# Is Jack Black's career tanking? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 30, 2011, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jack-blacks-career-tanking/569488 "2011-01-30T05:01:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jack-blacks-career-tanking/569488/81 "2011-02-15T02:44:48Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Merged duplicate threads. Actually my topic was “is there anyone worse than Jack Black who still gets big roles?” ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jack-blacks-career-tanking/569488/82 "2011-02-15T03:29:35Z")
> [@wheresgeorge04](#): > > He still gets a lot of good will from me because of the Tenacious D TV show. I saw it in its original run, or very soon after, and was kind of obsessed with them. I bought bootlegs of some of their concerts, and a bootleg VHS of the show. I can forgive shit like Shallow Hal. > > Joe Same here. Tenacious D was genius. Anytime I’m feeling down I throw in The Complete Masterworks and it turns my mood around. I never get tired of it. The only problem is that the songs get stuck in my head for a week after watching, lol. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jack-blacks-career-tanking/569488/83 "2011-02-15T03:34:12Z")
> [@Hades](#): > > His last four films were Kung Fu Panda (made $631 on a $130M budget), Tropic Thunder (made $188M on a $100-$150M budget), Year One (made $62M on a $60M budget), and **Gulliver’s Travels (made $152M on a $112M budget)**, and both Kung Fu Panda and Tropic Thunder were popular, so I don’t see why he wouldn’t continue to get work. God. There are movies now that make over $150,000,000 that I’ve never even heard of? How did I get so out of touch? I’m only 29! I have young friends! ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jack-blacks-career-tanking/569488/84 "2011-02-15T03:37:05Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > God. There are movies now that make over $150,000,000 that I’ve never even heard of? How did I get so out of touch? I’m only 29! I have young friends! It’s not that big a deal nowadays to make back your budget. The trick is to make back triple your budget to account for advertising costs. ---
**Author:** ![FrustratedIdiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/77aa72/32.png) [@FrustratedIdiot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrustratedIdiot)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2011, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jack-blacks-career-tanking/569488/85 "2011-02-15T03:40:28Z")
This is his best work. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/tEhdv307rrQ/hqdefault.jpg "A Kick In The Cunt") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEhdv307rrQ) ---
**Author:** ![nivlac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3bc359/32.png) [@nivlac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nivlac)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jack-blacks-career-tanking/569488/86 "2011-02-16T21:14:04Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > … So I ask you: is there any actor who is worse yet continues to get leading roles in big budget films? Will Ferrell immediately leaps to mind … playing the same idiot character over and over again. As Shallow Hal was Jack Black’s high water mark, Will Ferrell had Elf. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jack-blacks-career-tanking/569488/87 "2011-02-16T21:31:48Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Sorry, I wasn’t saying that was what he needed to do to be successful. I was saying that’s what he needed to do to be _good_. He’s an excellent supporting comic actor. He’s a very underwhelming comic lead. > > Of course, successful pretty much always trumps good, so I doubt that he’s going to run out of movie offers any time soon. I think his persona does better in a ensemble cast. It’s also possible that Zach whathisfacenakis has gotten roles that would have been made for Black. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jack-blacks-career-tanking/569488/88 "2011-02-16T21:40:00Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > He was in Neverending Story 3 back in 1994. I don’t think you can _get_ any lower than that. I just noticed him in a bit part in Bob Roberts with Tim Robbins., Evidently he studied in Tim Robbins acting group. ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jack-blacks-career-tanking/569488/89 "2011-02-16T21:41:33Z")
> [@FrustratedIdiot](#): > > This is his best work. > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEhdv307rrQ](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEhdv307rrQ) I had no idea he was such a romantic. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jack-blacks-career-tanking/569488/90 "2011-02-16T21:54:21Z")
Jack Black’s ability to pick roles in movies fell apart when he chose to be in the 2008 “Be Kind Rewind” with Mos Def. That was a horrible movie. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jack-blacks-career-tanking/569488/91 "2011-02-16T22:14:03Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Jack Black’s ability to pick roles in movies fell apart when he chose to be in the 2008 “Be Kind Rewind” with Mos Def. That was a horrible movie. I think _Be Kind - Rewind_ (quite apart from being a decent Jack Black vehicle) is a lovely film in its own right. But then, I love Michel Gondry’s work in general and his nostalgic make-believe aesthetic in particular. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2011, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jack-blacks-career-tanking/569488/92 "2011-02-16T22:39:44Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > It’s not that big a deal nowadays to make back your budget. The trick is to make back triple your budget to account for advertising costs. 😕 How is that related to what I said? And just since you brought it up, it’s never been a big deal for a movie to make back its budget, or else there wouldn’t be much of a movie industry. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jack-blacks-career-tanking/569488/93 "2011-02-17T01:39:01Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > 😕 How is that related to what I said? It means making back your budget still means the film lost money. Making back double your budget means you broke even. Making back triple means you made a profit. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jack-blacks-career-tanking/569488/94 "2011-02-17T02:32:24Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Jack Black’s ability to pick roles in movies fell apart when he chose to be in the 2008 “Be Kind Rewind” with Mos Def. That was a horrible movie. I did not enjoy _Be Kind, Rewind_, I found it pretty disappointing. Still, I would never say it was a bad choice as an actor. It was an opportunity to work with a respected and exciting director. This particular film was, IMHO, a misfire- but it was a misfire from a great director. Even if upon reading the script there is the thought, “Hmmm, this doesn’t seem good. I don’t know what the director sees in this”, creative people like opportunities to work with other creative people whom they respect. ---
**Author:** ![Heyoka13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Heyoka13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heyoka13)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jack-blacks-career-tanking/569488/95 "2011-02-17T02:41:12Z")
I have been so enjoying this continuing and protracted dearth of Stephen Baldwin/Pauly shore movies, I failed to notice Jack Blacks career starting to crumble. Thanx for the heads up! ---
**Author:** ![ChicagoTom25](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@ChicagoTom25](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChicagoTom25)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jack-blacks-career-tanking/569488/96 "2011-02-17T04:34:51Z")
I heard that he is hosting the Nickelodeon awards again. And by again, I mean for the third time… ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jack-blacks-career-tanking/569488/97 "2011-02-17T07:31:05Z")
One thing to bear in mind is that even before he had kids, he did a fair number of non-raunchy projects, like **Shark Tale** and **Kung Fu Panda**. And now that he does have kids, he’s probably even more inclined to choose projects he’d think were okay for them to watch. I don’t know why people here and elsewhere are so hung up on superstardom, like there’s no gray area between “A-list” and “tanked”. Do you know how hard it is just to be a working actor? JB has not failed by any means. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jack-blacks-career-tanking/569488/98 "2011-02-17T09:10:50Z")
Like a lot of funny performers (Carrey, Robin Williams) the thing he needs most of all is a great director who knows how to reign him in and shape his skills. And like a lot of funny performers, the bigger he gets the less likely that is to happen. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jack-blacks-career-tanking/569488/99 "2011-02-17T10:16:05Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > God. There are movies now that make over $150,000,000 that I’ve never even heard of? How did I get so out of touch? I’m only 29! I have young friends! You probably are out of touch 😉 but not about Jack Black. Gulliver’s Travels only made $41 million and was more or less a bust. [http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=gulliverstravels.htm](http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=gulliverstravels.htm) ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2011, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jack-blacks-career-tanking/569488/100 "2011-02-17T10:20:53Z")
> [@Stoid](#): > > Like a lot of funny performers (Carrey, Robin Williams) the thing he needs most of all is a great director who knows how to reign him in and shape his skills. > > And like a lot of funny performers, the bigger he gets the less likely that is to happen. He should hook up with [Peter Weir](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001837/) then. He has a great record of making me think differently about actors. Getting Linda Hunt to play a man and win best supporting actress in _The Year of Living Dangerously_. Turning Harrison Ford into Harrison Ford in _Witness_. Toning down Robin Williams in _Dead Poets Society_. Turning Gérard Depardieu into a sex symbol in _Green Card_. Making Jim Carrey sympathetic in _The Truman Show_. I am looking forward to seeing what he pulls from Colin Farrell in _The Way Back_. Too bad Weir works so little. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jack-blacks-career-tanking/569488.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jack-blacks-career-tanking/569488.md?page=6)