June 13, 2006

When you think "morning person," Jack Black isn't the first celebrity that comes to mind. However, the rock-loving comedian surprised the press by being awake and on time for some very early (8 a.m.) interviews to promote his new movie "Nacho Libre" last week. Black was a big fan of "Nacho" director Jared Hess' first movie, a little flick called "Napoleon Dynamite," and made it very clear he was eager to work with him.

"That's why I reached out to him, as we say in the Hollywood insider's community," Black says, with his constantly mocking straight face. "I said, 'Jared, I'm a fan of your work. I assume you're a fan of mine. Let's work together.'"

Hess had followed Mexico's Lucha Libre professional wrestling since he was a kid, but Black admits he wasn't as well versed in the sport. That's not to say Black wasn't a fan of good old-fashioned American wrestling like the WWF (or WWE as it's called these days).

"I liked Rowdy Roddy Piper. He was my favorite, just because he was crazy," Black says. "I'm always drawn to the psycho nuts, and he seemed legitimately kind of cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs."

Nickelodeon movies such as "Nacho" are the antithesis of "psycho," especially with their PG ratings. Does Black worry about losing fans who expect his work to be a tad edgier?

"I don't really think in terms of that, I think in terms of whether it makes me laugh," Black says. "Like I'm doing the 'Tenacious D' movie, that is like practically rated Z, it's so profane."

With Black and his wife expecting their first child this month, can we expect to hear Tenacious D playing in the Black household in the future?

"I don't know if it's been proven that bad words harm a child's brain," Black says. "Tenacious D has a couple of songs that are OK for kids. Once he's 13, I think he's allowed to hear some bad words."

The prospect of being a dad seems genuinely exciting to Black, and like most young parents, he and his wife have stocked the house with more baby accessories than any non-parent could imagine. He notes, "Our house has been turned into a complex system of weights and pulleys with baby booby traps and everything."

Yet, before Black leaves for baby duty, there is time for one final statement in regards to "Nacho Libre." It appears Black previously made an off-the-cuff remark that he'd rather be naked than wear the wrestling tights in "Nacho."

"I was wrong when I said that before," Black says. "I'd like to call this press conference to print a retraction. I would definitely rather wear the tights than be naked because they cover my penis. The end."

Indeed.

"Nacho Libre" opens nationwide June 16.