Jack Black says his biggest acting regret is passing on the chance to voice Syndrome, the villain in Pixar’s 2004 hit “The Incredibles,” after he questioned the script and pushed for changes.
In a Dec. 25 interview on Capital FM while promoting his new film “Anaconda,” Black said he usually avoids naming roles he turned down because it can undercut the actor who took the part. Then he named this one anyway. “I was offered, and I do regret it, saying no… I was offered Syndrome in that fantastic movie ‘The Incredibles’ — one of my favorites of all time,” he said. “And I said no because I was like, ‘Uhhh, [director] Brad Bird? Never heard of him!’”
Black said he viewed the character as thin on the page and asked Bird for a rewrite to give the villain added dimension. He recalled telling the filmmaker he was interested but wanted changes, then paraphrased Bird’s response as a quick dismissal: “Yeah, you’re done. Get out of here.”
The part went to Jason Lee, and the movie became one of Pixar’s signature titles. “The Incredibles” earned wide acclaim and took in over $630 million worldwide, a performance that later supported a 2018 sequel and active development on another installment. Black said watching the finished film stung. “I learned a valuable lesson,” he said, adding, “Why was I being so difficult?!”
The story also shows how Black’s relationship with animation shifted after that missed shot. He has since anchored major voice roles, including Po in DreamWorks’ “Kung Fu Panda” films and Bowser in 2023’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” with another Mario entry scheduled for 2025.
Pixar, meanwhile, is moving ahead with “Incredibles 3.” Peter Sohn is attached to direct, with Brad Bird returning to write the screenplay, and Disney has pointed to 2028 as the release window.
