Ranking the Best Performances to Date From Jack Black

Jack Black is more than just a very funny guy. Put in the right role, he’s also a very effective actor. He’s not always properly utilized, but when you see him in the correct part, it’s a thing of beauty. This week, he’s one of the leads of Anaconda, a film that is at its best when letting Black and company just do their thing. So, to coincide with that movie’s release, a ranking of the best of Black is most certainly in order.

In my review of Anaconda (here), I said the following about Black’s most recent work:

Jack Black and Paul Rudd are clearly having fun here, doing their best to have it infect the crowd throughout. Sometimes, they actually pull it off with sheer commitment to the bit. Black and Rudd are doing the sorts of characters we’ve come to know them from, but they do obviously do it well.

Below, you can see how Black’s best ranks for me. His best performance, by far, is in Bernie, where he legitimately deserved an Academy Award nomination. Then, it’s High Fidelity and School of Rock. After that, it’s very much a matter of personal preference. However, all of the flicks found below know what they have in Black and deploy him well. So, the order is almost besides the point.

Here now is my ranking of the best performances from Jack Black. Behold:

Honorable Mention: Anaconda, Nacho Libre, Orange County, Sex Tape, and Shallow Hal

10. King Kong

9. Be Kind Rewind

8. The Polka King

7. The Holiday

6. The D Train

5. Margot at the Wedding

4. Tropic Thunder

3. School of Rock

2. High Fidelity

1. Bernie

What are your favorite Jack Black performances? Let us know!