STACK July 2016 Issue 141

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"I t was great to revisit the character of
Po. It is always fun to jump into his
enthusiastic skin and relive the dream
of becoming the master, the Dragon Warrior,”
says Jack Black of reprising the role of the
animated action hero with a love of dumplings
in the third film in the hit franchise.
Black attributes the character’s enduring
popularity to his innocence and naïveté. “He
can seem a little dim! He’s not the brightest
bulb in the hardware store (laughs), but people
identify with his emotional purity, that love of
kung fu and the kindness at the core
of his being; there’s a profound
wisdom there too. He’s bumbling
and clumsy, but he is also a
magical creature, so he’s got that
yin and yang about him.”
Kung Fu Panda 3 reunites the
legendary Dragon Warrior with his
long lost father, Li (voiced by Bryan
Cranston), with whom he rediscovers the
panda way of life.
A self-confessed fan of Breaking Bad, Black
admits the casting of Cranston was a big deal.
“I met him at a charity poker game a few
years ago and obviously I worship the ground
he walks on,” he enthuses. “We were all very
excited and he had a huge impact on the
movie. The original idea for the character was
very different from what he ended up doing
with it. He was going to be a quiet, noble and
stern father figure. But after Bryan played
The actor notes that the film’s theme of
fatherhood is one that resonates strongly
with him.
“I have a similar dynamic to the one that
Po has with both his dads, because I have a
stepfather who I’m really close to, and I love
my biological dad very much,” he explains. “So
I know about that crazy dynamic Po faces. A
lot of people have two fathers, so they can
relate to Po. Back in the ‘40s and ‘50s divorce
wasn’t as common, but now around fifty per
cent of the population has stepfathers and
stepmothers.”
As a parent himself, Black adds that
fatherhood is all about being there for the
kids when they need you.
“Also it’s just about enjoying your kids
and appreciating their gifts and their sense
of humour. I get tons of satisfaction just
watching them play. And I love to
play with the boys, I love to jump
in the pool, and do Lego with
them. I even play some video
games. I feel a little guilty when
I’m sharing screen-time with them
though. It’s such a bad word nowadays and
you’re not supposed to let them have any of it,
but I’ve definitely broken that rule. We’ve done
some Minecraft amongst other games (laughs).
“I don’t know if I’m as much fun a dad as
everybody would imagine,” he adds. “I think
people would be surprised to know how strict I
can be. It’s not just like Disneyland all the time.
It’s all about boundaries. You’ve got to keep
them in line to a certain degree. I’m in trouble
if they are like me when I was a kid when they
are older! But I know they are probably going to
be like me. We’ll see [knocks on wood].
I hope they’re not like I was! But I’m
not the rock-n-roll dad that everyone
wants me to be all the time … I am
sometimes.”
Jack Black talks fatherhood and the bear necessities of Kung Fu Panda 3.
Words: Elaine Lipworth
FAMILY GUY
I don’t know if I’m as
much fun a dad as
everybody would imagine
Jack Black has an interesting hobby during his time off…
“I’m a numismatist [coin collector]. I’m not even sure how you pronounce it. I like coins
that tell a little bit about history. I think it’s interesting. The most precious coin I have in
my collection is actually an American penny, but it’s worth a lot more than a penny. It is a
(bust of Liberty) ‘flowing hair cent’, I think from 1812 and her (Liberty’s) hair is flowing in the
breeze. It’s rare because it was considered too racy at the time. That says something about
our puritanical streak in America.”
• Kung Fu
Panda 3
is out on
July 6
visit DVD&BD FEATURE
30 JULY 2016
DVD
&
BD
with it for a while, it became apparent that his
character was going to be like Po. In a way, he’s
a bigger child than Po. He ended up being really
funny.”