Originally appeared on E! Online
Though looking back distracts from the now, sometimes Jack Black can’t help it.
After all, there are some roles that actors regret turning down. And for Black, that role is Syndrome, the super villain in Pixar’s “The Incredibles.”
While Black admitted he usually doesn’t like to answer the question of which role he regrets — he doesn’t want the people who did get the job to feel like “sloppy seconds” — he decided in this case, he doesn’t mind.
“I was offered — and I do regret it, saying no — I was offered Syndrome in that fantastic movie ‘The Incredibles’,” he said during a Dec. 25 interview on Capital FM. “One of my favorites of all time, by the way. And I said no because I was like, ‘Uhhh, [director] Brad Bird? Never heard of him!'”
But not only did the “Anaconda” star say no because he wasn’t familiar with Bird’s filmography — which, to date, boasts movies such as “The Iron Giant,” “Ratatouille,” “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” and “Tomorrowland” — but also because he felt Syndrome to be too surface level.
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“‘This character that you’re offering me is like a villain, but he’s kinda one-dimensional,’” Black recalled saying to Brad. “’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.'”
And when “The Incredibles” — with actor Jason Lee bringing Syndrome to life — premiered in 2004 to great success, it served as an important reminder.
“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?!'”
In the years since, however, Black has lent his voice to a number of beloved characters, ranging from Zeke the saber-toothed tiger in “Ice Age,” Lenny the vegetarian shark in “Shark Tale” and, of course, Po the panda in “Kung Fu Panda.”
As for how Black’s “Anaconda” costar Paul Rudd feels about roles he’s turned down in what ultimately became hit films? His answer is as diplomatic as ever.
“I always think that if they were really good,” he reflected during their joint interview, “they were really good because of the people that were in there.”
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