Before Acting, Jack Black Spent a Day in Telemarketing: ‘It Felt Like My Soul Was Being Sucked’

Jack Black on March 28, 2000; Jack Black on Dec. 13, 2005.

Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty; Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Need to Know

• Jack Black recounted working as a telemarketer for just one day before shifting his focus entirely to acting.
• "It was like, ‘It’s showbiz or bust,’" he recalled.
• Black made his film debut in 1993 with Airborne and Demolition Man; his new movie Anaconda recently hit theaters.

Jack Black, now 56, has long viewed acting as his singular career path. In a recent conversation with his Anaconda co-star Paul Rudd, the actor reflected on his career and the choices that led him to stardom. The exchange took place during an interview shared on Rotten Tomatoes on December 24.

When asked by Rudd about previous jobs, Black candidly replied, "Oh my God, this is a shameful answer. I never had a job."

He then shared a brief experience: “I did one day of telemarketing and didn’t make one sale. I could already tell my soul was being sucked. I bailed and made a decision right then and there.”

His decisive moment was clear. "It was like, ‘It’s showbiz or bust. I’m going all in on acting or music, and if I can’t do it I’ll just live at my mom’s,’" Black explained. "I know that sounds weird. I had no plan B, no backup."

Rudd reassured him, stating, “You didn’t need it. You were destined for this.”

Jack Black in 1994’s The Neverending Story III.

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Anaconda, which also features Steve Zahn and Thandiwe Newton, follows a group of amateur filmmakers on a journey to the Amazon jungle to reboot the original movie. The film includes surprise cameos from Jennifer Lopez and Ice Cube, both of whom starred in the 1997 original.

Paul Rudd and Jack Black on Dec. 13, 2025.

Steve Granitz/FilmMagic

In discussions about their collaboration, Rudd expressed admiration for Black, calling him a "hero of mine." Although they had previously shared the screen in Anchorman and Walk Hard, this film marked the first time they teamed up as lead actors.

“It really was the first time, I got to see [Black] in action… People are in awe, rightfully so, of him,” Rudd stated. He commended Black for his ability to connect with audiences of all ages, emphasizing that his warmth and friendliness particularly resonated with children.

Anaconda is currently available in theaters.