What role did Jack Black play in The X-Files? The School of Rock star's unrecognizable appearance, revisited

The X-Files is one of the most iconic TV shows, which began 22 years ago in September 1993. The popular sci-fi series has countless actors who had just started their careers at that point. One of these actors is Jack Black, who appeared only in one episode of the iconic Fox show, which is over two decades old at this point. This makes him part of a long list of actors who appeared in that series before they became famous.

For the uninitiated, the School of Rock actor appeared in an episode of the Fox series back in 1995, when it was in its third season. However, his role in the show was minuscule, and it wasn't until High Fidelity and School of Rock that Jack Black struck a chord with people across the world. In comparison, we see his character die in his The X-Files appearance.

For those who don't know, the show follows FBI agents, Fox Mulder, played by David Duchovny, and Dana Scully, played by Gillian Anderson, as they solve supernatural cases.

"The truth is out there. FBI agents Scully and Mulder seek it in this sci-fi phenomenon about their quest to explain the seemingly unexplainable. Their strange cases include UFO sightings, alien encounters and abductions, and just about everything else among the paranormal."

Jack Black's The X-Files role explained:

As mentioned earlier, Black appeared in The X-Files Season 3. He played a prominent role in the third episode of said season, despite his limited appearance. The episode titled "D.P.O." sees Scully and Mulder in Oklahoma as they try to solve the mysterious case of deaths caused by lightning. The synopsis for the episode reads:

"The agents investigate the deaths of several young people who were apparently struck by lightning in the same small town."

Jack Black plays the role of Bart “Zero” Liquori, who is the owner of an arcade. He falls victim to the main antagonist of the episode, Darin Peter Oswald, who is played by Giovanni Ribisi. This episode, like every other The X-Files episode, sees Mulder and Scully in a race against time to stop a super-powered villain of the week.

What is Jack Black up to now?

Today, Jack Black is one of the most successful celebrities in Hollywood. As mentioned earlier, his breakthrough came in the aughts with 2000's High Fidelity, and 2003's School of Rock. Since then, he has been one of the most loved Hollywood actors. However, it should be noted that in addition to being an actor, Black is also the co-founder of the comedy rock band, Tenacious D.

The band, formed in 1994, and has had a huge following over its thirty-year journey. However, one of the most controversial moments in Tenacious D's history was in July 2024, when Jack Black cancelled the band's then ongoing tour in response to his band partner Kyle Gass's comments regarding the attempts on Donald Trump's life at that time. Black released this statement, much to the chagrin of the fans:

“I was blindsided by what was said at the show on Sunday. I would never condone hate speech or encourage political violence in any form. After much reflection, I no longer feel it is appropriate to continue the Tenacious D tour, and all future creative plans are on hold. I am grateful to the fans for their support and understanding.”

A month later, Black addressed the band's future at Borderlands premiere to Variety's journalist Marc Malkin. After revealing that they needed a break, Black revealed that all was fine between him and Gass. Needless to say that his The X-Files days are behind him.

Catch Jack Black's The X-Files episode on Hulu.

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