Hollywood is full of what-if and almost-was stories — actors who came thisclose to landing a career-defining role, or who passed on something that later became iconic. Jack Black now counts himself among them, recently revealing that he turned down a role in Pixar’s The Incredibles, a film that would go on to become one of his all-time favourites.
Why Did Jack Black Decline The Incredibles?
While speaking with Capital FM, Black said he was offered the role of Syndrome in The Incredibles. “I was offered, and I do regret it, saying no… I was offered Syndrome in that fantastic movie The Incredibles — one of my favorites of all time, by the way,” Black said. “And I said no because I was like, ‘Uhhh, [director] Brad Bird? Never heard of him!’“
Black explained that his hesitation stemmed from concerns about the character’s depth. “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. Will you add some dimensions to this character?’ And he was like, ‘Yeah, you’re done.’“
In hindsight, the experience proved to be a learning moment for the actor. “I learned a valuable lesson because when that movie came out, it was one of the best movies ever made,” he said. “I was like, ‘Why was I being so difficult?!’“
Jason Lee ultimately voiced the character.
What Is He Currently Starring In?
The new Anaconda movie follows four childhood friends who set out to the Amazon to shoot a low-budget remake of the 1997 cult hit starring Jennifer Lopez and Ice Cube. Unfortunately, the film has received mixed reviews, with our own Chris Bumbray finding it to be a largely humourless effort.
“It’s a tame PG-13 holiday farce that settles for mild, toothless humor and isn’t nearly as incisive about reboots—or even the original Anaconda—as it should be,” Bumbray wrote. “The film goes even further off the rails once the mutant, man-eating anacondas show up, with Gormican awkwardly trying to juggle carnage and comedy. Ironically, the original 1997 Anaconda—which played everything straight—is at least ten times funnier than this intentionally comedic version.” You can check out the rest of his review right here.
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