Anaconda stars Jack Black and Paul Rudd visit WIRED to answer their most searched for questions on Google (and a couple about giant snakes, for good measure.) Is Jack Black the voice of Kung Fu Panda? What did Paul Rudd do before acting? Is Jack Black fluent in Spanish? What is Paul Rudd’s best movie? Who are Jack Black’s favorite band? When did Paul Rudd host SNL? Answers to these questions and plenty more await on the WIRED Autocomplete Interview of Jack Black and Paul Rudd.ANACONDA is exclusively in movie theaters December 25, 2025. https://anacondamovie.com/
Video Transcript
– Hi, I’m Jack Black.
– And I’m Paul Rudd.
– And this is the Wired Autocomplete Interview.
[Paul claps] [upbeat music] – I still don’t quite understand the rules of this game, and I’ve done this before.
[upbeat music] What is Jack Black… And I pull this off, right?
I think so.
What is Jack Black about?
– What is Jack Black about?
That suggests it’s not a question about me.
It suggests it’s a question about a book called Jack Black.
What’s Jack Black about, the book?
Jack Black’s all about entertainment.
– Oh, yeah.
– [Producer] Perfect.
– Wait, there’s no right or wrong?
– [Producer] No, it’s just you- – You just answer the question, yeah.
– You can’t win or lose this game.
Oh, I love it.
– You can only win.
You can only win.
– [Producer] Yeah, next question.
– I stand by that answer.
– All right.
Is Jack Black “Kung Fu Panda?”
– The answer is yes.
– [Producer] How many times did you do that?
– How many times did I do “Kung Fu Panda?”
Dude, so many times, because there’s like one, two, three, and then there was also a four, but then there was also a TV.
I’m gonna say six.
– [Producer] Fun experience?
– So fun.
Dude, role of a lifetime.
I’ve been doing it longer than any role I’ve done.
– Who is Jack Black’s favorite band?
– That’s tough.
’cause it’s constantly in flux.
If I had to pick…
This is gonna sound boring.
It’s like your favorite ice cream is vanilla.
It’s The Beatles.
– It’s the only answer.
– It’s the best band in the world.
– [Producer] Any new one?
Any current one?
– Oh, look at this guy.
Look at this guy.
– He hates The Beatles.
– Well, he wants to know what’s the latest, like, the hot, new, fresh… – Yeah, what are the kids listening to now, these days?
– You know what?
I was in the makeup and hair trailer with my beautician Roz Music, and she said, “Let’s listen to this new record.
It’s the lead singer from Geese solo album.
What’s that guy’s name?
Christian McCafferty?
– [Producer] Cameron Winter.
– Cameron Winter.
Check out his album called “Heavy Metal.”
There’s no heavy metal on the album, but what a brilliant poet.
Have you checked out this?
– No.
– Hot tip, Cameron Winter.
And everyone, it’s the flavor of the month.
Everyone’s like, me, me, me, I, me, me.
You know, it’s kind of annoying when you got…
When you like the thing that…
It’s really hot right now.
– Everyone’s listening to it.
Right, yeah.
– But I’m gonna say that that heat is justified.
– Is Jack Black fluent in Spanish?
– Nope.
But I can fake it pretty good.
Like I can… [speaking in foreign language] But really, I need to practice a lot more to really, really know Spanish.
I don’t really know it.
– You fooled me, man.
That sounded pretty good.
– Yeah, I know it sounds fluent.
– [Paul] What did Jack Black just say?
– Is that really the question there?
– Yeah.
They knew you were gonna do that, man.
That’s brilliant.
Oh my God.
– The answer is, the answer is.
We’re in a vortex now.
Now the answer is we’re in a vortex now.
Now the answer is it never ends.
It never ends.
Next question.
Oh, damn dude!
– Oh, I almost knocked that picture off the wall.
– I think there’s a new Kung Fu Panda in town.
What music does Paul Rudd like?
– Oh my gosh.
I mean, there’s many types of music that I like.
That’s an impossible question.
I would say that I’m gonna go…
I mean, I can say alt rock.
– Ooh, yeah.
– Yeah.
Pretty crazy answer.
– Yeah.
– I like classic rock, I like 70 soft rock.
– Yeah.
– I like old school country.
– [Jack] Hell yeah.
– I like Irish music.
– Keep going.
– I like classical music.
– Ooh, man.
– I think it’s really good, classical music.
– Hell yeah.
– I’m gonna go with that.
Let’s go with… – Let’s drill down a little bit.
– Okay.
– Name one classical composer that you actually like.
– Oh my God.
Well, Bach, my favorite.
– Ah, dude, good answer.
That’s my favorite.
– He’s The Beatles of classical music.
– That’s exactly right.
All roads lead to Bach.
– Dude, I think, I may be wrong, that The Beatles might have stolen a little Bach.
– Oh, yeah, I think everyone did.
– No, that’s Beethoven.
– What about “Blackbird?”
That comes from… – Oh, yeah.
Fing dun ding dun ding dun ding.
Bach.
– Bach.
– What were you gonna say though, before I so rudely interrupted you?
– That I love Bach.
– Okay.
You know what’s interesting to me?
What was not in your list of genres.
– Heavy metal?
– Jazz.
– Jazz.
I like jazz.
– Liar.
– I do like jazz.
– You hate jazz.
– No, I don’t.
But the jazz that I like, it’s like country, I like some of the old school… And then I can get into some Mingus where, you know, you veer into- – Oh, Mingus!
I was gonna say name one, but you went to Mingus.
You’re legit, you’re legit.
– So Mingus is a… Yeah, that’s… You don’t start with Mingus.
You graduate to Mingus.
– That’s a real jazz aficionado answer.
Next!
What did Paul Rudd do before acting?
– I glazed hams.
– For real?
– For real, I did that.
I cleaned hot tubs.
I delivered newspapers.
I worked in a restaurant in the kitchen.
I’ve had a lot of weird jobs.
I DJ’ed and MC’d, you know, like kids’ parties.
– Nice.
– Weddings and Bar Mitzvahs and Bat Mitzvahs.
Maybe a couple of Benet Mitzvahs.
– This is all news to me.
I didn’t know any of this.
– Yeah.
There’s some other weird ones that…
I had a lot of really kind of strange jobs.
– All I know is I want to come over to your house when it’s glazed ham time.
And when you are spinning the DJ discs for the after ham dance party.
– Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
The post ham party is- – Dude, for real, I’m coming over.
– Anytime you want, Jack.
– You say that.
– I do say it but I mean it.
– But when I come to town and I give you the jingle, it goes straight to voicemail.
And what is Paul Rudd’s best movie?
– I’m supposed to answer that?
– Yep.
– Oh, well, that’s easy.
That’s Star Wars.
– I thought you were gonna say “Anaconda.”
Wait, you’re not… You’re not in Star Wars.
– You’re right.
Wait, what am I in?
– What’s Paul Rudd’s best movie?
– I’m gonna go Anaconda.
– It’s not what’s Paul Rudd’s favorite movie.
What was Paul Rudd Celery Man about?
– Got me.
– It’s a Tim and Eric sketch.
– Oh, man.
– And Celery, it was a… You know, I was playing a guy who was at work that had a very important work to do.
They got a little…
I don’t know, maybe on company time, did some things for myself with a computer.
– Dude… You’re a genius.
– You’re a genius.
– You’re like The Beatles of comedy.
And the Bach.
– You’re the Bach and The Beatles of… You’re Jack Bach, not Jack Black.
Just keep this up.
Just keep that.
Oh yeah.
Oh, God damn.
– Ooh.
Oh, wow.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
[both making comical noises] – I almost knocked the picture over again.
– We’ve got more boards?
That was definitely the grand finale.
Seven total?
– All right.
I’ll this one.
What are Jack Black’s hobbies?
– Nobody knows this.
I’m a numismatist.
Do you know what that means?
– No.
– Coin collector.
I love coins.
And I got a rad coin.
My best coin is probably my 1792 flowing hair penny.
I don’t think it’s 1792.
I’m not a very good coin collector.
I can’t even remember the date of my favorite coin.
– That’s very interesting.
– What’s rad about this penny.
It’s a flowing hair penny.
And the Puritanical Ways of America at that time were like, it’s like pornography.
Her hair is blowing in the wind.
Stop making that coin immediately.
And then the coin’s value skyrocketed because there’s only…
There’s not that many of ’em.
– It’s like the Honus Wagner of coins.
– And it also has like a little historical value, tells about this puritanical religious kind of like… – It’s really super…
I think it’s really interesting.
– It’s kind of cool.
– It is really cool.
– And my other favorite coin, there’s a standing liberty quarter.
It’s back when quarters were made of pure silver, and there’s a breast revealed, one breast.
And you can tell the quality of the coin based on the nipple definition.
So what I’m saying is my best coins are all slightly pornographic.
– Those are the ones to get.
Those are absolutely the ones to get.
And a numis… A numismatist… – Numismatist.
Is the proper pronunciation.
– A numismatist.
Is a philatelist something about like a stamp collecting?
Fallacious?
– That’s what I heard.
– That sounded a little weird.
That’s something else.
What is Jack Black’s character in “School of Rock?”
– Dewey Finn.
But his alter ego, when he pretends to be a real substitute teacher, is…
Hold on, don’t tell me.
I should remember this.
– I can.
– It’s Professor Schneebly.
– Ned.
– Ned Schneebly.
Thank you.
– Ned Schneebly.
And I say it because I’ve seen that movie so many times, and I’ve said this to you and I’ve said it over and over again to anyone who will listen.
One of the greatest performances of any movie, comedic, everything, all time, for sure.
– I’ll just say the reason why, if I was good in that movie, it’s because that role was written for me.
Mike White is a straight up genius.
– He is.
– On “White Lotus” now.
And if you ever get a chance…
If Mike White ever writes a part for you, jump.
Just do it, dude.
– Mike White, you and Linklater.
That’s like a murderer’s row.
What did Jack Black recently do?
– A little movie called “Anaconda,” motherfucker.
See it in theaters on December 25th, worldwide.
Merry Christmas.
– What is Jack Black’s vocal range?
Oh, that’s a good question.
– I have a 17 octave range.
– Wow.
– It starts down here.
D’oh.
– No.
Dogs are barking.
– Did you hear it?
– [Paul] I hear the dogs barking in the distance.
– Toss that motherfucker.
– All right.
– [Jack] “Anaconda.”
– Why do anacondas get so big?
– Because they’re aroused.
I don’t know.
– Yeah.
That’s exactly right.
– Next.
Why do Anacondas give live birth?
What does that even mean?
– I dunno, what are they gonna do a prerecorded birth?
– They’re gonna give dead birth.
– [Producer] No eggs.
– No eggs?
– Oh!
– Oh.
Oh, well, they don’t have eggs.
– Yeah.
– That’s why.
– Yeah.
No eggs.
– What came first, the anaconda or the egg?
– It’s an age old question.
– Do Anacondas have a personality?
– Not really great ones.
– I don’t… Yeah, I think- – I don’t really know.
– You’ve seen one, you’ve seen ’em all.
I don’t wanna insult any anacondas that might be watching, but they’re not real snuggly.
Not the most affectionate creatures in the universe.
– Can you pet an anaconda?
– Technically, yeah.
– You can try.
– Yeah.
That is a slimy, slithery one.
Last one.
Might an anaconda eat you?
– Yeah, I think… – Uh, yeah.
– I think so.
Eat you up, regurgitate you, eat you again.
– Deliciouso.
Might I eat an anaconda?
They say they taste just like chicken.
Be careful, you guys.
This is coming in hot.
– Can’t wait till “Kung Fu Panda 7,” after that.
– Oh.
Last but not least.
The final word boot card Countdown – What team does Paul Rudd like?
I could answer this one.
– Go for it.
– Kansas City motherfucker Chiefs.
– We’re playing right now.
– Kansas City Chief.
Oh dude, we’re missing it.
– Oh, I know.
First time in a long, long time.
Can we get a score?
– Right now it’s seven-three.
I was just watching it before we came.
First quarter.
When did Paul Rudd host SNL?
– Well, I’ve hosted a few times.
The last time I hosted- – Are you a five timer?
– I am.
– Come on baby.
– And the last time was the only time a show was canceled the day of.
Omicron outbreak.
– Oh my God.
– So we had to kind of go on the fly.
It was interesting.
– Wow.
– Yeah.
– [Jack] Why did Paul Rudd join “Friends?”
– I was certainly fortunate enough to get an audition.
I was in Los Angeles at the time.
I went down, I met Lisa Kudrow.
I read with her.
I got this part.
It was only supposed to be a couple of episodes, but it was amazing.
It just kind of kept going.
So it was a surprise to me.
– I guess the answer is ’cause you wanted to.
– Because I was lucky enough to get the part.
– Yeah, because they asked.
Next.
How Paul Rudd got shredded?
– Oh, well, it’s my life.
[Jack laughing] You know, I mean, well, a lot of times…
It depends.
It depends if it’s a pull day, leg day.
Might be, if I’m working tris and bis, could be lats, could be squats, could be deadlifts.
I don’t know.
You know, it’s just…
It’s just a way of life.
That’s what I do.
– Dude, I wish I could one time be shredded like you.
– By the way, anyone can be.
– I spent some time in the gymnasium and it never seems to reap the benefits.
– I’m not… Me either, by the way.
That was just…
It was a fleeting thing.
– Can I just like follow you around for a couple months and just do whatever you do?
Eat whatever you eat, leg lift whatever you leg lift, et cetera.
– You absolutely can but I think you’ll find yourself to be mightily disappointed.
I’m not a gym rat.
– Alright, well it starts now.
– We’re in.
– What’s for lunch?
– Well, probably just a big plate of fries.
– I can do this.
– Covered in frosting.
– This is easy.
That’s all the boards.
I feel strong about it.
– I would like to say a special thanks to whomever it was that so beautifully taped over the questions.
Because that’s a lot of work.
– Yeah.
– To really get that done correctly.
And I feel as if they go unheralded.
– They really do.
And it was so user friendly ’cause they had the tab that was easy to peel off the front.
– Yeah, there’s like a… And they also fold over the corner so it’s popped up.
So it’s easy to do.
You make it easy for us, so thank you.
– Is that person here who did that?
– Come here.
– Get in here.
– All right, come here.
What’s your name?
– What’s your name?
– My name is Lauren.
– Lauren.
Lauren, do you do this for all of the people that do this?
– Whenever I’m on Wired Autocomplete, then I do do this.
– Lauren, you’re the MVP.
– Thank you Lauren.
– Thank you.
There was more.
– What makes Lauren tick?
Come on, get in here, Lauren.
– [Lauren] What makes Lauren tick?
– Yeah, what makes… You go, we’re looking at this camera right here with the green tape.
– With the green smile.
– And the smiley face, yeah.
– Nothing right now.
– Yes.
– I can’t think of anything.
I’m too cheesed.
– You’re cheesed?
– Gen Z lingo here.
– Oh, that’s it.
I don’t know what it is.
I felt cheesed.
You wanna chuck this one?
– Chuck it.
– Come on Lauren, chuck it.
– Oh yeah.
– Oh yeah!
– [Producer] Thank you.
Okay, cut.
Thank you so much, y’all.