CraveOnline: That blonde hair hasn’t washed out yet.
Jack Black: I haven’t cut it yet, because I had it so short in that movie, the buzz cut and I need more hair to rock properly. I’ve got some concerts coming up so I didn’t want to cut the hair until after my concerts, because you need to have this action going when you are rocking.
CraveOnline: Are you playing in L.A. soon?
Jack Black: No. Kind of. We are probably going to do an Obama benefit on Sept. 23 at the Wiltern.
CraveOnline: Is that a political statement?
Jack Black: Yeah, but we are going to go play in England at the Leeds Festival and Redding. Very big festivals. Right before Metallica. You may have heard of them, they are a popular metal band. Hopefully we will survive because the Metallica fans can be very angry and they might throw bottles at us. I heard that sometimes people get bottles.
CraveOnline: The Obama crowd will be friendlier.
Jack Black: They will be way more chill I bet. We do a lot of political fundraisers. We tried to get John Kerry in last time. Didn’t work. Maybe we shouldn’t do, because every time we do it they don’t win.
CraveOnline: Yeah, are you cursed?
Jack Black: I think we are going to win this time.
CraveOnline: Do you think Eddie Murphy will be offended by the trailer that opens this film, The Fatties?
Jack Black: I don’t think he will be offended because the whole movie is about making fun of movies and since we have offended every type of movie genre I think he’ll say, “Oh, all right I made the cut of things.” He’s not the only one who does multiple character comedies. I love Eddie Murphy. I think he’s great. I thought that trailer was pretty funny. I felt like someone might offer me that movie to really make it, Fatties Fart 2. Just skip the first one.
CraveOnline: How much were you allowed to go over board or did you have to stick to script?
Jack Black: I stuck to the script for the most part, but yeah maybe I should have made up more lines since the gravy one was the big winner. That was my line I wrote that myself on the spot. Maybe I should have made up all my lines. The script was super funny and I didn’t go off the rails too often. Yeah, when I was tied up to the tree, you know what that was? That was an homage to the urban legend about Sylvester Stallone going to his trailer with like some lady and they were having sex in his trailer and as the legend goes, he still wore his microphone and the sound design guy turned up the volume and everyone outside could hear. And he was like [in Stallone voice], “Alright stroke the shaft, cradle the balls. Say my name.” That’s been going around for decades, like the gerbil story so I was like okay that was my chance to doff the cap to Sylvester Stallone.
CraveOnline: Is there a Jack Black urban legend yet?
Jack Black: No, I don’t think so.
CraveOnline: Even though there is a lot of slapstick comedy, do you think there is something serious to be said here, like about racial issues?
Jack Black: Totally. The bar was raised pretty high after Borat came out, because it wasn’t just funny it was like oh my god, it was bringing up all kinds of serious issues and this movie totally touches on those things too. Racism in the movie industry, homophobia in the movie industry and drug addiction and all these lines you are not supposed to cross in movies and we really blew open a bunch of taboos, which is kind of cool.
CraveOnline: How did Downey rate as a black man?
Jack Black: Downey was pretty good. I mean that’s for everyone else to judge. An incredible performance I’d say because he had the hardest part, being a guy, disguised as a guy, disguised as another guy. He always had like three layers of characters going, but it is kind of a tour de force. Whenever you have to play an incredible actor, when your role is a genius actor. How do you play that? It is not easy. I think he will get mad props for this movie.
Jack Black: It is just sort of showing this underbelly of the industry and how a lot of people are functioning in it even with these tough problems going on, but hopefully it will be really, really funny.
CraveOnline: Did you have a water buffalo named after you on this?
Jack Black: Bertha was pregnant. I was terrified of getting on the water buffalo naked. I didn’t want to do it and then Ben convinced me it would be really good for the film, so I did it.
CraveOnline: How would a conversation like that go?
Jack Black: "It would be really funny if I just walked around like I was really jonesing and coming down off my heroin, that would be just as funny as being strapped to the, Yak wouldn’t it?" He’s like, "No man, really, it is just so visually funny and great to see you coming down the mountain on the Yak." I did a lot of buffalo whispering, talking to her lovingly and complimenting her on her beauty and telling her we were going to be really good friends and massaging her hide. I got on her and she was still like [snorting while shaking her head from side to side]. I had this feeling that she hated me and wanted to kill me and it turned out that she was pregnant and nobody knew. She had a baby and then everything was good with us after that. They named the baby Jack, because we had that special relationship so they figured that I was the father.
CraveOnline: Since you guys are all family men, what kind of trouble did you get into?
Jack Black: Well, I didn’t go out partying obviously. I had my family with me. I would just go after a shoot, this is going to sound boring. We had a sweet house on the beach and we rented kayaks so pretty much every night I liked to go out on a sunset kayak. It was pretty awesome.
CraveOnline: You didn’t do yoga?
Jack Black: We did do yoga, but once we started shooting there wasn’t much time for yoga. Ben somehow always found time to work out. I think he only sleeps two hours a night and wakes up at 4 in the morning to do his 12 mile sprint.
CraveOnline: How tough were the conditions?
Jack Black: It was hot and muddy. It was not easy conditions, but that was the trade off because when we weren’t filming we were in this gorgeous location. A couple people got bit by centipedes, which I heard isn’t pleasant. It is like getting shot by a gun apparently. You have to go to the hospital. I didn’t get bit. I got a bad sunburn on the first day and I tried to blame it on other people, but that of course was my fault. I’m no rocket scientist.
CraveOnline: Are you ready for a straight action movie now?
Jack Black: No, I don’t think anyone would buy it. It has to be funny.
CraveOnline: King Kong was close enough.
Jack Black: That’s true and that was fun. If they want to do a King Kong 2.
CraveOnline: But even Bad Boys stars comedy guys.
Jack Black: That’s true. You know what, never say never.
CraveOnline: What about another romantic comedy like Holiday?
Jack Black: I don’t know. I’m not actively pursuing those roles. Where’s my next romantic comedy and who shall she be? No, not really no.
CraveOnline: You are comfortable in the niche you’ve created for yourself?
Jack Black: Yeah, I guess I’m comfortable. I like the movies I’m making right now.
CraveOnline: We haven’t seen a lot on Year One yet, what is your biblical costume like?
Jack Black: We have a lot of different looks. It starts off kind of tribal, coming from a tribe out in the forest and then we go to the desert where Abraham is and we get some biblical robes and then we end up at Sodom and Gomorrah and get some Roman soldier gear.
CraveOnline: Does the costume make it easier to be funny?
Jack Black: Yeah, I think that kind of stuff can go a long way when you get a good look going.
CraveOnline: How is fatherhood with two babies?
Jack Black: It is great. The babes are happy and healthy. The little one is only two months old now and making some good faces. He is very like an octopus, he doesn’t have any muscles or anything, but he’s fun to look at. He’s got potential. He’s already working the eyebrows.
