It seems Jack Black took requests at a SAG-AFTRA fundraiser on October 25, and the Kung-Fu Panda himself ended up stripping off while singing Taylor Swift’s Anti-Hero.
A hilarious clip captured by fans on Twitter has revealed the School of Rock star entertaining the crowd following a stand-up set during the Give Back-ular Spectacular! fundraiser at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles.
One audience member suggested a song, to which he replied: “I know that. Yes, I know that one. I can’t do that one. We’re in a strike.” However, when another suggested Swift’s hit single from the 2022 album Midnights, Black was all in. “I know that one,” he added. “Everyone knows that f**king song.”
Watching Jack Black strip and then serenade us with Taylor Swift wasn’t on my bingo card for 2023. pic.twitter.com/CU6R7WPgf0
— Amrita Khalid (@askhalid) October 26, 2023
Black soon began his own rendition of the song, belting it out for an adoring crowd. “It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me.” Black strutted around on stage, performing a signature kick or two as he posed for the enraptured audience. Even as he forgot the lyrics somewhat, he managed to keep the room captivated, stripping down to his boxers in the process.
Other performers at the event included Rachel Bloom, LeVar Burton, Nicole Byer, Bryan Cranston, Lil Dicky, Lindsay Dougherty, Simon Helberg, Janelle James, Michael McKean, Kumail Nanjiani, Patton Oswalt, June Diane Raphael, Andrea Savage, Dax Shepard, and Julian Velard.
The light-hearted moment was part of a fundraiser to raise emergency relief funds for both union and non-union crew members in need during the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike. The strike, which has been in place since July 14, has ground Hollywood productions to a halt as the actors bargain with the AMPTP to strike a new deal.
Meanwhile, it looks as though SAG-AFTRA may have made some progress in ending the strike, with the union delivering its latest proposal to the AMPTP on October 26. According to Variety, talks will resume on October 27 with both sides now trying to avoid a complete breakdown in negotiations.
Want to read more about the actors’ strike? Check out why Deadpool 3’s release date is at risk due to the strike and read the AMPTP’s shocking proposal for actors and AI.
Image credit: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
