Thomas Jacob Black, Jr. is an American actor, singer, producer, guitarist, voice artist, and comedian, best known for his role in Tenacious D, alongside Kyle Gass.
Outside of Tenacious D, Black is best known for his acting roles in motion pictures, such as School of Rock, King Kong, Nacho Libre, and The Holiday. He owns his own production company Electric Dynamite, based in Los Angeles.
Real Life Biography[]
Thomas Jacob Black was born in Santa Monica, California, on August 28, 1969, the son of satellite engineers Thomas William Black and Judith Love Cohen. He was raised in Hermosa Beach, California. His mother worked on the Minuteman nuclear missile guidance system, the Apollo lunar module guidance system, the science ground station for the Hubble Space Telescope] and was also a writer.
He has three older half-siblings through his mother: scientist Neil Siegel, Howard Siegel, and Rachel Siegel. His mother was born Jewish, and his father converted to Judaism. Black was raised Jewish, attending Hebrew school and having a bar mitzvah.
Black's parents divorced when he was 10, and his father then stopped practicing Judaism. Black moved to Culver City with his father and frequently visited his mother's home. As a child, he appeared in a commercial for the Activision game Pitfall! in 1982. For high school, Black's parents enrolled him at the Poseidon School, a private secondary school designed for students struggling in the traditional school system. He also attended the Crossroads School, where he excelled in drama. He later attended University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), but dropped out during his sophomore year to pursue a career in entertainment. Fellow UCLA student Tim Robbins later cast Black in Bob Roberts. In 1995 and 1996, he gained recurring roles in the HBO sketch comedy series Mr. Show.
Fictional Biography[]
Black was born to a religious family, a father, mother, and a brother. It is unknown whether or not he was born in Kickapoo, Missouri, but he lives there when he is around 10 years old. He is a big fan of heavy metal music to his parents disapproval. Black feels rejected by his family, so one night runs away home in the hopes of reaching Hollywood, California to work on his music.
He passes through Tennessee to reach Hollywood, Alabama. He then passes through the Carolina's to reach Hollywood, North Carolina. From there, he travels through Virginia to reach Hollywood, Maryland. He then passes through Georgia to Hollywood, Florida. He then passes through a multitude of states to finally find Hollywood in California. It is unknown how long this journey actually takes him, but it must have been at least 10 years, judging his age progression.
Upon arriving in California, Black meets Kyle Gass. The two quickly form the band Tenacious D and search for the Pick of Destiny after discovering that a multitude of infamous rockstars have used this guitar pick to develop fame and fortune. They learn that it is satanic and therefore after acquiring the pick, they lose it to the devil in a "rock-off", but manage to remove the devil's horn, which they believe is also blessed with luck and super power, much like the pick.
Trivia[]
Coming soon!