelity things skyrocketed. I didn't have to go audition
any more. Offers just started flying in. I rose too fast and got what you
would call celebrity sickness, but I got my bearings after a couple of years."
The fact he'd been going for so long before catching that break, Black
insists, helped put him in good stead. As did his band, Tenacious D, which he
co-founded in 1994 with actor/musician friend Kyle Gass. The D, as
they're affectionately known, is what landed him the breakthrough role
in High Fidelity, as its star (John Cusack) was a huge fan.
"It wasn't until I started writing songs and sketches with Tenacious D
that I found my voice," Black explains. "To break into the industry, you've
got to start writing. That's how you find out who you are as a performer.
You do something like that, you do it for the love of the game. That's what

it's really all about. The ultimate high is do what you love and get paid to
do that. Tenacious D is really everything to me. That was my portal in."

BLACK COMEDY

Thank goodness it was, as the world has been a brighter place ever since.
And heck knows we need Jack now, given the political division around
the world. As Jack puts forth: "It's an interesting thing. For many years it
seemed like the left wing of the political spectrum, in the United States,
the liberals and progressives had a monopoly on all the comedy. Most of
the voices in late-night entertainment were leaning left and it has always
been a source of pride that the best artists, actors and comedians were on
the left, [and] were saying, 'We're accepting of different cultures.'
"Now the biggest comedian in the country with the biggest audience
is the President Of The United States and he's so far right leaning. It's
so strange. It was like this weird
bubbling volcano of right-wing hate
mongers were like, 'Who's going to
be our comedian? Finally! We got a
comedian! I'll vote for him!"'
Jack pauses for a second in
contemplation. "This is the weird
counterbalance, this one big
monster clown who is making
the world laugh as we burn. It's
terrifying. It's like a Biblical antiChrist or something: 'We didn't
know he was going to come as a
clown! That's the last thing we
would have expected!'"
Jack and Kyle continue to
be involved in Rock the Vote
(the non-profit group aimed at
encouraging the youth to take
an interest in politics) and tour a
political opera across the US. He
then gets acerbically profound on
BALANCE: "That's the great and
terrifying thing about democracy:
it's subject to human decision
making and error."
When Jack isn't making movies
or rocking with the D, there are
many things he does for his own
wellbeing and stability. "Bike riding,
swimming, trampolining, messing
around with JablinskiGames and fun
extracurricular stuff like that," he says.
He also goes to the movies and likes to
see NBA giants, the LA Lakers.
He jokes: "It's tough to get those tickets now. I used to get these court-side
seats all the time back when I was making the Kung Fu Pandas. But now it's
been a while... I don't get that call from the President Of Showbusiness.
I'm hoping to this year, because the Lakers are very exciting. I am a family
man. That's the answer."
Before we go, Black reveals that, yes, Tenacious D will be back in London
before too long, and he jokes about the gig being "a Tenacious D concert
the likes of which have never been seen. And at that point, backstage,
I plan on seeing you there and our high five will be filmed on IMAX. It will
be the high five heard around the world!" We will be waiting...
Jumanji: The Next Level is in cinemas from 11 December

"THE ULTIMATE HIGH IS
DO WHAT YOU LOVE AND
GET PAID TO DO THAT"

23
BALANCE_DECEMBER_2019

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