Black was born in California, the son of two satellite engineers, Judith (née Cohen) and Thomas William Black; his mother worked on the Hubble Space Telescope. Jack Black's mother is Jewish and his father converted to Judaism; Black was thus raised Jewish. On The Tonight Show he said his surname may come from the Scottish occupational name Blacksmith. His parents divorced when he was 10. Jack Black had a Bull Mastiff and Rottweiler mix named Chico. Chico died of parvovirus soon after Jack's parents divorced. Black moved to Culver City with his father and frequently visited his mother’s home until the end of his first year of college at UCLA when his father’s family moved to France. As a child, Black appeared in an early Atari Pitfall! commercial, which was later shown during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live and again on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
When he entered high school, his parents suggested that he should transfer to the Poseidon School, a private secondary school engineered specifically for students struggling in the traditional school system. Black eagerly accepted the proposition, afraid that he would only be bullied if he remained in public school.
He also attended the Crossroads School, where he excelled in drama. Black later attended UCLA but dropped out during his sophomore year to pursue a career in the entertainment business, at which point his father discontinued his financial support. Fellow UCLA veteran Tim Robbins later cast Black in Bob Roberts. He also had recurring roles on the HBO sketch comedy series Mr. Show.
Regarding exercise, Black has been quoted as saying that Ultimate Frisbee is the only form of exercise that he doesn't hate. Black dated actress and comedian Laura Kightlinger from 1997 until 2005. In January 2006, he became engaged to Tanya Haden (daughter of the jazz double bassist Charlie Haden). Haden herself is an accomplished cellist. Both attended Crossroads school, but met again 15 years after graduating, at a friend's birthday party. Black proposed marriage around Christmas 2005 with a $50,000 Neil Lane ring. They married on March 14, 2006, in Big Sur, California. Their son, Samuel Jason "Sammy" Black, was born on June 10, 2006, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. On May 23 2008, Black and his wife welcomed their second child, another boy, whom they named Thomas "Tommy" Black, Jr..
Black has recently stated, during the 2008 Vh1 "Rock Honors," that his favorite band is The Who.
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