Jack Black Reveals He Turned Down a Role in a $600 Million Hit Film

Jack Black is one of the most prolific and beloved actors around, appearing in many hit films like The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Goosebumps, and The MinecraftMovie. However, Black says he was offered a part in what would go on to be a massively successful and acclaimed animated, but he turned it down—and he still regrets it today. 

"I was offered—and I do regret it, saying no—I was offered Syndrome in that fantastic movie The Incredibles,” Black said during a December 25 interview with Capital FM while promoting the Anaconda reboot he is currently starring in. 

The Incredibles, Pixar's Best Animated Feature-winning 2004 film and one of the greatest superhero movies ever made, followed a family of superheroes in hiding who cross pass with Syndrome, a supervillain with a grudge against the family patriarch. Jason Lee ended up voicing Syndrome in the final film because, as Black explained, he passed for a number of reasons that seem foolish in retrospect. 

"I said no because I was like, 'Uhhh, Brad Bird? Never heard of him!'" Black recalled, admitting that he wasn't familiar with Bird, who had already directed the beloved animated film The Iron Giant and would go on to helm Ratatouille, and Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol. Black also said he pushed back at what he thought was Syndrome's thin characterization. 

"'This character that you're offering me is like a villain, but he's kinda one-dimensional,’” Black said he told the director when they chatted. “’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.'"

The Incredibles Went on to Be a Huge Hit

Not having Jack Black voicing the villain certainly didn't hold back The Incredibles. The film made $631.6 million when it came out in 2004 and boasts nearly universal acclaim. It currently has a score of 97 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. 

In the interview, Black said The Incredibles was one of his "favorites of all time" and that the missed opportunity helped change his approach to taking roles. 

"I learned a valuable lesson because when that movie came out, it was one of the best movies ever made,” he admitted. "I was like, 'Why was I being so difficult?!'"
For what it's worth, Black did lend his voice to another 2004 animated movie, DreamWorks Animation's Shark Tale. That movie has a 35 percent Rotten Tomatoes score, although it did gross over $300 million worldwide. Hindsight is 20/20!