Jack Black & Paul Rudd Answer The Web's Most Searched Questions | WIRED

Jack Black's six-time Panda tenure

Black has voiced Po in six total Kung Fu Panda productions, including four feature films and the television series, making it the longest-running role of his career at over a decade.

Paul Rudd's pandemic SNL cancellation

Though a certified 'five-timer' on Saturday Night Live, Rudd's last hosting gig was the only episode in the show's history cancelled day-of due to the Omicron outbreak, forcing the cast to improvise on the fly.

School of Rock was written specifically for Black

Black reveals that Mike White (creator of The White Lotus) wrote the role of Dewey Finn specifically for him, advising actors to 'jump' immediately if White ever writes a part for them.

Friends role was originally temporary

Rudd's role as Phoebe's husband Mike Hannigan was only intended for two episodes, but after reading with Lisa Kudrow, the character continued indefinitely through the series finale.

Black's vanilla answer: The Beatles

While Jack Black calls The Beatles his all-time favorite, his current recommendation is Cameron Winter's solo album 'Heavy Metal,' which contains no heavy metal but features 'brilliant' poetic lyrics.

Rudd graduates to Mingus

Paul Rudd names Bach as his favorite classical composer (calling him 'the Beatles of classical music') and demonstrates deep jazz knowledge by citing Charles Mingus as a 'graduated level' artist you don't start with.

Genre exclusions reveal tastes

Rudd lists diverse favorites including 70s soft rock, old school country, Irish music, and classical, but notably excludes heavy metal; Black admits he can only 'fake' Spanish fluency despite sounding convincing.

Black collects 'pornographic' coins

A numismatist, Jack Black specifically collects early American coins with puritanical controversies, including the 'flowing hair' penny (valuable because exposed hair was considered obscene) and standing liberty quarters where 'nipple definition' indicates mint quality.

Rudd's ham-glazing and DJ past

Before acting, Paul Rudd worked as a DJ for weddings and bar mitzvahs, glazed hams, cleaned hot tubs, and delivered newspapers, describing his resume as 'a lot of really strange jobs.'

'Shredded' physique was temporary

Contrary to his permanent reputation for fitness, Rudd admits his famously shredded physique was merely a 'fleeting thing' tied to specific roles rather than a consistent lifestyle.