Jack Black Reveals Hidden Drug Battles from His Early Career

Jack Black once looked back on the most challenging chapters of his life, revealing how early struggles with addiction and the devastating loss of his brother shaped the man he is today. While promoting his film Goosebumps, Black noted that the role felt deeply personal because it mirrored his own experiences with internal conflict.

Goosebumps was a great adventure and a really fun role, Black said of his portrayal of author R.L. Stine. It’s about forgiveness and not letting your rage and thirst for revenge control you, but it’s also about how some of those darker emotions can be used to create great masterworks.

The actor admitted that his teenage years were marked by significant chaos, specifically involving heavy c**** use. I remember just lots of turmoil from that time period, he recalled. I was having a lot of troubles with c****… I was hanging out with some pretty rough characters.

The situation became so volatile that Black found himself living in constant fear. I was scared to go to school [because] one of them wanted to kill me, he confessed. This period of danger eventually led to a breakthrough when he decided to seek help from a school guidance counselor.

I spilled my guts, telling him I felt guilty about stealing from my mom to get money for c****, Black remembered of the meeting. I cried like a baby. It was a huge release and a huge relief. I left feeling euphoric, like an enormous weight had been lifted from me.

Beyond his own personal battles, Black opened up about the profound impact of losing his older brother, Howard, to AIDS in 1989. Howard was a massive influence on Jack’s creative life, even taking him to his very first rock concert when Jack was only 11 years old. He was so vibrant, creative, amazing. He shaped my taste in music, Black shared.

The loss remains a permanent scar for his family, particularly for his mother. We all saw the deterioration. He was only 31. So very young, he said. We were robbed of something precious. It was devastating.

These experiences have heavily influenced his approach to parenting his own children. Sometimes I think maybe I’m a little bit of a helicopter dad hovering above my kids and making sure that they never are in harm’s way, he explained. Losing a family member is the worst thing I could imagine.

As of January, Jack Black’s career is reaching new heights following the massive success of A Minecraft Movie. After grossing nearly $1 billion at the 2025 box office, the film has recently become one of the top streaming hits on Amazon Prime Video. Black stars as the iconic character Steve, alongside Jason Momoa and Emma Myers.

The actor is also preparing for a major return to the Jumanji franchise. The untitled sequel to Jumanji: The Next Level is currently scheduled for release on December 11, The film will reunite the core cast, including Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, and Karen Gillan, for another jungle adventure directed by Jake Kasdan.

In addition to his film work, fans were thrilled by the news on January 22, that Black and his bandmate Kyle Gass have officially reconciled. Following a brief hiatus for Tenacious D, Gass confirmed that the duo has “hashed it out” and plans to return to the stage soon. Black is also expected to reprise his fan-favorite role as Bowser in the upcoming Super Mario Galaxy Movie, set for a late 2026 release.

Between blockbuster video game adaptations and the revival of his musical comedy roots, Jack Black remains a beloved fixture in Hollywood. His ability to channel his “darker emotions” into “great masterworks” continues to define his versatile and enduring career.

Do you think Jack Black’s move into massive video game franchises like Minecraft and Mario has redefined his legacy for a new generation of fans? Share your thoughts in the comments.