Jack Black is well-known for his wild comedy roles, but far fewer know about his family life and the tragedy they had to deal with when he was young. The actor has been talking about it with Parade magazine, reminiscing about his older brother, a gay man who sadly died of AIDS.
He says, “I have two gay siblings: my big sister, Rachel, and my big brother, Howard. He was a big influence on me. He took me to my first rock concert. I was 11; he was 23. He was so vibrant, creative, amazing. He shaped my taste in music. [Death] didn’t happen quickly. We all saw the deterioration. He was only 31. So very young. We were robbed of something precious. It was devastating. It was hard for all of us, but it was hardest for my mom when we lost Howard. She’s never really recovered.”
Howard died in 1989, when Jack was 20. He also suggests that having lost his brother has effected how he is with his own children, with a heightened sense of wanting to protect them from pain.
Black opened up during promotion for his new film Goosebumps, a family friendly romp which you wouldn’t think would lead to one of his most open and wide-ranging interviews, but the whole thing is well worth reading, taking in his family, past drug use, meeting his wife and more.
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