Jack Black has admitted that stepping away from Pixar The Incredibles remains the biggest “what if” of his acting career, revealing that he turned down the opportunity to voice the film’s villain and instantly regretted it once the film hit screens.
In an interview with Capital FM, the comedian and actor reflected on why he said no, and why he still questions that decision today.
Black shared that he was originally offered the role of Syndrome, the ambitious antagonist who became one of Pixar’s most memorable villains.
At the time, however, he was unsure about the project and was unfamiliar with director Brad Bird.
“They offered me, and yes I regret it, I said no… They offered me Syndrome in that fantastic movie. the incredibles, One of my all-time favorites, by the way,” Black said.
He explained that his doubts were due to creative doubts and a lack of confidence in the director’s track record.
“And I said no because I thought, ‘Uhhh, Brad Bird? I’ve never heard of him!'” Black recalled, adding that he felt the character needed more depth.
He admitted to asking for changes, saying: “‘This character you’re offering me is like a villain, but he’s a little one-dimensional. I’m interested but I’d like to see a rewrite. Would you add some dimensions to this character?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, you’re done.'”
When the film was finally released, Black said reality hit him hard.
“I learned a valuable lesson because when that movie came out, it was one of the best movies ever made,” he said.
“I thought, ‘Why was I being so difficult?’”
The role ultimately went to Jason Lee, and The Incredibles It went on to win the Oscar for best animated film and became one of Pixar’s most famous films.
Its sequel, incredibles 2arrived in 2018 and grossed $1.2 billion worldwide, and now has a third film in development.
Despite the regret, Black has since built his own career as a highly successful voice actor, finding global audiences as Po in kung-fu-panda and Bowser in The Super Mario Bros. movie.
He will return as Bowser once again in The Super Mario Galaxy moviewhich will hit theaters on April 3.
