Lead singer of the rock/comedy duo Tenacious D and a frequent presence on film and television, Jack Black was likened by some to comedians John Belushi and Chris Farley both for his high-energy outrageous antics and his heavyset frame. Dark-haired, with intense eyes and rubbery features perfectly suited for his expressive performances, Black nearly always looked disheveled and about to snap, whether sporting long hair or a buzzcut.

A member of Tim Robbins' Actors Gang, Black made his feature debut in Robbins' directorial debut "Bob Roberts" (1992) playing a crazed fan of the titular folk singer turned politician. He followed up with memorable turns in the Robbins films "Dead Man Walking" (1995) and "Cradle Will Rock" (1999). The latter paired him in an inspired scene with longtime collaborator Kyle Gass, an actor and guitarist who formed Tenacious D with Black in 1994. A band described by Black and Gass as the two-headed love child of heavy metal pioneers Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and Molly Hatchet, (as well as the far less accurate label Greatest Band on Earth), Tenacious D's comedic repertoire featured songs with subjects ranging from Sasquatch to their own hordes of willing groupies. Black and Gass' innovative efforts landed them a spot as a special musical guest on "Saturday Night Live" as well as winning Tenacious D its own self-titled HBO series (1999). Soon after, the band launched sell-out nationwide tours without the benefit of a released album.

Black didn't coast on his Tenacious D success, and proved himself a versatile performer, making valued acting contributions to both film and television. His prolific small screen work included guest stints on such series as "The X-Files" (Fox), "Picket Fences" (CBS), "The Single Guy" (NBC), and oddly enough, "Touched By an Angel" (CBS). While television work kept him busy and visible, film would launch Black's career. Cameos in such features as "Demolition Man" (1993), "Bye Bye, Love" and "Waterworld" (1995) helped pave the way for more memorable turns in "The Cable Guy" and "Mars Attacks!" (both 1996).

In 1998, the actor brought his frenetic screen presence to featured roles in the independent feature "Johnny Skidmarks" (debuted on HBO) and the big-budget action thriller "Enemy of the State". He had an acclaimed turn as a drug-addled hospital worker in "Jesus' Son" in 1999, the same year that Tenacious D fan and fellow Actors Gang member John Cusack snagged Black to co-star in his adaptation of Nick Hornsby's record store-set novel "High Fidelity". In addition to his impressive high-energy performance as obnoxious record store clerk Barry, Black proved his musical talent in the 2000 release, voicing a suprisingly adept and unironic rendition of the Marvin Gaye classic "Let's Get it On". In addition to this roundly praised performance, the actor inked his first major deal in 2000, signing on to star with Jason Biggs and Steve Zahn in the offbeat comedy "Saving Silverman" for a reported $1 million paycheck. The film was released in 2001 to mixed reviews, but Black's performance and his onscreen rapport with the equally talented Zahn helped to keep the comedy afloat.

The comic actor seemed poised for superstardom when he was tapped by hit-making directors Bobby and Peter Farrelly to star opposite Gwyneth Platrow and Jason Alexander in their latest low-brow comedy effort "Shallow Hal" (2001). Black played Hal Larson, a looks-obsessed Lothario who--thanks to a "spell" placed on him by self-help guru Tony Robbins--suddenly only perceives inner beauty and begins a relationship with the sweet, 300 lbs. Rosemary (Paltrow), who he believes is a radiant looker. Unfortunately, the film failed to click with audiences and failed to capitalize on Black's performing strengths, casting him as a relatively bland lout. Black found a better vehicle for his emerging persona when he teamed with second-generation director Jake Kasdan and the able screenwriter Mike White for the seemingly National Lampoon-style but also sharply instrospective comedy "Orange County" (2002), in which the actor played Lance, the slacker-stoner brother of lead Colin Hanks, whose mind-altering approach to life seems, at least occasionally, to have gifted him with a certain clarity. Black also provided the voice of Zeke in the popular CGI-animated comedy "Ice Age" (2002).

Black reteamed with his "Orange County" screenwriter Mike White for his next project when the writer tailored the script for "School of Rock" (2003) specifically to suit the skills and persona of Black. As proto-slacker and rock wannabe Dewey Finn who, in desperate need of cash, takes a subsitute teaching job posing as his room mate and recruits a musically gifted class of young private school kids into a rock group to compete in a battle of the bands. Working with director Richard Linklater, Black's performance dodged obvious cuteness, ditched the usual mawkish sentimentality of such a set-up and was long on laughs, creating the best star vehicle for the comedian to date.

Black followed up "Envy" (2004), a landmark misfire co-starring Jack Black and directed by Barry Levinson and shot before his "School of Rock" breakthrough. Unfunny and incoherent in the extreme and begging the question why so many talented people agreed to make the film, Black at least came off the least scathed in the film, appearing in it far less than his billing suggested. The actor next voiced Lenny, the sweet-natured shark who hides his true personality, in DreamWorks' CGI-animated underwater underworld opus "Shark Tale" (2004).

Black landed a plumb role as the impressario Carl Denham who captures Skull Island's giant gorilla in director Peter Jackson's highly anticipated remake of "King Kong" (2005), and next was tapped to costar with Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet in "Holiday" (lensed 2006), a romantic comedy about the friendship between an American woman and a British woman, both of whom have recently been dumped.

from movies.yahoo.com

  Master of Space and Time (2006) (announced)
Holiday (2006/I) (pre-production)
Kung Fu Panda (2008) (filming) (voice) .... Po
Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny (2006) (post-production) .... JB
Nacho Libre (2006) (post-production) .... Nacho
Danny Roane: First Time Director (2005) (post-production) .... Jack Black

King Kong (2005) .... Carl Denham
King Kong (2005/II) (VG) (voice) .... Carl Denham
Shark Tale (2004) (voice) .... Lenny
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) (uncredited) .... Motorcyclist
... aka Anchorman (USA: short title)
Envy (2004) .... Nick Vanderpark
LaserFart (2004) (V) .... The Elegant Hunter
The School of Rock (2003) .... Dewey Finn
... aka School of Rock (Germany) (USA: promotional title)
"Computerman" (2003) TV Series .... Computerman
... aka Computerman Factor 2000 (USA)
... aka The Animated Adventures of Computerman (USA)
Melvin Goes to Dinner (2003) (uncredited) .... Mental Patient
Jack Black: Spider-Man (2002) (TV) .... Spider-Man
Lord of the Piercing (2002) (TV) .... Jack the Elf
Ice Age (2002) (voice) .... Zeke
Orange County (2002) .... Lance Brumder
Run Ronnie Run (2002) .... Lead Chimney Sweep
Shallow Hal (2001) .... Hal Larson
... aka Schwer verliebt (Germany)
Frank's Book (2001) .... Performance Hipster
Saving Silverman (2001) .... J.D. McNugent
... aka Evil Woman (Australia) (Europe: English title) (UK) (USA: working title)
High Fidelity (2000) .... Barry

Jesus' Son (1999) .... Georgie
The Love Letter (1999) (uncredited) .... Fisherman
Cradle Will Rock (1999) .... Sid
"Tenacious D" (1999) TV Series .... JB
Heat Vision and Jack (1999) (TV) .... Jack
Enemy of the State (1998) .... Fiedler
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998) (uncredited) .... Titus Telesco
Johnny Skidmarks (1998) .... Jerry
The Jackal (1997) .... Ian Lamont
... aka Chacal, Le (France: dubbed version)
... aka Schakal, Der (Germany)
Bongwater (1997) .... Devlin
Mars Attacks! (1996) .... Billy Glenn Norris
The Fan (1996) .... Broadcast Technician
The Cable Guy (1996) .... Rick
Bio-Dome (1996) .... Tenacious D
Crossworlds (1996) .... Steve
Dead Man Walking (1995) .... Craig Poncelet
Waterworld (1995) .... Pilot
Bye Bye, Love (1995) .... DJ at Party
The NeverEnding Story III (1994) .... Slip, Leader of The Nasties
... aka Neverending Story III: Return to Fantasia (UK)
... aka The Neverending Story III: Escape from Fantasia
... aka Unendliche Geschichte III - Rettung aus Phantasien, Die (Germany)
The Innocent (1994) (TV) .... Marty Prago
Blind Justice (1994) .... Private
... aka Canaan's Way
Demolition Man (1993) .... Wasteland Scrap
Airborne (1993) .... Augie
True Romance (1993) (scenes deleted) .... Movie Theatre Attendant (DVD deleted sequence)
... aka Breakaway (Philippines: English title)
Marked for Murder (1993) (TV) .... Car Thief
... aka The Sandman
Bob Roberts (1992) .... Roger Davis
Our Shining Moment (1991) (TV) .... Teenage boy (skater/hockey player)