Jack Black is one of Hollywood’s true megastars. In 2025, he’s as hot as ever, fresh off the success of A Minecraft Movie. This comes after the actor expressed desires to retire in 2019.
With his retirement clearly now on hold, he is next set to star in Anaconda, alongside Paul Rudd, Steve Zahn, and Thandiwe Newton. As his name continues to ascend after years in Hollywood, it would be easy to look back on some of his most iconic roles. However, there lies a plethora of movies that you probably completely forgot he was in.
5. Demolition Man (1993)
Jack Black’s role in the blockbuster action movie Demolition Man exists in blink and you might miss it territory, but there’s an interesting backstory to explore here. At this point in his career, Jack Black was much more focused on music and hadn’t landed any major roles yet. So, when he was given the chance to star alongside Sylvester Stallone, he nabbed it. However, it didn’t run so smoothly.
In the movie, Black played “Wasteland Scrap #2”, a member of a guerrilla army of resistance fighters led by Edgar Friendly (Denis Leary). Although he didn’t have any dialogue in the film, it has been that he may have had more screen time if he had actually arrived to the set on time. In an interview with IMDb, Black stated that he was “stoked” to get a role in the movie but quickly realised that he was “basically just a glorified extra.” He explained: “I would go to set every morning at 6 a.m., wait all day in the trailer, and then at about 9 p.m., they would say, ‘Alright you’re done for the day.’ And I didn’t do anything.” Feeling fed up of the situation, he decided to sleep in one day and was late for filming. As a result, his line was completely cut from the movie.
4. Dead Man Walking (1995)
Dead Man Walking served as the first supporting role for Jack Black where people really started to take notice. Again, this early role boasts how he can be dramatic when he needs to be. The story charts the complex relationship between Sister Helen Prejean (Susan Sarandon) and Matthew Poncelet (Sean Penn), a death row inmate convicted of murder, who asks Prejean to be his spiritual adviser as he faces execution. As he protests his innocence, Sister Helen struggles to find the balance between the search for the truth and rising to occasion to provide comfort. Back at home, Matthew’s family battle their own issues as the world tuns on them.
Jack Black gives an understated yet powerful performance as Matthew’s younger brother Craig, a young man who has faced bullying as a result of his brother’s conviction. While his scenes are raw and emotional, Black brings levity to the situation, particularly in a heartfelt sequence where he tries to ease Matthew’s pain with comedy in his final moments. Although it is often a forgotten role for Black with mainstream audiences, it stands as one of his finest dramatic performances before he became a global comedy titan.
3. The Jackal (1997)
While his part was brief, Jack Black featured in one of The Jackal’s most memorable scenes, largely because of how harrowing it is. This early role showcases just how dynamic the actor really is, far from the eccentric comedian he became known as. Michael Caton-Jones‘ 1997 remake follows Declan Mulqueen (Richard Gere), a freed I.R.A. fighter who is released to help stop a brutal, seemingly “faceless” assassin from completing his next job. The man he is pursuing is known as the Jackal (portrayed by Bruce Willis). Before Declan can catch up with him, the Jackal unleashes a reign on terror, and Lamont (Jack Black) becomes one his victims.
The haunting scene sees the Jackal purchase a high-spec gun from Lamont, only to test out its accuracy on him. Lamont is initially asked to run around as the Jackal tracks him with the weapon’s automatic sight. The Jackal then forces Lamont to hold a pack of cigarettes, seemingly aiming for them, but the weapon instead shoots off Lamont’s arm. The segment is disturbing and hard to watch due to length at which it plays out. Standing next to one of Hollywood’s biggest stars of the time, Bruce Willis, Black as a newcomer stole the scene with his raw performance that encapsulates fear and desperation perfectly.
2. Enemy of the State (1998)
Enemy of the State is a political thriller that hit theaters during Will Smith‘s meteoric rise to fame. The plot follows Robert Clayton Dean (Smith), a lawyer who finds himself targeted by a ruthless corrupt politician and his N.S.A. goons when he inadvertently stumbles upon key evidence to a politically motivated crime. This fast-paced and frenetic flick from Tony Scott weaves together mystery, action, and suspense near-perfectly, and showcases a rare villainous role from Jack Black. While not one of the movie’s main antagonists, he is one of the most dangerous with his devious technical abilities. Black plays Agent Fiedler, a dubious tech henchman for the film’s central villain Reynolds (Jon Voight). Although his screen time is limited, Black shines with a cocky demeanour that is infuriating to watch as he revels in his non-existent morals.
1. The Cable Guy (1996)
The Cable Guy is a cult-classic comedy thriller released during the peak of Jim Carrey‘s lightning fast and triumphant rise to superstardom. The plot centres on Steven Kovak (Matthew Broderick), a mild-mannered architect who moves into a new apartment following a break up. When he decides to throw the cable guy, Chip (Carrey), $50 for illegal access to the movie channels, Chip decides he wants the favour returned via friendship. However, when Steven cuts things off, Chip reveals his dark side and embarks on an all-out assault to ruin his life.
Jack Black stars as Steven’s best friend Rick, who is instantly wary of Chip. In a straight-laced performance, Black showcases his ability to act dramatically, playing the level-headed counterpart to Carrey’s over-the-top character. This is rather ironic seeing as when Black first rose to fame with his eccentric performances, many likened him to a young Jim Carrey. Although he isn’t in a great deal of the movie, Black’s scenes are early proof that he had a big future ahead of him in movies.
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