Jack Black Interview

REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL

Jack Black has plenty of reasons to be cheerful. To have one successful career in Hollywood might be considered fortunate, but to have two at the same time is either an anomaly or sheer genius. But that's exactly what has happened to Black: his band Tenacious D have gone gold in their homeland, had number ones in Australia and sold in the millions around the world, while his latest film School of Rock has taken nearly $100m at the US box office. And although he has come to recognition relatively recently - thanks to his memorable performance in High Fidelity - it's worth remembering that Black is no overnight success, with his first role as an extra in Tim Robbins' Bob Roberts dating back to 1992.

Not bad for a slightly overweight short guy who lacks the classic good looks normally associated with this sort of Hollywood pedigree. Black readily admits he breaks the mould. "I'm up at fifteen stone, five feet six and I'm wildly attractive to the opposite sex. I am a hero to a whole section of society." And he's really not exaggerating.

Black is in town to promote his new musical comedy which is the first film written directly for his idiosyncratic talent. He plays Dewey Finn, a slob who dreams of winning the local battle of the bands, but who gets sacked from his own group because of his predilection for extreme guitar solos and stage diving. When he takes a job as a substitute teacher in a well-to-do school, he enlists his charges, more used to learning classical music on the violin, to form his new supergroup with predictably happy results.

It's a funny and charming movie, but it's also difficult to see where Jack finishes and Dewey begins. Just like Dewey, Jack adores Sabbath, AC/DC and Led Zeppelin. He confesses that the project is very much a tailor-made affair: "The writer knew my voice. He made me a heavy metal suit to slay the wild beasts of bad music." He continues on the similarities. "Dewey is basically me five years ago, when I was desperate, frustrated and had no career. But the difference is that I make fun of music and he never would."