Jack Black Shares the Movie Role He Wishes He Had Taken and What He Learned from It

Jack Black in August 2024.
Credit:

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Need to Know

• Jack Black reflected on a movie role he regrets turning down.
• He described his behavior as “difficult” and acknowledged missing out on a favorite film.
• Black considers the experience a “valuable lesson.”

Jack Black has revisited a pivotal moment in his career—the role he chose not to accept. In a recent interview with Capital FM released on December 25, Black, 56, discussed the project he most regrets declining.

When asked to name a role he turned down, Black described it as “a tricky question,” joking, “Because then the person who got the role, they look like s— because, ‘Oh, I was a second choice? I was sloppy seconds!'” Host Jordan North admitted he had never considered that angle before.

Despite the humor, Black stood by his intention to respond, stating, “No, I’m going to answer it because I don’t care.” He revealed, “I was offered, and I do regret it… I was offered Syndrome in that fantastic movie *The Incredibles*—one of my favorites of all time, by the way.” Syndrome, the film’s antagonist voiced by Jason Lee, is an obsessive fan who becomes a super villain aiming to steal the powers from real superheroes.

Syndrome in The Incredibles.

Pixar/Disney

Black recounted expressing concerns over Syndrome’s character development, stating, “This character that you’re offering me is like a villain, but he’s kinda one-dimensional. I’m interested but I’d like to see a rewrite.” His request for deeper characterization, he recalls, resulted in the director abruptly ending the conversation.

The film went on to achieve monumental success, grossing over $630 million and receiving critical acclaim, leading to a sequel titled *Incredibles 2*, which is currently in development for a third installment.

Reflecting on his decision, Black admitted, “I learned a valuable lesson because when that movie came out, it was one of the best movies ever made. I was like, ‘Why was I being so difficult?!’

Jack Black in December 2025.

Jeff Spicer/Getty

Despite the missed opportunity, Black’s career flourished. He starred in *School of Rock* in 2003 and followed up with roles in *Shark Tale*, *King Kong*, and *Nacho Libre*. He also led the successful animated franchise *Kung Fu Panda* and voiced Bowser in *The Super Mario Bros. Movie*, with plans to return for the upcoming *The Super Mario Galaxy Movie* in 2025.

In a separate interview in December, Paul Rudd expressed his enthusiasm for working alongside Black in their film *Anaconda*. Rudd reflected on the opportunity to collaborate with “a hero of mine,” emphasizing Black’s admirable character and rapport with fans of all ages.

“It really was the first time,” Rudd noted, “I really got to see [Black] in action… and the greatest thing about all of that was, no matter who it was at whatever age — especially kids — Jack is such a good dude, that to see him interact with every single person was astounding.”