Since co-founding Tenacious D in 1994, Jack Black has enjoyed celebrated film and music careers—and he’s been a champion for heavy metal at every chance along the way.
Jack Black making the devil horns hand gesture onstage in 2023 (Image credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for CinemaCon)
When Slayer played their final show on November 30, 2019, a star-studded legion of celebrities joined the 17,000 fans in attendance to send them off in style. Members of Metallica, King Diamond, Anthrax, and other metal stars were joined by Hollywood heavyweights like Jason Momoa, Bill Burr, and even Post Malone. They are among a relatively exclusive but committed group of famous headbangers: those instantly recognizable faces who prefer their riffs massive and their volumes at 11.
Few celebrities wear their love for heavy metal as proudly, or as loudly, as Jack Black. The multi-talented actor, comedian, and musician’s adoration for metal isn’t just a temporary interest or an aesthetic accessory—it’s part of his entire worldview. If you analyzed Black’s DNA, you’d likely find it riddled with hand-drawn pentagrams and Dio lyrics.
Black first landed on the cultural radar with Tenacious D: his acoustic metal duo with guitarist and fellow actor Kyle Gass. Formed in 1994, the duo might well be the most celebrated living homage to metal in pop culture. With four comedy albums packed with slamming tracks like “Tribute” and “The Metal,” The D doesn’t parody metal culture—they raucously celebrate it. Their songs are crafted with meticulous attention to detail, from intricate guitar solos to pounding hooks and soaring vocals that would make even the most seasoned metal frontmen envious.
Partial credit goes to Metallica for the inspiration. In 2023, Black told Metal Hammer: “Really, the first song that we bonded over, that I played for Kyle and was like, ‘Check this out, this is the best song in the world,’ it was Metallica’s ‘One.’ Maybe there was some Metallica infused in our early days, and maybe that translated to us having Metallica in our veins.”
