Jack Black On Psychedelics: 'Whole For The First Time' At Age 13, But Then 'Locked In An Insane Brain Prison'

Jack Black, renowned actor and musician, recounted his tumultuous teenage years marked by drug use and how theater therapy helped him overcome that dark time in his life.

In a chat on Dax Shepard‘s “Armchair Expert” podcast, Black revealed that his journey into drugs began at a very young age.

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“Once I got my bar mitzvah at 13 years old and became a man I was now ready to experiment with [drugs],” he told Shepard. “And also I was just getting into heavy metal music, and I don't want to blame heavy metal music for my dark path, but it was definitely the rite of passage in a Beavis and Butthead way.”

Growing up, Black said he felt a compelling need to prove his manhood through dangerous activities. “The more dangerous it was, the more attractive it became to me.”

He described his relationship with the friend who introduced him to LSD. “I did look up to him like a big brother figure, or I had a thing where I wanted a father figure, even though I had a great dad, but I wanted the dark dad. I wanted the one that was going to show me the ways of the dark side.”

Early Experience With Psychedelics And Cocaine

Black’s early experiences with psychedelics were a mix of euphoria and terror. “I remember that night laughing as hard as I'd ever laughed and having this strange feeling of being whole for the first time, ” he recalled.

However, he added that the initial joy quickly turned into a nightmarish experience. “It was so bad that I was locked in this insane brain prison where all I could see was chess pieces going off into infinity playing a game with myself.”

His foray into cocaine soon followed, driven by a desire to keep up with his “big bro crew of heavy metal maniacs.” Reflecting on the coke high, Black said, “It gives you a brief energy that lets you delve deeper than you normally would with other people.”

A Turning Point: School For At-Risk Youth

Due to his drug use and resulting conflicts, Black’s parents enrolled him in a school for at-risk youth. It was here that he discovered theater and began to find healthier outlets for his struggles.

“There was a theater teacher named Deb Devine who I latched onto and she taught us all improvisation games… and got us all thinking about telling stories and it was kind of theater therapy,” said the 54-year-old star who was born in Santa Monica, California.

A pivotal moment came when Black found himself in the office of the school therapist. “It only took me about a minute before I started spilling my guts… The drugs, but mainly the betrayal of my mom who just was unconditional love for me, and she didn't know that I had stolen money to get the drugs. And I just bawled my eyes out.”

The Path To Success

Encouraged by his theater teacher, Black transferred to Crossroads, a private school in Santa Monica known for its excellent theater program. This move marked the beginning of his journey toward recovery and professional success.

“I had dreams there of being in the theater and having the power of flight… The theater and that world will always be the main thing,” he said. Black’s passion for theater led him to UCLA, but he eventually dropped out to pursue acting full-time.

His career has since flourished, with notable roles in “The Holiday,” “Nacho Libre,” the “Kung Fu Panda” series, “School of Rock” and “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” He is also one half of the successful rock duo Tenacious D.

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Image created by Franca Quarneti using photos from Shutterstock.