Jack Black

Summary

Podcast Summary: Good Hang with Amy Poehler featuring Jack Black

Episode Information

• Title: Good Hang with Amy Poehler
• Host: Amy Poehler (The Ringer)
• Guest: Jack Black
• Release Date: April 22, 2025

Overview In this vibrant and engaging episode of "Good Hang with Amy Poehler," host Amy Poehler sits down with the multifaceted entertainer Jack Black. The conversation delves into their personal lives, careers, experiences on "Saturday Night Live" (SNL), and collaborative projects. The episode is peppered with humor, heartfelt anecdotes, and insightful discussions, providing listeners with an intimate look into the lives of two beloved comedians.

---

Personal Beginnings: Morning Routines and Breakfast Habits

The conversation kicks off with Amy and Jack sharing their morning routines, setting a light-hearted tone for the episode.

• Awkwafina's Breakfast Experience:

  "Yeah, I don't get hungry until later. But I think that's like a cortisol imbalance." (02:46)

• Jack's Breakfast Burrito Anecdote:

  "It kind of feels like I'm at work when I have a breakfast burrito." (03:02)

These exchanges highlight their casual and relatable start to the day, emphasizing their unique approaches to mornings.

---

Reflections on "Saturday Night Live"

Both Amy and Jack reminisce about their time on SNL, sharing memorable moments and the dynamics behind the scenes.

• Amy on Returning to SNL:

  "It was very emotional because it'd been... I didn't think I would ever be asked back because... Lorne works in mysterious ways." (17:16)

• Jack on SNL Memories:

  "When I did SNL, it was so fun. Love that." (11:01)

• Donna Richards Tribute: Amy and Jack pay homage to Donna Richards, the show's long-time wardrobe supervisor, praising her crucial role in their SNL experience.

  "She grabs you and dresses you from scene to scene, but she has your whole show in her hand." (12:58)

These segments underscore the camaraderie and supportive environment that characterized their SNL tenure.

---

Collaborative Projects and On-Screen Chemistry

The duo discusses their various projects together, including movies like "Envy" and the upcoming "Minecraft" movie.

• "Envy" Movie Insight:

  "You know, this was an example of... I need to be a better actor. Rachel Weisz was incredible." (32:48)

• "Minecraft" Movie Excitement:

  "It just goes to show, I had a blast making it. I love Jared." (41:59)

• Box Office Success: Jack proudly refers to himself as "the biggest movie star in the world," reflecting on the success of films like "Jumanji," "School of Rock," "Mario Nuts," "Minecraft," and "Kung Fu Panda."

  "Have you heard of Jumanji? Have you heard of School of Rock? Have you heard of Mario Nuts? Have you heard of Minecraft? Kung Fu Panda?" (42:37)

Their discussion reveals the depth of their professional relationship and mutual respect, highlighting the joy they find in collaborating.

---

Auditioning and Acting Challenges

Amy and Jack open up about their early career struggles, including auditions that didn’t go as planned.

• Amy's Audition Story:

  "My audition was gonna be... I was gonna be the Hulk and just jump around and do... a mimed. It was not gonna get in." (18:07)

• Jack's Self-Sabotage Tactics:

  "I started to like, kind of sabotage it because it was like, basically like, you can't reject me. I'll... I'm gonna reject you." (20:32)

• Shared Audition Experiences: Both recount their unsuccessful auditions for the Coen Brothers.

  "I auditioned for the Coen Brothers as well. And I also had a similar super shitty audition." (20:42)

These candid discussions shed light on the vulnerabilities and insecurities actors face during the audition process.

---

Improv and Comedy Roots

The conversation delves into their involvement with improv groups and the influence of legendary figures in comedy.

• Jack on Del Close and Improv:

  "Del Close was like this guru, very misanthropic guy... he just made you feel like you were like that improv was its own art form." (27:10)

• Amy on Actors Gang:

  "The actors gang was like the radical political commedia dell'arte... they had a play called Carnage." (24:41)

• Maya Rudolph's Impact: Amy shares her experiences with fellow improviser and friend Maya Rudolph.

  "She was so good at improv, I actually got intimidated." (28:28)

Their discussions highlight the foundational role improv has played in shaping their comedic styles and careers.

---

Behind the Scenes: "Boys Night Out" Sketch

Amy and Jack reminisce about a unique SNL sketch they wrote together that never made it to the air.

• Sketch Description:

  "Emily Spivey and I wrote a sketch called Boys Night Out. It was about Jack waiting for the boys to arrive. They never showed up and kept ordering more wings. But there was a song." (59:27)

• Memorable Lyrics:

  "Boys Night Out, now we're really rocking and the chicks are roller squawking." (59:31)

This segment showcases their creative process and the fun they had crafting memorable comedy moments.

---

Hobbies and Personal Interests

Beyond their professional lives, Amy and Jack share their personal hobbies and interests, offering a glimpse into how they unwind.

• Amy's Music Exploration:

  "I did Chrono Marathons where you pick a band and go through their whole catalog. I've heard all of them now." (60:23)

• Walks and Physical Activity:

  "I like to get somewhere between 10 and 20 steps a day." (62:12)

• Cinephile Phase: Amy discusses her newfound passion for watching and analyzing old movies.

  "I've entered my cinephile phase of my life." (62:35)

These insights reveal their diverse interests and the balance they maintain between their hectic careers and personal lives.

---

Humorous Exchanges and Playful Banter

The episode is interspersed with lighthearted and humorous exchanges that highlight Amy and Jack's chemistry.

• Dance Floor Discussions:

  Amy: "I like to close my eyes because I feel less inhibitions." (53:08)
  Jack: "Have you seen Footloose? It's exactly how it works." (55:25)

• CPAP Machine Conversations:

  Amy: "My CPAP machine was a game changer, changed my life." (36:38)
  Jack: "I want to escape. When I get really nervous, I get quiet and I get really sleepy." (11:57)

These moments add levity and showcase the genuine friendship between the host and her guest.

---

Closing Remarks and Final Thoughts

As the episode winds down, Amy wraps up by encouraging listeners to enjoy Jack's music and reflect on their shared moments.

• Promotion of "Peaches":

  Amy: "Listen to the song 'Peaches' from the Super Mario movie... it is the most romantic song I've heard in the past 10 years." (65:15)
  Jack: "Stop this podcast. Listen to 'Peaches'." (65:15)

• Final Affirmations:

  Amy: "What do I say about the great Jack Black? He's just the best. And I'm so grateful that he came by. Love him so much." (66:00)

These closing statements reinforce the warmth and appreciation between Amy and Jack, leaving listeners with a positive and uplifting sentiment.

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

1. On Auditioning:

   • "The constant battle is the fear of failure." – Jack Black (19:51)

2. On Improv Influence:

   • "Del Close was like this guru, very misanthropic guy... he just made you feel like you were like that improv was its own art form." – Jack Black (27:10)

3. On SNL Memories:

   • "She grabs you and dresses you from scene to scene, but she has your whole show in her hand." – Jack Black (12:58)

4. On Collaborative Projects:

   • "It just goes to show, I had a blast making it. I love Jared." – Amy Poehler (41:59)

5. On Personal Interests:

   • "I've entered my cinephile phase of my life." – Amy Poehler (62:35)

---

Conclusion

This episode of "Good Hang with Amy Poehler" offers a comprehensive and entertaining exploration of Jack Black's experiences, both personal and professional. Through candid conversations, shared memories, and playful interactions, Amy and Jack provide listeners with a rich narrative that celebrates their enduring friendship and passion for comedy and entertainment.

Transcript

[Amy Poehler]

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[Jack Black]

Hey everyone, this is Amy Poehler. Welcome to another episode of Good Hang Man. We have a great guest today. I'm very, very excited to tell you that we are talking to Jack Black, who I think is the biggest movie star in the world. And the box office agrees. Jack and I talk about a lot of great things. We're gonna talk about his hit movie, his giant Minecraft movie, and all the amazing projects he's done. We harmonize together, we talk about the not so successful movie that we did together. We get into life and love and sleeping and dancing and as always, it's just the best ride to be with Jack and he's just the absolute best. And I always start these podcasts by talking to people who know Jack or his work or our fans or colleagues. And we're very excited today to talk to Nora Lum, AKA Awkwafina, the great actress and comedian and musician and voiceover artist who has worked with Jack on Kung Fu Panda and Jumanji. So, Nora, thank you for joining us today. Hi, how are you? This episode is presented by the Toyota Grand Highlander. Whether you're welcoming a new family member, starting fresh in a new city, or embarking on ambitious adventures, the Toyota Grand Highlander provides versatility for embracing life's grand challenges, like how you can effortlessly tuck away the fold. Flat rear seats for up to 97.5 cubic feet of cargo space. Perfect if your cargo is baby elephant sized. From daily routines to life changing adventures, the Toyota Grand Highlander is up for every grand challenge. Learn [e-mail] Grand Highlander, Toyota. Let's go places. Very excited to have you, Nora, today to talk about Jack Black.

[Awkwafina]

Yes.

[Jack Black]

Before we get to Jack, where are we talking to you? We're talking to you from Los Angeles today.

[Awkwafina]

Yeah, we're in Los Angeles. Yeah.

[Jack Black]

And how are you? What's going on? How's your Thursday?

[Awkwafina]

I'm doing well. Not a lot's going on.

[Jack Black]

What have you had for breakfast?

[Awkwafina]

You know, I haven't been eating a ton of breakfast.

[Jack Black]

Oh, really?

[Awkwafina]

Yeah, I don't get hungry until Later. But I think that's like a cortisol imbalance. What did you have?

[Jack Black]

Well, I had a half of a breakfast burrito.

[Awkwafina]

Nice.

[Jack Black]

Yeah.

[Awkwafina]

Yeah. Like a crude burrito.

[Jack Black]

Yeah, exactly. It kind of feels like I'm at work when I have a breakfast burrito.

[Awkwafina]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Jack Black]

Like you're on set. And I had my favorite tea, berries. Tea.

[Awkwafina]

Oh, nice.

[Jack Black]

Are you a tea or coffee drinker?

[Awkwafina]

Neither. Coffee makes me, like, go crazy. Coffee, like, will make me go crazy. Yeah.

[Jack Black]

So no caffeine in the morning and no breakfast.

[Awkwafina]

Yeah. I'm really, really winning over here.

[Jack Black]

So what do you do? You just go, like, run a 5K? Like, what's happening over there?

[Awkwafina]

No, I don't run. I don't run either. I, I, I just kind of raw dog it through the. And then around noon, I might have a, like a sandwich or something. I don't know.

[Jack Black]

No liquid in the morning.

[Awkwafina]

I, I, I've had some water. I've had. Yeah, I have a couple sips of a couple six. I had one longer one I had.

[Jack Black]

Are you being held against your will? What's going on over there? Yeah, I'm worried.

[Awkwafina]

Yeah, no, I need water. So I'll, I'll get that later.

[Jack Black]

Okay. Let's get to Jack. So, yeah, you guys have worked together a lot and you've done a lot of press together and you've toured together. I mean, everybody knows he's the greatest guy, but what makes him the greatest guy? What's so great about Jack?

[Awkwafina]

He's just, like, the really, the warmest guy ever. And then with also this, this, like, energy of, of like when we were doing Jumanji, he would, like, fall asleep and still be singing in his sleep. You know, he just, he always has a good nature about him. He, he just, he cracks me up. Yeah. And then we did Kung Fu Panda together.

[Jack Black]

Yeah. So what was that? Like?

[Awkwafina]

That was really cool as you. I, I don't know if you. Well, you know that, like, you know animated movies, you're not really together, but there was a, that we got to record together and then press. He would do this thing with his legs called chops kicks. You should, you should talk to him about that. That's one thing you should ask him. The leg thing.

[Jack Black]

Okay, tell us. Tell me what? I should ask him about the leg thing. What, what is it? And how would you explain it? You know, I think that, I think.

[Awkwafina]

That he would remember if you just said, like, the thing that. Well, what he would do is, is put his legs akimbo and Then he'd just start kicking with. With either. But, you know, you should. You should ask him. Like, you don't know.

[Jack Black]

And he would do it during press or just behind the scenes.

[Awkwafina]

During press, but he would try to, like, sneak it in to every interview, and it was pretty aggressive. Sometimes it was. He was really hitting it. He was really hitting the. The chops. Kicks.

[Jack Black]

What else? Anything else that you think I should ask him, like, or that you. You always wanted to know?

[Awkwafina]

Oh, man. Like his T shirt collection.

[Jack Black]

Wait, tell me about this T shirt collection.

[Awkwafina]

Oh.

[Amy Poehler]

Oh, he.

[Awkwafina]

He. He's always wearing, like, a tie. Dyed purple T shirt with, like, a. I feel like it's a wolf or something. You should ask about the T shirt collection. There's, like, a purple one. You should ask him about Gallagher 2.

[Jack Black]

Wait, his. You know who. I know who Gallagher 2 is.

[Awkwafina]

Oh, I. I didn't know that he.

[Jack Black]

It's Gallagher's brother.

[Awkwafina]

I know, but he was smashing watermelons on his behalf, or he, like, went rogue or something.

[Jack Black]

Oh, my God. I'm gonna ask Jack about Gallagher, too, because Gallagher, too?

[Awkwafina]

Yeah.

[Jack Black]

I'm obsessed with that story. There should be. Ryan Murphy should do the story of Gallagher, too with Jessica Lange. I think that Sarah Paulson will play Gallagher. She's incredible. Yeah. Okay. I'm gonna ask him about that. That's hilarious.

[Awkwafina]

Yeah.

[Jack Black]

Okay. Nora, thank you so much for jumping on. You're the best. I hope you can come and do this someday.

[Awkwafina]

Oh, my gosh, I would love to. You're the coolest.

[Jack Black]

You're the coolest.

[Awkwafina]

Have fun with Jack.

[Jack Black]

I do want you to eat a little something, though. It's getting to be. It's like, 10:30, and I'm feeling nervous.

[Awkwafina]

Yeah, I might eat yogurt. Yeah. No, yeah, yeah, I'll have a yogurt or something. Yeah, it'll be nice.

[Jack Black]

Thanks. All right. Thank you so much. Okay, bye. This episode is brought to you by Uber Eats. Summer is almost here, and you can now get almost anything you need for your sunny days delivered with Uber Eats. What do I mean by almost? Well, you can't get a summer blockbuster delivered, but you can get a block of cheese. A cabana that's a no. But a banana, that's a yes. A day of sunshine? No. A box of fine wines. Yes. Uber Eats can definitely get you that. Get almost. Almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now for alcohol. You must be legal drinking age. Please enjoy responsibly. Product availability varies by region. C app. For details.

[Amy Poehler]

If I can do the. So I Feel like this microphone is telling me exactly where to sit in which direction.

[Jack Black]

Oh, my God. I just had a memory the other day. Do you remember? This is a name Droppy. But I'm gonna do it where we went. We did karaoke together.

[Amy Poehler]

Oh, yeah. I'm gonna drop them if you don't drop them.

[Jack Black]

Drop them.

[Amy Poehler]

Because I believe we were there with Queens of the Stone Ages, Josh Homme.

[Jack Black]

That's right.

[Amy Poehler]

And I believe there was an Urge Overkill member there. Am I right? Was there not Nash Cato in the house?

[Jack Black]

You're absolutely right. Because Urge Overkill was a band that was in Chicago when I was in Chicago. And Nash used to be at bars with, like, Liz Fair and other Goinks. Yeah. And Smashing Pumpkins. And you just kind of walk in and pretend, like, order a beer and be cool.

[Amy Poehler]

Was Nash Cato constantly Smashing Pumpkins? You know what I. I mean? He was known as kind of a lovemaker. Like, everywhere he went, he left a little piece of him.

[Jack Black]

I don't remember. I don't remember that. I just remember him being at the bar. I never talked to him. And I don't even.

[Amy Poehler]

Let's not gossip about sex.

[Jack Black]

Let's not.

[Amy Poehler]

But let me just say this. Urge Overkill is in my top five. I love Urge Overkill, and I love me some. Who's that incredible legendary Chicago producer who died recently?

[Jack Black]

Steve Albini.

[Amy Poehler]

Steve Albini.

[Jack Black]

Little fun fact. Steve Albini recorded and wrote the theme song to Upright Citizens Brigade. No shit. Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Wow.

[Jack Black]

He went under the name the Welders. That's the. That is how he was credited. But Steve wrote it and. Cause Steve was a big, like, sketch comedy fan. And Matt Besser, who was in ucb, was friends with Steve and, like, loved, like, I learned a ton of music from Matt. And in Chicago, it was all, like, lo fi, like you said, Urge Overkill and Liz Phair and all this, like, production. That was very cool. And then he produced which Nirvana record?

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Jack Black]

In Utero.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes. With the heart shaped box.

[Jack Black]

Yes.

[Amy Poehler]

And it was, like, fraught with drama. There was something where he was rubbing up against, like, there was a lot of pressure on him to deliver a big commercial hit machine. And he was like, that's not how I do it.

[Jack Black]

I do really like all those stories about people in the studio that, you know, especially when the record is, like, a classic, incredible record about how tough it was and how everyone was like, we don't have it. Like, I love the. When they're like, this is. We don't have it. We didn't do it. And it's like, well, best record of all time.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. Isn't that the way it always is? Isn't it, like the turmoil and the gut wrenching, like, stress, and then the beautiful flower grows out of that weird, toxic soup.

[Jack Black]

I don't know, because I have to say, I kind of want to talk to you about this. Today we have Jack Black with us. I'm so excited. We just jump right in.

[Amy Poehler]

But we didn't even say action. We just started going.

[Jack Black]

But. But we. But why? I would say that you and I, I think something we share is that we don't think things have to be terrible. I don't think we like things to be.

[Amy Poehler]

I don't.

[Jack Black]

I don't either.

[Amy Poehler]

I don't like toxicity. I like love and I like fun.

[Jack Black]

Me, too. And it. If it. It doesn't have to feel bad for it to be a good product.

[Amy Poehler]

That's true.

[Jack Black]

Don't you feel like that's a good lesson to learn?

[Amy Poehler]

Yes, it is a good lesson. And in theory, I feel that way. But in reality, when it's time to go on the high wire, when it's time to go out and be on camera or in front of an audience, I do always have a little piece of me inside of me that's going, I hope this thing gets canceled. At the last second, there's a fire alarm. And I don't have to go out there because there's always a panic. There's always, like a stress. Like, I just did SNL last week. Let me tell you something. It was so fun. Love. Love that. That little. I've always had, like, the most incredible experiences, but also the most stressful week going into. You're heading there and you're just mainly going like, God, I hope I don't shit the bed. Just hold it together, Matt. Don't fuck this up. Cause you don't get another take. You only get that fucking one take.

[Jack Black]

And do you get, like. I get. Which is. I get really sl. I'm just like. I think I should go to sleep.

[Amy Poehler]

I did take a little nap here and there.

[Jack Black]

Yeah. I want to escape. When I get really nervous, I get quiet and I get really sleepy.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Jack Black]

And I'm like, I think maybe instead of doing the show, I should go to bed.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Jack Black]

Yeah. Because it's.

[Amy Poehler]

I did take a weird nap. And, you know, who knew I was gonna. Was Donna the best? This incredible woman. People don't know. Well, she does get a little screen.

[Jack Black]

Time, and I gave her a little Shout out on the 50th.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes.

[Jack Black]

With Momoa, your buddy.

[Amy Poehler]

Did you ask her, hey, who is your favorite person you ever helped dress? Because that's Donna's job. She helps the host get dressed and in and out of costumes really fast. And she also does other things, too. Like, she, like, said, hey, honey, is there anything you want to eat before we go on tonight? In the little break between dress rehearsal and the show? And I was like, I have a hankering for, like, a Italian chap salad with no onions. She's like, you're going to get it. I'm going to get that for you. And it was soothing, but it also had, like, a little hint of, this is your last meal and I want you to have whatever. It's like, you know what I mean?

[Jack Black]

Donna Richards, been working there for a really long time at snl. She also works at Seth Meyers. She has this really specific job. It's like part nurse, part coach, where she kind of grabs you and dresses you from scene to scene, but she has your whole show in her hand. Yeah. And she makes sure that you can do it. She's the one that if you passed out or if you forgot something or if you turned to her and said, like, I don't remember. Donna would, would, would have you. She's your, like, wrangler.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Jack Black]

And she's seen everybody naked.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Jack Black]

She's seen every star naked. And she could write a book.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Jack Black]

About the. Your request for the chopped salad.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Jack Black]

That's a pretty tame request.

[Amy Poehler]

That's tame.

[Jack Black]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Oh, yeah. She's probably been asked.

[Jack Black]

Been asked for pre show.

[Amy Poehler]

When you're in the trenches before the show, who knows what you're gonna ask for for your last meal or whatever. This may be the last time I do some things.

[Jack Black]

I always say people always ask me, what was your favorite SNL host and show? And it is always you, Jack.

[Amy Poehler]

Let me tell you something. I heard that quote and it touched me so hard in my heart. And I thought, amy is an angel. And I bet you it had something to do with me getting asked back because there was a lot of good vibes you put out there in the universe.

[Jack Black]

No way.

[Amy Poehler]

It's been 20 years since I've been on the show.

[Jack Black]

That's insane.

[Amy Poehler]

And it's, you know, that's nothing to sneeze at. When Amy Poehler's in your corner blowing the horn in my praises.

[Jack Black]

You don't need my praises, sir. It's your billion dollar movies. But the. Someone asked me because I was reminiscing about. Because that was a very special time for me, too. I was. It was like 2000.

[Amy Poehler]

Yep. 3, 4, 3, 4, 5. That was my little window of Saturday Night Live magic.

[Jack Black]

Yes. And we were, like, just a few years away from that. From the terrible beginning of SNL for me, which is like 9, 11. We were like. We were a few years away where it was like things had settled down a little bit. Did you have kids yet?

[Amy Poehler]

No.

[Jack Black]

Yeah, me neither. No kids. So party on. And then we did so many sketches together. That was such a fun week. The Strokes were the musical.

[Amy Poehler]

The Strokes. The first time. People don't realize I hosted thrice. The first one was the Strokes. The second one was John Mayer.

[Jack Black]

Yes.

[Amy Poehler]

And the third one was Neil Young. That's crazy.

[Jack Black]

That's right.

[Amy Poehler]

But the first one was the Strokes, which was crazy because I love the Strokes.

[Jack Black]

Me, too. And they were so big for people who don't remember, like that soundtrack around New York 2001. 2002 was last night.

[Amy Poehler]

That song, Incredible song. It was the theme song for New York City that. That year.

[Jack Black]

And then the after party. After. After was at UCB Theater with that. That night. I don't know if you remember that.

[Amy Poehler]

But we were like, yeah, we burned the midnight oil. I think we went to Le Dawn.

[Jack Black]

We went to the Dawn. And then there was a sketch in there that I think about as one of my favorite sketches, which I think Kenan Thompson just reposted recently, which was when we're written by Emily Spivey, when we're in the Sparrow and it's wintertime and the door opens and we keep.

[Amy Poehler]

Flying away, the powerful gust of wind that almost blows the whole sparrows into the atmosphere. Yeah, that was a. That was a really fun, funny sketch.

[Jack Black]

That was such a good sketch. Dratch was like an old woman on a wire getting blown away. And I have a moment of remembering, like, reaching out for her, and she looked like my Dratch. And I could probably be, like, in the same family.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Jack Black]

And we. She looked like my grandmother with, like, a white wig, and it was like my grandmother going up to heaven.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. Love, Dratch.

[Jack Black]

How was it this last time? How is it to.

[Amy Poehler]

This was a really fun, magical return. And when I got the call, first of all, from Sharon, my manager and. Your manager.

[Jack Black]

That's right.

[Amy Poehler]

We share manager, but we share publicists.

[Jack Black]

We share manager.

[Amy Poehler]

So I got the call from my publicist, Lewis and Sharon, and they said, jack, are you sitting down? I was like, oh, man. What's about to Happen. I didn't know they, like, you got the call to be on snl. And I was just like, oh. It was very emotional because it'd been. Well, because I had such great memories of doing it all those years ago, decades before. And I didn't think I would ever be asked back because. Not. Because I didn't have a career. And, like, things are going great, but it felt like a part of a time where. I don't know. Lorne works in mysterious ways. He's got a feeling of, like, what is gonna work best for that show? And it feels like they like to get people that are on the cusp, that are, like, exploding, popping off in a certain way.

[Jack Black]

Also, you had done it four times.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, that's true if you count the musical guest thing. Cause Tenacious D did go.

[Jack Black]

That's right.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Jack Black]

So, you know, maybe it was like, we have had you a few times, but I know what you mean. It's a funny club that you watch and you think you feel like you're part of even being a cast member, but then you also sometimes always feel a little outside. Yeah, well, you could have been a cast member.

[Amy Poehler]

No, I don't think I could. I don't think I could handle it week in and week out.

[Jack Black]

100% disagree.

[Amy Poehler]

Once every 20 years is more my speed for that gig.

[Jack Black]

But you could have. I mean, did you ever audition or want to audition because you.

[Amy Poehler]

I did want to audition, but then I didn't audition. I had an idea in mind that I never went and followed through with. But you had.

[Jack Black]

What do you mean, you had an idea?

[Amy Poehler]

Well, I had. I don't want to repeat it because now it really sounds stupid in my mind, but my audition was gonna be. Basically, I was gonna be a superhero that I created. I don't remember what it was called, but it was like a combination of the Hulk and maybe it was just the Hulk. It was. I was gonna come in as the Hulk and just jump around and do, like, this weird slow motion kind of performance art dance where I would crush things with my foot and then do, like a mimed. The Earth is cracking. It was not. I was not gonna get in. And I knew that, but I had practiced it in the mirror in my living room a few times, but I never pulled the trigger.

[Jack Black]

You didn't?

[Amy Poehler]

No.

[Jack Black]

How come? Like, did you get an audition and you just didn't do it, or you. Like. I'm fascinated by it because also, I'm interested in that story because that is a little bit of sabotage.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Jack Black]

Maybe there was a part of you that didn't wanna be on it.

[Amy Poehler]

Well, that's. The constant battle is the fear of failure.

[Jack Black]

Totally.

[Amy Poehler]

Sometimes you're up for the battle and sometimes you're just like, pass 100%.

[Jack Black]

I wanted to ask you about auditioning because I don't know about you, but I'm not a great auditioner. Like, I don't really get a lot of jobs from auditions. Yeah, I don't think I've gotten many. And I. I remember I auditioned for the Coen Brothers.

[Amy Poehler]

Oh, yeah.

[Jack Black]

And who I love, you know, their movies. And it was. And I just felt like it wasn't going well. I'm sure they have no memory of it and they had probably no opinion of it, but I felt like it wasn't going well. And so I started to like, kind of sabotage it because it was like, basically like, you can't reject me. I'll. I'm gonna reject you.

[Amy Poehler]

I auditioned for the Coen Brothers as well. And I also had a similar super shitty audition. It was for the Hudsucker proxy.

[Jack Black]

Ah. Mine was Burn After Reading.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay. Yeah.

[Jack Black]

Uh huh.

[Amy Poehler]

But, you know, I don't remember the specifics of why it was so bad, but I knew when I walked out, I did not get it. Yeah, there's. Sometimes you can feel it.

[Jack Black]

Oh, yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

But I loved auditioning early on. But that was, you know, in the. In the before times.

[Jack Black]

You loved it.

[Amy Poehler]

Once I got School of Rock, I didn't have to go on auditions anymore. And it took some adjusting. I was like, what? I don't have to audition, but I want. What if I want to audition? But I like going on auditions. And then if it felt good, like I kicked ass. I didn't even really care if I got the part or not. I was just like high on that buzz.

[Jack Black]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Because when you connect with a scene.

[Jack Black]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

You get a little charge.

[Jack Black]

Do you remember any of those?

[Amy Poehler]

It's a drug.

[Jack Black]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes. I remember just coming out, dude. Probably my first job when I was 13 years old for the commercial I did for a video game called Pitfall for Atari.

[Jack Black]

Loved.

[Amy Poehler]

I just went in on that audition. I loved acting. My. My stepdad drove me around to all the auditions and. And. And I had this kind of character who's sort of a cocky character. Like this is this thing. Even at 13, I could do my eyebrows like this. Like I'm cocky. I think I know what to do. And it would look funny if a 13 year old did that kind of attitude. The cocky attitude.

[Jack Black]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

And so they said, we did the audition. I wasn't doing that character. I was just doing just last night. I was watching, and they said, can you do it again this time? Like, do it a little cocky. And in my mind, I was like, oh, they fell into my trap. You're like, that's my one move. I can try that. I'll try that. And just last night, it was, you know, whatever. And I remember leaving, and they were laughing, and I was like, oh, that is so heavenly, that feeling. And I've been chasing the dragon ever since. Really? Because when you crush an audition in a weird way, I like it better than doing the job.

[Jack Black]

Sure.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. Because then the weird thing is, like, sometimes you'll get the part. And you're like, oh, fucked. Now what? And you get to the set and it's like, no, in the audition, I did it this way. And they're like, forget about the audition, Jack. So what we want you to do is this totally different thing.

[Jack Black]

And then you're like, but no eyebrows now.

[Amy Poehler]

It's a different pressure when you're performing for the thing that a million people will see the audition. It's just for that room.

[Jack Black]

Okay, so you started. I mean, people might know this about you, but you. You were doing commercials when you were a kid.

[Amy Poehler]

Yep.

[Jack Black]

How many did you do as a kid?

[Amy Poehler]

I was a child actor, I guess you could say, which is a little embarrassing always.

[Jack Black]

Why?

[Amy Poehler]

Well, because there's a stigma to child actors, you know, like, it's not good for kids to be out there in the industry.

[Jack Black]

Do you think it is?

[Amy Poehler]

It is if they love it, you know, and I loved it, so it was good for me. But, yeah, you know, if. If you get the sense that there's a stage mom or stage dad, that's pushing it.

[Jack Black]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

And the kid doesn't actually want to be there. That's when I. I can imagine some psychological. Psychological damage. It's like child labor. It's like, leave him alone.

[Jack Black]

How old were you when you joined the actors, the actors gang?

[Amy Poehler]

I was 16 years old. Yeah. I got in there early.

[Jack Black]

What was the actors gang for? People they don't know.

[Amy Poehler]

So the actors gang was like the radical political commedia dell'arte, almost like a theater group that got going and popular in the 80s, and it was Tim Robbins and a group of other actors from UCLA who started this company. And if you were a young actor in the 80s and you were checking out the theater scene, they were the Red Hot Chili Peppers. They were just like the Green Berets. They Were so rad. And I would go to their shows, their plays. They had a play called Carnage, a comedy that was all about televangelism. And they had another show called Freaks and it was about circus workers and performers. And I was like, just hanging out.

[Jack Black]

You were like the teen.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Jack Black]

In the Actors gang. You were like the young teen.

[Amy Poehler]

I was the young teenager. And I just wanted to be part of that world so much. And they cast me. I got a little part in a show called the Big show down in Santa Monica. And it was all about the South American Sandinista. Like all of the politics surrounding that and American globalism. A bunch of shit. And then I didn't really get it, but it was super fun. And I brought some songs and I brought some music and they. They let me put some songs into the play.

[Jack Black]

Really? That you had written?

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, well, just little jingles. The director said, hey, we. We need some little songs here. Because it was like a game show. And. And so I did a little. A little of that. And that's where I met Kyle. And it started off as a little bit of like a. A rivalry because he was the music guy in the company and I was coming in with my songs and. But you didn't really.

[Jack Black]

You didn't learn guitar till a little bit later, right? You weren't playing guitar.

[Amy Poehler]

I wasn't playing guitar. I was just recording songs on my. On my four track.

[Jack Black]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Tascam four Track Machine.

[Jack Black]

Oh, man.

[Amy Poehler]

But that's how I got in the Actors gang. And then we ended up going to the Edinburgh theater festival in 89. And then we took that show over to Joe Papp's Public Theater in New York.

[Jack Black]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

And got the worst review I'd ever read. But I thought it was so mean that it turned funny to me. Like, I actually kind of liked reading it. I was like, oh, I was just laughing at how mean it was. The slam.

[Jack Black]

You can take it. You can take as I. Well, I guess. Cause I didn't say specific, but I've had things written specifically about me that really, really hurt my feelings. Like it's really hard for me, embarrassingly so, to even. Like. I remember when my book came out, there was a really bad review.

[Amy Poehler]

I wonder if he listened or if he just read. Cause I listened and loved.

[Jack Black]

Thanks, Steve.

[Amy Poehler]

Love your book.

[Jack Black]

Thank you.

[Amy Poehler]

You know what? You know what I was specifically interested in was your time at what was the theater company where you learned the improv from the guru of improv, Del Close.

[Jack Black]

Del Close Improv Olympic.

[Amy Poehler]

And because I'VE only heard whispers of this mythical creature named Del Close.

[Jack Black]

You would have love and you would. You would have share a lot, and he would have loved you. He was like this guru, very misanthropic guy when you. You know, we were all young upstarts, and we were catching him at the end of his life. But he started back with Elaine May and Mike Nichols and the Compass Players and all that, like. And he was kind of the one that stayed behind to be the teacher while everyone else became very famous. He just made you feel like you were like that improv was its own art form, that it wasn't some step to. Because you're bringing up the actors gang. And I have to say, like, improv and sketch. There was. When I was in Chicago, there was like, Steppenwolf.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Jack Black]

You know, the Goodman.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Jack Black]

And then there were like, oh, the dumb asses that do sketch. Like, that was the feeling that we were like the makers of Mary over here. And they were like the real actors.

[Amy Poehler]

Right.

[Jack Black]

And you had a. You started out with, like, like, in.

[Amy Poehler]

The real actors kind of, but there was some. There was some dumb ridiculousness happening over there, too.

[Jack Black]

Did you ever do Groundlings then?

[Amy Poehler]

No, I never did Groundlings, but I did go and enjoy and watch. Watch Maya jam out over there. Maya Rudolph. We went to high school together.

[Jack Black]

I know.

[Amy Poehler]

People don't know.

[Jack Black]

Do you. Do you remember her in high school? What was she like?

[Amy Poehler]

I do remember because I was like, the king of the castle, and I was rocking with my. My improv classes over there. And then she came in. She was like four years, three years younger, and she was so good at improv, I actually got intimidated. And then I had a crisis, and I couldn't do improv for, like, a whole year because I was like, this kid is. Is just a kid, and she's so much better than me. What's happening? I can't.

[Jack Black]

She got you in your head.

[Amy Poehler]

She got in my head.

[Jack Black]

That makes sense because when Maya talks to me about you, you have a very older brother vibe to, like, she looks as. Looks up to you. And also, you know, it is kind of like, how old were you when you met everybody? Like, you just will never. That'll never change. Like, you'll probably always think of Maya as, like, younger, and she definitely gives you an older brother vibe. Like, that's so funny. When did we. When did we first meet? Do you remember?

[Amy Poehler]

Did we meet before snl?

[Jack Black]

Yes, because we did a movie together.

[Amy Poehler]

Not before snl. The movie had to be after snl. Was it before?

[Jack Black]

I don't. Hold on. Let me check my.

[Amy Poehler]

Let me tell you. Let me tell you what my first memory of you is. I saw you on Conan, and you played Andy Richter's little sister, and you had those braces on, and I was like, what? Who the hell is that? Because I did not know you, but it was like you were shot out of a cannon. You were so funny and so intense, and your love for Conan was so, like, white hot. I was like, this person, whoever this is, is a revelation. And I was obsessed with you. And I talked years later with Mike Shore about it, and I was like, were you obsessed with Amy? Like, I was. The first time she was on Conan's, like, fuck. Of course. I was like, yeah, you had an effect, I think, on a whole, like, community of comedians and performers. Like, dude, there's someone new on the stage. You must have felt that. Like, there must be a before and after that Conan appearance.

[Jack Black]

Totally. Yeah. Conan was huge in the beginning of my career, and. Yeah. And that. And also so many people were watching the same thing back then. Like, everybody was watching Conan. Everyone was watching Letterman. Like, anyone who's in comedy was watching the same thing at the same time.

[Amy Poehler]

That's true.

[Jack Black]

Yeah. And that when I would do that Andy's little sister thing that Brian Stack wrote, I got a ton of jobs from that. I got my first movie from that.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes. You maybe didn't have to audition for some thangs. They were like, you, we want that.

[Jack Black]

They were like, we want you to be weird like that forever. We want you to yell like that forever.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Jack Black]

Yeah. Those were so fun. But we met. Didn't we meet?

[Amy Poehler]

You think we met before that?

[Jack Black]

Okay. I have a terrible memory.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. But me, too.

[Jack Black]

You do?

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. This could be tough, what we're about.

[Jack Black]

To try to do. I feel like I might have. One of. My first famous person that I ever knew was Janine Garofalo. She was like my first famous friend. And Jeanine's a real connector, and I feel like I might have gone to a party in Los Angeles, and I think you might have been there.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, that sounds right.

[Jack Black]

And then we did a movie together, which was thrilling.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Jack Black]

And that movie was called it.

[Amy Poehler]

What? Don't tell me. I'm gonna get this one. Jingle jangle ringle bungle dun dun dung Vapu rise Envy. Man, I loved working with you on Envy.

[Jack Black]

Oh, my God. We.

[Amy Poehler]

Let's be honest, though. Envy, it kind of whiffed.

[Jack Black]

Not only did it whiff, but it opened the Same day as Mean Girls. Do you know that?

[Amy Poehler]

Oh, yes.

[Jack Black]

And I remember being like, I'm in two movies. Like. Like, I had not been in a lot of movies, and they were open on the same day. And I remember thinking, this is going to be great.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Jack Black]

Two movies, same day. And then one didn't really.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Jack Black]

Survive. And for people that don't know this movie, Envy, directed by the great Barry Levinson.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes.

[Jack Black]

Ben Stiller.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes.

[Jack Black]

Rachel Weisz.

[Amy Poehler]

Right.

[Jack Black]

Me, you'd think.

[Amy Poehler]

I know.

[Jack Black]

I should explain for the. Maybe the five or six people that haven't seen Envy, that Jack and I play a couple who get, like, nouveau riche because you invent this way to get rid of dog poo.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes.

[Jack Black]

Where you vaporize it. They poo, rise, and Ben Stiller plays the irritated and then obsessive neighbor who starts to, like, be overwhelmed by our success. And I think I've told this story before, but this was an example of. I was like, oh, I need to be a better actor. Rachel Weisz, incredible actress, and played, like, my friend in the movie Ben's Wife, and we were all friends in the movie. I remember she took a ton of notes, and she was, like, writing in her script. And I remember thinking, uh, oh, I haven't prepared enough. And at one point she said, I sort of feel like we're best friends. And I thought she was talking about me. And I said, aw, that was, like, week two. I said, oh, my God, thank you. And she was like, oh, Jason, he met our characters. And I was like, of course.

[Amy Poehler]

Oh, my God, those are characters.

[Jack Black]

And I. And I looked back at my script like, huh? Yeah, I think. Let me see what notes I've taken. I did not prep enough. And she was so good. Such a great actress. Oh, my God.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Jack Black]

But I didn't. I was. Maybe I was. I was inexperienced on that set. I have to say. I didn't really know what I was doing.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, it was like a. It was a good learning experience. And then I remember at the time, I was like, see, you don't have to be stressed. You can just relax and have fun and have good vibes the whole time. And then when it kind of belly flopped, I was like, like, maybe I do need more stress. Maybe it's not good to be so comfortable and relaxed all the time.

[Jack Black]

Well, it's kind of like what we were talking about before, though, because I find and hear and know that the way you like to work is very. I appreciate it. And I feel similarly, like, I do think you're supposed to be having fun.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Jack Black]

You do a lot of movies worth, like, a ton of months. Like, a long time to shoot technical movies, like, big movies. Like, how do you like green screen? You're way away. Like, I know you just shot Anaconda in Australia. Like, you're like, it's. It's not like three weeks, you know, small lighting setup and you're out.

[Amy Poehler]

It is like three months. Three months tour of duty.

[Jack Black]

How do you stay? Like, how do you manage that long day?

[Amy Poehler]

Well, I kind of like it, the. The structure of the day, because you got to get your sleep, and everything's built around getting all your work done and all the sleep you need, because I need that beauty rest more than ever. And so you compartmentalize the families at home so you're able to just. In a weird way, it's kind of like a vacation. Even though it's hard work, you don't have all the distractions. You're focused just on this one thing. And I need my at least one hour of memorization every night where I just focus on the thing you memorize at night. I do. I memorize the next three days worth or, you know, whatever I've got on the call sheet. The call sheet is my guide. And they always give you three days ahead of time. So you're like, okay, I'm going to memorize all three of these every night. And just keeps you three days ahead of the game.

[Jack Black]

How much sleep do you want to get a night? What's your ideal number?

[Amy Poehler]

My ideal number is what they tell you. Eight hours is golden, but I usually will get six.

[Jack Black]

Hmm.

[Amy Poehler]

That's not enough. I know. But I wake up, and then I need to do a little bit of New York Times spelling bee, and then I will go back for bonus snoozelberries once I get to genius. But are you a snorer?

[Jack Black]

Do you snore?

[Amy Poehler]

I do. I have a CPAP machine.

[Jack Black]

Dude, so do I.

[Amy Poehler]

Come on, CPAP team, unite.

[Jack Black]

Cpap.

[Amy Poehler]

Love it. Let me tell you something.

[Jack Black]

Let's talk about our CPAP machine.

[Amy Poehler]

My CPAP pap machine was a game changer, changed my life, and now I can't sleep without it.

[Jack Black]

Never want to.

[Amy Poehler]

Well, I can take. I can take a nap like I took a nap at snl.

[Jack Black]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

But to do that, I have to go kind of like Elephant man, where I get so many pillows that I'm almost sitting up, but it's the only way, because if I lay down flat, I die. I don't know. I wake up with like, horrible. Like, headaches and nightmares. Like, wake up before you die nightmare.

[Jack Black]

I wish we could bring out our. Our sleep things, right? Our cpap.

[Amy Poehler]

No, that would be funny to look at us.

[Jack Black]

I know. I brought. I put mine in a movie in wine country. I used my cpap.

[Amy Poehler]

Oh, nice.

[Jack Black]

Because I wanted to make sure I never got laid again, so I put in my movie.

[Amy Poehler]

That was a thing. It was a. It was a thing when. When I first started doing it. Because it takes a little while to get used to. A few days.

[Jack Black]

And how about your partner?

[Amy Poehler]

You're not gonna sleep on your belly anymore. You like that? Well, that's gone.

[Jack Black]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

So, you know, you got to figure out, okay, I'm going to sleep on my side like this, and then I can sleep on my back and just don't go on your belly. And then it was like, is it possible to have sex while wearing your CPAP machine?

[Jack Black]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

And why would you just take it off and have sex and then put it back on?

[Jack Black]

But think about this. You've been married for a long time. When you're not married, you're like, I got something to tell you.

[Amy Poehler]

Is this a turn off or a turn on that? You have this Darth Vader.

[Jack Black]

Right before I go to sleep, I got to tell you something. Something. And you're going to hear it first. That's love. That's love.

[Amy Poehler]

I mean, some people have Darth Vader kink. They want that mask. Mask on. Mask off. Your choice, babe.

[Jack Black]

Your choice, babe. Air coming in. Air coming out. Mouth tape. No. Butt tape. Yes, Tape up that butt. There we go.

[Amy Poehler]

Oh, butt tape.

[Jack Black]

Butt tape. Wait, Jack, can I talk to you about Kelly Clarkson Tanner moment? I texted you. I loved that moment so much. For those people who don't know.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes.

[Jack Black]

You were doing Kelly Clarkson Tanner from Love on the Spectrum. Amazing show. You're a fan of that show.

[Amy Poehler]

Love it.

[Jack Black]

He's a fan of.

[Amy Poehler]

You Love him.

[Jack Black]

Particularly love him. He talked about wanting to meet you, and then you ran out and greeted him.

[Amy Poehler]

And, well, this all started years ago because my sons loved Love on the Spectrum. And I was like, oh, good, this is our show. Cause I'm always looking for ways to connect with my boys who just don't want anything to do with me. Cause once they hit that age, that 16, 18, it's like the least thing you want to do is hang out with your parents. And anything I like, they're automatically. Well, I hate it. But they like the show. And I was like, I want to watch it with you guys. And we watched it and we loved that show and loved Tanner. And I got a call from Lewis, our publicist, who was like, hey, Kelly Clarkson is asking if you'll do a video for Tanner from Love on the Spectrum who loves you. I was like, what? He loves me? Yes, I wanna do a video. So I made a video for Tanner just telling him how much we love the show and how great he is. And I love his philosophy of life is like his whole life is. His mission is to bring smiles and joy around the world. We need more Tanners. And I sent that over and they showed it. And he saw it on the Kelly Clarkson show and was like, oh, my go God, it Shaq Black. He knows me and my name. And so we didn't meet. We just had that one connection through Kelly Clarkson. Then I got the call saying, hey, he's going to be here at the same time you're here promoting Minecraft. Will you do a surprise jump run out to him? And I was like, yeah, this sounds really great because it was, you know, long overdue that we meet in person. And so they had that idea that I thought was really funny, where it looks like I did a pre tape and I was like, I'm sorry I couldn't be there. I'm on the road promoting Minecraft, but just want to tell you that I just think you're amazing. But I also have superpowers. Kung Fu Panda, like ninja moves, which means I can come through the doors right now and I come running in and I thought it was so funny that I was like, that's going to be funny because it's a good reveal. I was like, I hope that it's a surprise and that no one tells him. And when I came through, I wasn't prepared for how emotional it was.

[Jack Black]

Really emotional.

[Amy Poehler]

I almost started crying. We were hugging. There was so much love. No, I know and I know. Yeah. And it was like, yeah. When he asked me for my phone number. And did you give it to him? I did give. I gave a contact. There's a way for us to communicate now.

[Jack Black]

Very good.

[Amy Poehler]

But yeah, to be continued. I gotta get with him. We have a plan to do some workouts. He's gonna show me some techniques for bodybuilding.

[Jack Black]

It's so good. And also. Okay, so this leads us to, in many ways, to what you're working on now, which, by the way, congrats on this monster movie.

[Amy Poehler]

Thank you.

[Jack Black]

My kids have seen it twice.

[Amy Poehler]

Really? I love that.

[Jack Black]

They love it. They're right in the sweet spot. They're 14 and 16 and they grew up with Minecraft and they love it.

[Amy Poehler]

It just goes to show, I had a blast making it. I love Jared. We work together on Nacho Libre. But while I'm making it, you know, I feel the same as, like envy. And this could be another Vapoo Rise. We might get Vapoo rised and no one goes to see the movie. You just don't know. You go out there, you do the best you can, you let the chips fall where they may. And this time it feels like we rode a Yahtzee 100 and it's like, holy shit, Are you kidding? There's people going in this movie star, Jack. Gotta bask in it. Just enjoy it right now.

[Jack Black]

Let's just raise the roof.

[Amy Poehler]

Oh, that sunshine.

[Jack Black]

You're the biggest fucking movie star in the world. You are in so many hits, Jack. Hit after hit after hit. Have you heard of Jumanji? Have you heard of School of Rock? Have you heard of Mario Nuts? Have you heard of Minecraft? Kung Fu Panda?

[Amy Poehler]

Kung Fu Panda.

[Jack Black]

Incredible, dude.

[Amy Poehler]

I know.

[Jack Black]

It's awesome.

[Amy Poehler]

Nutty.

[Jack Black]

Oh my God. And that movie looks so like, like I got to tell you that Minecraft, if I just may, like, was so huge in my house, especially during COVID Yeah. Because you have boys. I have boys. Like, building was like their way. They really, that's how they got through the pandemic is I'm going to go build something.

[Amy Poehler]

The crafting.

[Jack Black]

Yes.

[Amy Poehler]

Mining. This is like Legos for a new generation.

[Jack Black]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

And the music in it is so meditative and there's some, some architecture in there where I think there's benefits to it. We're going to see a whole new generation of architects making crazy looking buildings because their brains are exercised hundreds of hours on making structures even though it's in the virtual world. But there was also an element of Jared wanting us to look ridiculous because my costume is so form fitting and really was just very revealing of my shape. My pear shaped, you know that I'm like right now I'm wearing this stuff. This is all to distract you from my shape. I like a triple xl T shirt with so much crazy.

[Jack Black]

I've heard you have a T shirt collection.

[Amy Poehler]

I do. This is mostly what it is. It's tie dye explosions and it kind of draws your eye away from my shape. But this costume, it was just like a tight sweater shirt and then Jason Momoa with that ridiculous mullet and like a pink leather jacket with fringe. He looks so ridiculous. That's part of the charm though. It's like, we're not here to look pretty. We're here to make some funny ridiculousness happen.

[Jack Black]

I will say, I know I get a little stressed on set when I'm tight, when I have tight things around my shape. Did you get. Was it. Did you have to get used to that?

[Amy Poehler]

I felt fine because it was tight, but it was stretchy, so I was never restricted and moving.

[Jack Black]

The feeling is.

[Amy Poehler]

So that's my main thing is I'm always able to get real physical.

[Jack Black]

I know. You're so physical. So we do this thing on our show where we have people talk about the guest before they come on, so I get somebody to come on in the beginning. So we got Nora. Awkwafina.

[Amy Poehler]

Awkwafina in the house.

[Jack Black]

And Nora and I were talking before you came in, just about you and what she thinks I should ask you. And she mentioned a bunch of things, and we just talked a lot about your physicality, like how much you like to move, how funny it is, how cool it is to be around. And she was saying when you guys were doing Press that, like, you were doing a lot of kicks.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. When in doubt, kick it out. I was doing some. We called them chop kicks.

[Jack Black]

Chop kicks. That's right.

[Amy Poehler]

It's like chopsticks, but chop kicks. And that was also along the lines of, I refuse to let these junket interviews get boring. I'm gonna go nuts. If need. If need be. If I ever feel like we're going down a road, I'm gonna. The chop kicks will come out. They'll be flurry.

[Jack Black]

You love to do that. Especially, like, on a red carpet. Like, you. I really admire it. You take over, like, you. You take over that thing. So it's your fun time, and, like, people are invited to it. It's not the other way around. Like, you have a really good time promoting stuff. You refuse to have it be boring for you.

[Amy Poehler]

If I'm in the zone.

[Jack Black]

Yeah. Like when you recorded that for Mario, when you recorded the Britney song on the red carpet.

[Amy Poehler]

Kung Fu Panda last. Kung Fu Panda?

[Jack Black]

Yes. You recorded Kung Fu Panda?

[Amy Poehler]

Yes.

[Jack Black]

Tell me you recorded a video on the red carpet during the premiere.

[Amy Poehler]

So our director of Kung Fu Panda 4 said, Hey, I really want a Tenacious D song in the movie. Like, could you guys do a cover? I was like, it depends. Like, what do you think? And he was like, you know, Pat Benatar, hit me with your best shot. And I was like, I love Pat Benatar, but that doesn't feel right. And then it was actually Sharon, our manager, who was like, you should do Britney Spears. I was like, whoa, Britney Spears.

[Jack Black]

Wait a second.

[Amy Poehler]

That's ringing some bells. And then I said, hit me, baby, one more time is the one. Hit me, baby, one more time. Because it's Kung Fu Panda hitting me one more time. And we bounced that off the director, Mike Mitchell, and he was like, yes, do it. And so I called Kyle, and we went and we laid down the hot tracks. And it just so happened that our bass player, who also does all the producing of all the Tenacious D albums, is obsessed with Britney Spears. So I was like, this is falling into place.

[Jack Black]

Yes.

[Amy Poehler]

And he laid down a bed that was a little faster than Britney's version. So it had a little more paprika. Because you don't want to just come and just do exactly what they did. You want to put a little different spin on it. And I got so into this one part that's really hard vocally. And I did it probably, like, a hundred times. And I would come back on different days. Like, it's still not there. That. Where she's like, give me a sign. She does this little vocal. It's like a little trill. It's a little up and down, like one of these. And I didn't really have it. And we kept on working. And then I got it one day, and that's all you need. You just need to capture the lightning in the bottle. One time I was like, put it in. He put it in. I was like. I was very proud of that Britney Spears cover.

[Jack Black]

So good. Jack, you are my favorite singer. Your voice is incredible. Everything you sing is so good. Peaches is my favorite song. It's like, should be everyone's wedding song.

[Amy Poehler]

Peaches.

[Jack Black]

And every Tenacious D song, every song you cover, every song you sing, I got to sing with you once we sang the Rose. Remember we sang the Rose, which was fantastic. Supreme.

[Amy Poehler]

I had a festival, for those of you who don't know. It was a comedy music festival. We did it for four years. And I thought, this is gonna be the fucking Coachella of comedy music. And it was not. Every year, less people came, and I was like, what is wrong with the world that this is not getting bigger every year? And then finally we quit doing it. But I stand by it. It was the best festival.

[Jack Black]

It was the best.

[Amy Poehler]

And you were so beautiful to say, yeah, I'll do it. Of course you answered the call. I didn't know if you'd be of Veils, but you came down and you said, I'll do it, but I want you to come out and sing with me, Jack. I was like, done. Done a dream. What are we singing?

[Jack Black]

God, I love singing with you. I love your voice. And we rehearsed. And there was the great.

[Amy Poehler]

That was John Spiker. We rehearsed, you, Honor.

[Jack Black]

Yes.

[Amy Poehler]

He's a sweetheart.

[Jack Black]

Awesome. And I was kind of geeking out a little bit. I had to play it really cool. Because I love your voice and love singing with you. But, like, do you ever feel.

[Amy Poehler]

Should we do a little right now of the rose? Can't remember, but I think what key is in it.

[Jack Black]

Hold on. Okay.

[Amy Poehler]

I'm not gonna get any of those lyrics right. By the way, did we harmonize?

[Jack Black]

Yeah, it was.

[Amy Poehler]

I remembered not one word or the.

[Jack Black]

Melody or the harmony. I understood it, Jack. Oh, my God.

[Amy Poehler]

We're still getting applause, though.

[Jack Black]

Applause. Wait, Jack, do you hear that? Do you hear that, Jack? Someone's clapping for us.

[Amy Poehler]

But on the day when we did it at Festival Supreme.

[Jack Black]

So good.

[Amy Poehler]

You can see it online.

[Jack Black]

You can see it online.

[Amy Poehler]

See it online. The way it was meant to be. We just needed one more rehearsal here.

[Jack Black]

Before we did this. So the lyrics are a little stressful because lyrics in general are stressful when they repeat, but they're just. They're the same, but not the same. Like Reed and Leaf, or like Love and Light. Whatever.

[Amy Poehler]

I gotta really know those lyrics.

[Jack Black]

Do you use a prompter when you perform lyrics?

[Amy Poehler]

Not with Tenacious D, but I have. You didn't. No, but I have used it. I mean. Cause those songs. I wrote those songs. So I feel. I feel them in my blood. And, you know, we do have rehearsals. We go and we work it all out. And that's my memory gymnasium. But these songs that other people wrote, especially, you know, when the lyrics don't really tell a story, easier when you tell a story that's linear.

[Jack Black]

Yes.

[Amy Poehler]

Some of those words are just fucking gobbledygook.

[Jack Black]

Like, I mean, there's nobody better than Elton John. But Bernie's lyrics.

[Amy Poehler]

Sometimes I'm like, wow, no kidding.

[Jack Black]

What's going on?

[Amy Poehler]

But Take Me to the Pilot is one of my favorite songs of all time, but I have no idea what it's about. Or even, like, you know, what is arguably the greatest rock and roll song ever written. Stairway to Heaven. If there's a hustle in your heads Grow don't be a lawman. What the fuck?

[Jack Black]

He says, don't be alarmed, man.

[Amy Poehler]

Oh, is that what it is?

[Jack Black]

I thought it was. Don't be alarmed now.

[Amy Poehler]

Oh, you're probably right. It's just a spring clean for the May Queen. I contend Robert Plant doesn't know what that song's about. Nobody knows what that's about. And it doesn't matter.

[Jack Black]

And every time I hear that song, I get a feeling I'm in an eighth grade gym. Yeah, that song's coming on and I'm like, I gotta dance with whoever I dance with. It's gonna be like nine minutes of dancing with them. It's like you're just pan. I gotta find a boy. And it's gonna go slow and then fast and then slow again. Like it's asking a lot. I remember dancing, school dances. Stairway to Heaven came on. And the feeling of this is gonna be 10 minutes of my life. I can't choose wrong. And I just.

[Amy Poehler]

The idea of dancing to Stairway to Heaven is so funny to me. Cause it's like. Yeah, we were starting. Is it slow dancing?

[Jack Black]

You had to start slow. And what are you doing?

[Amy Poehler]

Starts rocking really hard though.

[Jack Black]

Then you separate and you go sliding on down the road. And air guitar, you play your leg like an air guitar.

[Amy Poehler]

Is it weird? When I dance, I like to close my eyes because I feel less inhibitions. Yeah, I get a little self conscious on the dance floor.

[Jack Black]

You do?

[Amy Poehler]

Well, I like to dance. Here's what I'm nervous about. Eye contact on the dance floor.

[Jack Black]

Yeah, but what if you point? But if you point you're good. You go ahead.

[Amy Poehler]

I guess I immediately start feeling like, is the dance partner uncomfortable with my eye contact? And also, how do I fit into this? Do they think I'm dancing? Well, there's just something. I think I prefer to dance alone.

[Jack Black]

No one around.

[Amy Poehler]

Well, if I'm going to go dance and maybe I'd like to have like a half hour warm up by myself and then like go right into the dance party.

[Jack Black]

Yeah, like I'm warmed up like walking and going, hey. Right. But you don't want to be.

[Amy Poehler]

It's like right now this feels good, but it probably looks bad.

[Jack Black]

No, it looks great. But I know what you mean. Right. And the eye contact is a little weird because maybe it's weird, it's different for a guy. But I know what you mean. You have to. You want. You have to kind of like be like, hey. But not keep on there too long.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Jack Black]

You just have to go, Jack. But you can't. If I stay any longer than that, it's weird because then the person feels like they have to point back. You and dance.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes. Yeah, but when you're dancing. I feel like you're feeling it. You're letting the feeling of the dance. The music is moving you.

[Jack Black]

Yeah. And I like closing my eyes, too.

[Amy Poehler]

And I think I do some of that when I can break out of my self conscious. But a lot of the time, I think I'm dancing like I'm putting on a show, which can be stressful for me and anyone I'm dancing with.

[Jack Black]

Okay, but this is really interesting because you're such a physical person and you're very, very comfortable physically. But I bet you feel pressure when you dance. To dance funny.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes.

[Jack Black]

I don't. Oh, I don't. I take that pressure.

[Amy Poehler]

That's why you're good.

[Jack Black]

Because no one expects that if you. Everyone expects. And you are a good dancer. So you could just be dancing and not have to feel like you have to perform while you're dancing. Like, dance for yourself.

[Amy Poehler]

Like the way that you dance now.

[Jack Black]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

No one taught you to do that. You just do it.

[Jack Black]

Right, right.

[Amy Poehler]

Because I was just thinking, maybe you can teach me how to dance. But then I was like, that's not how it works, Jack.

[Jack Black]

Have you seen Foot Loose? Have you seen Footloose? It's exactly how it works.

[Amy Poehler]

He teaches him to dance. Will you be my Kevin Bacon?

[Jack Black]

Remember that when he's like, come on, man.

[Amy Poehler]

I remember it was, like, illegal to dance in that town.

[Jack Black]

Oh.

[Amy Poehler]

That'S the best part.

[Jack Black]

We have a few more things before we finish. So Nora asked about the chopkicks. She also asked me to ask you about Gallagher, too.

[Amy Poehler]

I can't believe she asked you to. Here's a confession, okay? I had never laughed harder than when I first saw Gallagher on Television in 1974, 1975. I was just like 5 or 6 years old, maybe 7. And he was on a show called Laugh in, which was a game show, which was just random audience members on stage and then these professional comedians who would make them laugh. That was the whole point of the game. And you had to not laugh.

[Jack Black]

That was not laughing.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay, you're right. Not laughing.

[Jack Black]

It was make me laugh. I remember make me laugh.

[Amy Poehler]

And I remember seeing Gallagher and he did the funniest shit. Yes, he was exploding pumpkins or watermelons. But he also did this one where he came out and he was just like, you vegetarian? He had a banana. You vegetarian? And the person who. The contestant was like, no, me neither. And he peeled off the banana and there was a hot dog inside. And he took a bite, and I laughed and cried. And I heard me. I was like, this is the genius. This is who I want to be. I want to be Gallagher. And then, you know, over the years and the decades go by and you have different heroes. And I was like, yeah, he kind of faded in the past, but. But I always remembered no one made me laugh harder than that when I was six years old. And then I heard, like, the saga. Amazing, the drama. A friend of mine wanted to make a movie, a documentary about his life because mainly of his drama that he had with his brother, who he taught all of his moves to. He's like, look, we're going to franchise this. You're going to do what I teach you to do, and then you'll go out as Gallagher, too. And his brother was like, yeah, teach me your ways. I'll do it. And then over the. Over the course of the years of them doing this, he and his brother kind of had a falling out, and they didn't. And Gallagher was like, you know what? We're done. You're not Gallagher II anymore. I'm pulling the plug on that. And then Gallagher II was like, I choose not to stop. I am Gallagher. In fact, yeah, Maybe I'm Gallagher 1. Maybe you're Gallagher 2. And the manager, Gallagher's manager, sided with the brother for some reason. Whoa.

[Jack Black]

I didn't know.

[Amy Poehler]

And it got litigious and it got fucking weird. And I just thought, this is Shakespearean, this. And then the manager also, he had a kid in the neighborhood who would come over all the time, was like, you managed Gallagher. That's the coolest thing ever. I want to be a comedian someday, too, and be like, Gallagher. And then the manager was like, tell you what, kid, I'll teach you everything that Gallagher does. And taught him all the things. And that kid grew up to be Carrot Top. No, I'm not joking. This is an epic movie.

[Jack Black]

The fact that Little Carrot Top is the heir apparent to those and that Gallagher 2. The moment when Gallagher 2 says, maybe I'm Gallagher 1 is like, incredible. It's like Game of Thrones or something.

[Amy Poehler]

It's very dramatic and entertaining and compelling.

[Jack Black]

You gotta do that movie.

[Amy Poehler]

You gotta have it. You kinda have to have the sign off on all parties involved to really do that. Otherwise, I think it gets. You don't want that kind of anger and bad mojo on your project.

[Jack Black]

You don't want the House of Gallagher coming down.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes.

[Jack Black]

No, you don't want that. Okay, two last things. Do you remember Boys Night Out?

[Amy Poehler]

Yes. Do you remember the sketch that didn't make it on SNL when I was there with you.

[Jack Black]

Yes. Emily Spivey and I wrote a sketch called Boys Night out. And it was Jack waiting for the boys to arrive. And they never showed up and just kept ordering more wings. But there was a song. Do you remember the song to it?

[Amy Poehler]

Boys Night Outer Boys Night out, now we're really rocking and the chicks are roller squawking. Cause I'm talking about a boys night out. You never forget a song like that.

[Jack Black]

Thank you so much. That's all I needed to hear. Okay. And then the last thing I've been asking my guests is, what do you do? What do you watch? Go to what song, what video, what comedy clip, what old show? What's your comfort? What do you do when you're not working, when you want to just like peace out and chill out? Where do you go?

[Amy Poehler]

I have recently there's. Can I say three different things?

[Jack Black]

Absolutely.

[Amy Poehler]

One thing I realized I stopped listening to music. I was only listening to podcasts and audiobooks and I was like, I gotta get music back in my life stat. And so I did this thing called Chrono Marathons where you pick a band that you love and then you've never done this before to that band. So you start at the very first album and you go chronologically through their whole catalog. It's a great way to get in the nooks and crannies. And there's probably some bonus tracks that you never listened to. Listen to all of it, even the shitty songs, because then you find these. It's just an interesting way to hear music. I had never done it before and I swear, I swear by it.

[Jack Black]

Who have you done?

[Amy Poehler]

Well, it's gonna sound boring. No, but I went to the ones that were like the ones, you know, I did Pink Floyd, I did the Rolling Stones, I did the Beatles, I did Led Zeppelin, I did Elton John most recently. It just, you know, all these great, you know, musicians and people that you're like, I bet you there's some songs that I've never even heard that they wrote.

[Jack Black]

And you go in complete order.

[Amy Poehler]

I've heard all of them now. And I like to do a little star on the ones that are extra specials. And the most fun part is going, oh, this album is when they fucking hit their stride. And you go, they got this window here. There's usually like a four or five year window where their best shit went down.

[Jack Black]

Why?

[Amy Poehler]

Why then? And it's also like, oh, yeah, I love this band in this window. 1978, Steely Dan, you know. But anyway, I Love that.

[Jack Black]

That's amazing.

[Amy Poehler]

So fun.

[Jack Black]

That's great.

[Amy Poehler]

I also like to get my steps, walk around the.

[Jack Black]

You love your steps?

[Amy Poehler]

I do. It's all about the steps for me.

[Jack Black]

So how many steps a day do you try to get?

[Amy Poehler]

I, I, I like to get somewhere between 10 and 20.

[Jack Black]

Great.

[Amy Poehler]

If I got 20 every day, I think I could eat whatever I want.

[Jack Black]

20,000 steps is hard to get.

[Amy Poehler]

It's hard. It's hard to get there. I also really love to watch old movies. Yeah, it's a new thing. I've entered my cinephile phase of my life.

[Jack Black]

Where do you watch your old movie?

[Amy Poehler]

I watch at home. I watch at home on tv. On tv. I've got a nice juicy television screen. And I like to be guided by people that really know great cinema. For instance, I read this book, Cinema Speculation by Quentin Tarantino and he just talks about the movies that shaped him and that he loves. And I will listen to a chapter where he just focuses on one movie, like Rolling Thunder or whatever the case may. He likes a lot of westerns. And then I'll watch the movie that he was talking about and then I'll go back and listen to the chapter again. Like a kookaburra. It's kind of like going to school.

[Jack Black]

That's what I'm saying. Like you're creating a little school for yourself.

[Amy Poehler]

I'm creating a school that I would want to go to actual school. I fall asleep. But this, this, when I curate my own school, it's really fun.

[Jack Black]

Oh my God, Jack, I love you so much.

[Amy Poehler]

I love you.

[Jack Black]

Thank you for doing this. This was so fun. I think I asked you everything I needed to ask you. I mean, I love you. I, I hope we get to see each other more.

[Amy Poehler]

The feelings mute.

[Jack Black]

You're the best. Thanks for coming by. Thanks for doing this.

[Amy Poehler]

Woohoo.

[Jack Black]

This message is brought to you by Apple Card. Apple Card is a no fee credit card that gives you daily cash back every day. That's 3% back at Apple and 2% back on every purchase made with Apple Card using Apple Pay. Apply for Apple Card in the Wallet app on your iPhone today. Subject to credit approval. Variable APRs for Apple Card range from 18.24% to 28.49% based on creditworthiness rates as of January 1, 2025. Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA Salt Lake City Branch terms and more at applecard.com what do I say about the great Jack Black? He's just the best. And I'm so grateful that he came by. Love him so much. So does America, so does the world. And, you know, we always like to end these episodes with a little polar plunge. We'd like to go in a little bit deeper, jump in somewhere that we maybe talked about earlier in the interview. And so I just wanna remind everybody to listen to the song Peaches from the Super Mario movie that Jack Black, I'm assuming, wrote. I didn't check it out. I'm sure him and other people wrote that song, maybe just himself. His performance in Peaches is, like most of his vocal performances, exquisite. And I would say that to me, it is the most romantic song I've heard in the past 10 years. And it should be everybody's wedding song.

[Amy Poehler]

Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches.

[Jack Black]

Stop this podcast. Listen to Peaches. Listen to it over and over again. Learn the words, sing it to someone. When you propose to them, I promise they will say yes. Okay, that's been another episode of Good Hang. Thanks for checking us out. See you soon. Bye. You've been listening to Good Hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss Berman and me, Amy Poehler. The show is produced by the Ringer and Paper Kite. For the Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, cat Spillane, Kaia McMullen and Alaya Zaneris. For Paper Kite, production by Sam Green, Joel Lovell and Jenna Weiss Berman. Original music by Amy Miles.

[Amy Poehler]

I am the one who was a really good.

[Awkwafina]

Hey.

[Jack Black]

This episode is brought to you by Uber Eats. Summer is almost here and you can now get almost anything you need for your sunny days delivered with Uber Eats. What do I mean by almost? Well, you can't get a summer blockbuster delivered, but you can get a block of cheese. A cabana that's a no. But a banana that's a yes. A day of sunshine no. A box of fine wines? Yes. Uber Eats can definitely get you that. Get almost. Almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now for alcohol. You must be legal drinking age. Please enjoy responsibly. Product availability varies by region. C app for detail. This episode is presented by the Toyota Grand Highlander. Life's journey brings constant change, filled with exciting surprises, new chapters and grand challenges. And the Toyota Grand Highlander is more than a vehicle. It's your partner in embracing all life throws at you. Blinked and the kids have grown up. The third row can fit three adults. From daily routines to life changing adventures, the Toyota Grand Highlander is up for every grand challenge. Learn [e-mail] GrandHighlander Toyota, let's go places.