Jack Black Kung Fu Panda 4 interview: ‘We’re definitely going to do 5,6,7,8,9’ | Hollywood
When I interviewed the directors of Kung Fu Panda 4 last December, they reiterated the obvious: the lead character of Po is pretty much like the actor who plays it: Jack Black. “He’s action-packed, he’s enthusiastic, and he’s a fanboy,” co-director Mike Mitchell told me. In an exclusive interview, I ask Jack if he agrees, and he strikes a Po-like Kung Fu pose.
(Also Read: Exclusive – Kung Fu Panda 4 makers open up on Jack Black, new characters, what’s next in Po’s quest for inner peace)
Hindustan Times – your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.
Po way of life
“I do find similarities with Po. Especially when he meditates and all those thoughts pop around his head, I’m exactly the same. Very difficult to quiet my inner voices, and there are several of me in there. I do relate to his youthful enthusiasm and sense of play and adventure. That’s the kind of way I live my life too,” says Jack. “The benefit of having a character that’s just me is that I don’t have to do much preparation. Maybe just think back to when I was a kid and put on a show – my personal Kung Fu. It was very easy to jump right back into that.”
It’s no surprise then that Jack has played Po for 16 years now – since the very first instalment of the Kung Fu Panda franchise, back in 2008. Over time, Po has rubbed off on Jack slowly and surely, and as he admits, it’s taught him to face his fears in signature Po fashion. “As much as I love putting on a show, I’ve always had a fear of social interactions. I get stage fright, like anybody else. Over the years, there’s been that struggle of finding my own inner peace. I tell myself, ‘Relax, calm down, you’ve been here before. Admit to yourself that it could go great!’”
Jack admits that he’s had to fight the “inner monster of self-doubt” before every movie, every recording, every live show, and even every interview. “I feel like this is going to go badly. I’m not going to be good at this. And I have to calm myself down and tell myself, ‘It’s just your mind,’” he says. Jack’s quest for inner peace thus runs parallel to Po’s, and he agrees the character was hugely helpful in enabling him to pull off what he did last year – sing Taylor Swift’s Anti-Hero naked.
“One nightmare that I often had, and most actors have, is that you’re on stage and you don’t remember what you’re doing there. I said I’m going to recreate my nightmare. So I took off my clothes down to my underpants, because that’s what nightmares do, and I just sang stuff off the top of my head. I took requests from the audience and ended up singing the Taylor Swift song,” Jack says, clarifying that he has no particular affinity towards the singer, but generally gravitates towards pop queens with a distinct voice. This includes Britney Spears, whose song (Baby One More Time) he’s done a cover of, for the end-credits of Kung-Fu Panda 4. “Sorry, I was thinking of Madonna. I should check out her song tonight,” he quips, when he zones out.
Taking life one panda at a time
Lead vocalist of the rock duo called Tenacious D, Jack Black should have no problems playing with his voice and moulding it for any character, any platform. But the actor does have some tricks that have helped him crack the voice of Po over the four films he’s played him in. “I love to read through the whole scene. Some people record it line by line, but I like to record the whole thing, even if it’s bad, to not stop till I get through the whole of it. And then I can go back and work on it line by line,” says Jack.
He adds that the secret sauce of sustainability is to not put in his 100% every time. “Sometimes, it’s good to not try so hard. You tell yourself, ‘I’m going to do my best.’ But it’ll put a strain your voice. This may be bad advice, but I like to phone it in sometimes. When you don’t try too hard, you relax a little bit. That’s also what I do with live music,” says Jack. But that doesn’t imply that he’s chilling in an armchair and gorging on dumplings while recording. He’s as much in action as Po is in the Kung-Fu scenes.
“I actually do the action. That’s how I do it. When Po is physical, I’m physical. When he kicks, I kick. That was important for the director too. He wanted me to sound like I was physical. And that’s the only way,” says Jack in a matter-of-fact way. His sense of humour follows right after when he adds another helpful advice, “Take the change out of your pocket so that there isn’t any jingling.”
Jack may be jingling his way back home, given that he’s earnt a fortune through the Kung Fu Panda franchise. As reports of him hanging on his bamboo stick do the rounds online, Jack dismisses them, reminding me that these rumours also surfaced after Kung Fu Panda 3 in 2016. “Honestly, I just take it one panda at a time. I’ve enjoyed Po so much, so who knows what the future holds? We’re definitely going to do 5,6,7,8, and 9, but who knows if there’s going to be a 10? This conversation comes up every time a new Star Wars thing is out, that there isn’t going to be another. But I’d never predict end of the future like that,” Jack clears the air.
He adds that even if he indeed passes on the torch with Kung Fu Panda 4, he only has gratitude on his mind. “Look, I feel blessed. It’s been an insane life that I get to put on a show and people around the world watch. That’s unfathomable! So any opportunity to do that on a big stage is both terrifying and a dream come true. So I thank my lucky stars that I’m still invited to the show. I can’t believe I’m still doing this. What does it mean to me? It means more opportunities to perform. And I love it. And I hope it goes on forever,” Jack says, signing off.
Kung Fu Panda 4 will release in Indian cinemas on December 15.
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When I interviewed the directors of Kung Fu Panda 4 last December, they reiterated the obvious: the lead character of Po is pretty much like the actor who plays it: Jack Black. “He’s action-packed, he’s enthusiastic, and he’s a fanboy,” co-director Mike Mitchell told me. In an exclusive interview, I ask Jack if he agrees, and he strikes a Po-like Kung Fu pose.
(Also Read: Exclusive – Kung Fu Panda 4 makers open up on Jack Black, new characters, what’s next in Po’s quest for inner peace)
Hindustan Times – your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.
Po way of life
“I do find similarities with Po. Especially when he meditates and all those thoughts pop around his head, I’m exactly the same. Very difficult to quiet my inner voices, and there are several of me in there. I do relate to his youthful enthusiasm and sense of play and adventure. That’s the kind of way I live my life too,” says Jack. “The benefit of having a character that’s just me is that I don’t have to do much preparation. Maybe just think back to when I was a kid and put on a show – my personal Kung Fu. It was very easy to jump right back into that.”
It’s no surprise then that Jack has played Po for 16 years now – since the very first instalment of the Kung Fu Panda franchise, back in 2008. Over time, Po has rubbed off on Jack slowly and surely, and as he admits, it’s taught him to face his fears in signature Po fashion. “As much as I love putting on a show, I’ve always had a fear of social interactions. I get stage fright, like anybody else. Over the years, there’s been that struggle of finding my own inner peace. I tell myself, ‘Relax, calm down, you’ve been here before. Admit to yourself that it could go great!’”
Jack admits that he’s had to fight the “inner monster of self-doubt” before every movie, every recording, every live show, and even every interview. “I feel like this is going to go badly. I’m not going to be good at this. And I have to calm myself down and tell myself, ‘It’s just your mind,’” he says. Jack’s quest for inner peace thus runs parallel to Po’s, and he agrees the character was hugely helpful in enabling him to pull off what he did last year – sing Taylor Swift’s Anti-Hero naked.
“One nightmare that I often had, and most actors have, is that you’re on stage and you don’t remember what you’re doing there. I said I’m going to recreate my nightmare. So I took off my clothes down to my underpants, because that’s what nightmares do, and I just sang stuff off the top of my head. I took requests from the audience and ended up singing the Taylor Swift song,” Jack says, clarifying that he has no particular affinity towards the singer, but generally gravitates towards pop queens with a distinct voice. This includes Britney Spears, whose song (Baby One More Time) he’s done a cover of, for the end-credits of Kung-Fu Panda 4. “Sorry, I was thinking of Madonna. I should check out her song tonight,” he quips, when he zones out.
Taking life one panda at a time
Lead vocalist of the rock duo called Tenacious D, Jack Black should have no problems playing with his voice and moulding it for any character, any platform. But the actor does have some tricks that have helped him crack the voice of Po over the four films he’s played him in. “I love to read through the whole scene. Some people record it line by line, but I like to record the whole thing, even if it’s bad, to not stop till I get through the whole of it. And then I can go back and work on it line by line,” says Jack.
He adds that the secret sauce of sustainability is to not put in his 100% every time. “Sometimes, it’s good to not try so hard. You tell yourself, ‘I’m going to do my best.’ But it’ll put a strain your voice. This may be bad advice, but I like to phone it in sometimes. When you don’t try too hard, you relax a little bit. That’s also what I do with live music,” says Jack. But that doesn’t imply that he’s chilling in an armchair and gorging on dumplings while recording. He’s as much in action as Po is in the Kung-Fu scenes.
“I actually do the action. That’s how I do it. When Po is physical, I’m physical. When he kicks, I kick. That was important for the director too. He wanted me to sound like I was physical. And that’s the only way,” says Jack in a matter-of-fact way. His sense of humour follows right after when he adds another helpful advice, “Take the change out of your pocket so that there isn’t any jingling.”
Jack may be jingling his way back home, given that he’s earnt a fortune through the Kung Fu Panda franchise. As reports of him hanging on his bamboo stick do the rounds online, Jack dismisses them, reminding me that these rumours also surfaced after Kung Fu Panda 3 in 2016. “Honestly, I just take it one panda at a time. I’ve enjoyed Po so much, so who knows what the future holds? We’re definitely going to do 5,6,7,8, and 9, but who knows if there’s going to be a 10? This conversation comes up every time a new Star Wars thing is out, that there isn’t going to be another. But I’d never predict end of the future like that,” Jack clears the air.
He adds that even if he indeed passes on the torch with Kung Fu Panda 4, he only has gratitude on his mind. “Look, I feel blessed. It’s been an insane life that I get to put on a show and people around the world watch. That’s unfathomable! So any opportunity to do that on a big stage is both terrifying and a dream come true. So I thank my lucky stars that I’m still invited to the show. I can’t believe I’m still doing this. What does it mean to me? It means more opportunities to perform. And I love it. And I hope it goes on forever,” Jack says, signing off.
Kung Fu Panda 4 will release in Indian cinemas on December 15.
Entertainment! Entertainment! Entertainment! 🎞️🍿💃 Click to follow our Whatsapp Channel 📲 Your daily dose of gossip, films, shows, celebrities updates all in one place.
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