Biographic - Sunday October 13, 2013 Comic Strip Licensing and Permissions

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BIOGRAPHIC Steve McGarry Jack Black The son of rocket scientists, Jack Black was born in Santa Monica, California, on August 28, 1969. He was 13 when he landed his first acting job, appearing in a commercial for the video game "Pitfall." He later dropped out of UCLA, where he majored in theater, to appear with The Actors' Gang, the troupe led by Tim Robbins, in a production at Scotland's Edinburgh Festival. His connection to Robbins led to Jack being cast in the 1992 movie "Bob Roberts." Over the next few years, he appeared in everything from the movies "Waterworld" and "Dead Man Walking" to such TV shows as "Northern Exposure," "Picket Fences" and "Touched by an Angel." Jack's star was on the rise. His acclaimed work in "High Fidelity" was followed by starring roles in "Saving Silverman," "Shallow Hal" and "Orange County." 2003's "School of Rock" was a box-office smash, earning Jack a Golden Globe nomination. His leading role in the blockbuster "King Kong" paved the way for his starring role in "Nacho Libre," the tale of a Mexican wrestling priest. He also found time to ream up with Kyle Gass to form the comedy rock duo Tenacious D. They became a cult hit, touring extensively, releasing albums and starring on TV, culminating in the 2006 movie "Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny." 2008 brought two major movie hits. Jack voiced the lead role of Po in "Kung Fu Panda," an animated hit that took for than $600 million at the box office and spawned a franchise. He also starred alongside Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Jr. in "Tropic Thunder." Subsequent credits have ranged from "Year One" and "Gulliver's Travels" to "Bernie" - a movie that earned Jack a Golden Globe nomination. Jack married musician Tanya Haden in 2006, and they now have two children together. His latest project sees Tenacious D recruit a stellar cast of collaborators, from Adam Sandler and Zach Galifianakis to Sarah Silverman and The Mighty Boosh for Festival Supreme, a "Woodstock" of comedy to be held in Santa Monica, California, on October 19.

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