Jack Black Reveals the 'Fantastic' Film Role He Turned Down: 'I Do Regret It'

Jack Black was once this close to becoming one of your favorite super villains.

The School of Rock alum revealed in a recent interview that Pixar once came calling, and he essentially hung up the phone—a move he regrets now, over two decades later.

While speaking with Capital FM in an interview published on Christmas, Black revealed that he was offered the role of voicing the antagonist in The Incredibles, but he was unfamiliar with the film’s director and didn’t love the character as written in the script, which ultimately came around to bite him in the butt when he asked for some edits.

“I was offered, and I do regret it, saying no… I was offered Syndrome in that fantastic movie The Incredibles—one of my favorites of all time, by the way,” the actor said, admitting that he told Brad Bird, “This character that you’re offering me is like a villain, but he’s kinda one-dimensional. I’m interested, but I’d like to see a rewrite.”

The Actor Wanted Some Edits, But the Director Wasn’t Having It

Black asked for him to “add some dimensions,” but Bird wasn’t interested in entertaining the comedian’s request, telling him something along the lines of, “Yeah, you’re done. Get out of here.”

It was a strong lesson learned, as Black loved the final product—even though Jason Lee ultimately voiced the part. “I was like, ‘Why was I being so difficult?!'” he wondered, calling it “one of the best movies ever made” at the time.

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Black considered whether he should share the lore at all, calling it a “tricky question” when he was asked about roles he turned down, suggesting it may look bad for the person who ultimately got the parts. “Oh, I was a second choice? I was sloppy seconds!” he joked. But, he was happy to answer, “because [he didn’t] care.”

Fans Think It Could Have Been the Perfect Role for Black

Fans online were disappointed with the revelation, with one mourning, “He would’ve played it so well too.”

“wouldn’t he have fit in perfectly?😭,” another agreed, as someone else recommended, “Sometimes you need to think twice before answering.”

But, everything happens for a reason, and fans of the superhero franchise were still happy with the end results produced by the original cast.

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