This interview took place inside Jack Black’s on-set trailer. In case this isn’t accompanied by visuals, the reader should know that Mr. Black is sporting a cowboy hat and painful looking black eye.

First off, for the folks just hearing about it, can you give a brief synopsis of Nacho Libre? The basic story and your character?

Jack Black: Nacho is a guy who grew up in an orphanage in Mexico. His parents died when he was very young. His father was a Mexican deacon and his mother was Scandinavian missionary. From an early age he was a fighter, a wrestler…but also a man of God. Those two things are sort of at war with each other in his mind. He’s a cook at the orphanage and he wants better ingredients so they can make better food, because everyone’s always saying that his food really sucks. So he devises a plan. If he becomes a wrestler he can make money to bring back more delicious ingredients. This is the story of Nacho Libre.

How much did you know about Lucha before this project?

Jack Black: Well, I had never really experienced Lucha Libre until I got this part, until Jared was talking about how awesome it was and how he wanted to make a movie about it. I remember as a kid the masks, the Mexican wrestling masks, and how cool they looked. Yeah I saw some Lucha live and in person for the first time a few months before we started filming this movie.

They make a huge spectacle out of it from what I hear.

Jack Black: Yeah it’s a show. It’s very theatrical. There’s cool fighting moves but there’s also really funny stuff that happens. The characters are very, either they’re evil, or they’re really great, good guys. They also kind of represent different things. Sometimes one will be like a lawyer, and everyone will be like, “Boooo!” Then the fireman, “Yay!” Different stuff you know?

Is it true the real wrestlers even wear their masks if they’ve got a suit on?

Jack Black: Yeah they keep their identities secret and they never take off their masks in public. They’re pretty serious about that.

You received some angry feedback from the plus size gals back when you did Shallow Hal? You afraid you going to piss off some luchadores if you guys don’t present it the right way?

Jack Black: Yeah I’ve thought about it. I do have a team Delta Force security officers. There’s a ninja in the bathroom. But, you know, it’s coming from a place of great respect. Jared loves, loves Lucha and I’ve grown to love it too. It’s a celebration of it. You’re never going to please everyone. Some people will go, “That’s not the real Lucha, man! They didn’t capture the magic!” You can’t think about it too much. But you’re right, man. Angry luchadores…that’s not what you want. It was one thing on Shallow Hal when I had some angry large women. That I can handle.

What’s the status on Tenacious D: Pick of Destiny?

Jack Black: We’ve shot the film. We’re really proud of it. It’s funny as hell. We’re going to do a re-shoot and add a new song, because we thought of a new one that would be more kick ass than the one that’s in there right now. It should come out in 2006. I don’t know exactly when yet. I’m stoked on it. Meatloaf threw down and so did Dio. We got a lot of awesome cameos, Tim Robbins and Ben Stiller.

Are you going to do the soundtrack to coincide with the film also?

Jack Black: Yeah we put out the soundtrack album. It’ll be our second album. We just went platinum. It’s pretty rad. I was kind of bummed though because I bet Kyle that we would not go platinum until next year. So now I owe him a thousand bucks but, you know, I win anyway.

You’re jumping into the animation world again with Kung-Fu Panda. Can you talk a little bit about that?

Jack Black: Well, it’s the dude that I worked with before.

On Shark Tale?

Jack Black: Yeah, what’s that dude’s name? Jeffrey Katzenberg? Yeah he’s awesome. I’m stoked because he got homeboy from Kung Fu Hustle, Stephen Chow. He’s going to do the voice in China of one of the characters. I don’t know if he’s going to do the panda. I don’t know who he’s going to do. He’s also going to consult on it and I thought Kung Fu Hustle was like one of the best movies of the year. So rad. What’s it about? It’s about a panda who really wants to be a kick ass kung fu artist. [laughs] Yeah, he has to fight some other bad animals.

Then there’s Holiday, that chick flick with Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet?

Jack Black: That’s a sweet, soft and cuddly one for my mom. She wants me to do something she can see. She doesn’t like to go to movies that have violence or any kind of suspense or any kind of negativity whatsoever. I’m stoked because Kate Winslet is so rad. Looking forward to working with her. Always thought she was kick ass.

How you enjoying Oaxaca?

Jack Black: Oaxaca is an amazing city. I’ve been chowing down really fantastically since I’ve been here. Luckily I’ve got the Lucha to keep me from ballooning out.

Had any grasshoppers? Heard they don’t let you back on the plane without chomping on a few?

Jack Black: Dude I did have some grasshopper enchilada. Here’s the thing, it tastes good, but you’re not going to be able to not think about it because you’re eating it and, “Now, yes, I distinctly tasted a wing. Or, okay, that was an elbow joint of a bug. That was it’s skull. I just crushed its skull.”

A lot of anticipation surrounding King Kong’s release next month.

Jack Black: I had so much fun on that one. Yeah, Peter Jackson, he’s the king.

Peter Jackson was quoted as saying he thought of Carl Denham as a young Orson Welles and you came to mind. Also what was it like working outside the comedy arena? Were you allowed to improvise at all or was it kept tighter because it’s more of a straight movie?

Jack Black: I don’t think I pulled off Orson Wellsian part of it. I brought my stylings to the table. I wasn’t able to improvise in there because we’re talking from 1930s and it’s very difficult for me to improvise in that mode. It’s almost like a different language the words that they used. But, you know, I got crazy. It’s a pretty fun character. He’s really obsessed with making the most amazing film that makes people freak out and it’s pretty intense. It’s straight in that it’s not a comedy but it’s not straight like a drama like Kramer vs. Kramer. That would’ve been a hard one to do. This is just like action adventure. It was fun. I’d never done one before.

At this point in the interview Jack Black points to the black eye.

Jack Black: Were you going to ask me about my kick ass shiner? I could’ve slipped and landed on a popsicle.

How did you get your shiner Jack Black?

Jack Black: I got a little in the line of duty. It was a kick ass Lucha wrestling match and I dove out of the Lucha ring to tackle an opponent and then we both fell down to the ground. It’s just part of the job man. You got to pick yourself up and get ready to Lucha again.

You’re a warrior. Nacho Libre has got a lot of tough fighters running around in colorful capes and costumes. Any ideas for merchandising yet?

Jack Black: For real though, I was thinking that this would be the most awesome video game. The Nacho Libre video game. This movie takes place in the seventies. I don’t know if I told you. 1970s Mexico. He’s driving around on this little, he calls it his chariot, but really it’s like a moped with a platform to stand on. My chariot. So in the video game, Nacho would just be driving around in his chariot all around town and beating up bad guys and doing good deeds. If his good deed-o-meter gets high enough, he gets extra powers. It would be really fun, but I think of it as like Atari level graphics. I wouldn’t want like the X-Box 360 graphics. It could be played on the X-Box, but it would look like a turd, but it would be really fun. You know what I mean? I miss the old turd games. Maybe I’m alone.

Stay Tuned For Our Second Report from the Set of Nacho Libre!

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