Jack Black shares two sons with his wife, Tanya Haden
Jack Black is well-known for his comedic skills, but the funny man is also a family man.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie star is a proud father of two boys. Black and his wife, Tanya Haden, became parents shortly after they got married in 2006. The pair eloped in March of that year and welcomed their first child, son Sammy, in June. Two years later, their second son, Tommy, was born.
“My children are magical creatures and I love them to death,” the father-of-two told The Guardian in 2011. “But it is challenging. It takes a lot of energy.”
Although Black loves to crack a joke, he takes fatherhood very seriously. “What surprised me is how much I worry,” the comedian told PEOPLE in 2023, describing the parenting role as “signing up for a whole lifetime of just wanting the best for them.”
Over the years, Black has brought his boys to several A-list events — including movie premieres, his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony and Easter celebrations with Angelina Jolie and her family. Still, the boys aren’t always impressed. “They’re teenagers,” Black told PEOPLE in 2023. “They want to get as far away from me as possible.”
As for the Goosebumps star, he can’t get enough family time. During the pandemic, the actor was able to rediscover the “luxury” of being able to stay home with his kids. “We got to hang out all the time,” he told PEOPLE in 2023. “And now that I’m back to work on the set of a movie, I really miss them.”
During an interview for NBC Nightly News: Kids Edition in March 2024, Black said his “walks and talks” with Sammy and Tommy remain one of his favorite parts about being a dad. “Whenever we’re able to share the things that are important in life, about friends and relationships, it really gives life meaning,” he added.
Here’s everything to know about Jack Black’s two sons, Sammy and Tommy.
Samuel “Sammy” Jason Black, 17
Three months after eloping, Black and Haden welcomed their first son, Samuel Jason Black — affectionately called “Sammy” by his dad — on June 10, 2006.
During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2020, Black revealed that he named his older child in honor of Sammy Davis Jr. “He is the ultimate triple-threat showman of the century,” Black said of the legendary Rat Pack member who inspired Sammy’s name.
And it appears Sammy takes after his namesake. “Sammy is very musical,” the actor told The Guardian in 2011. “I already got him a guitar. He’s very talented.” Despite Sammy’s initial sparks of talent, the dad-of-two added that he wouldn’t push his kids toward musical careers. “There’s not going to be any pressure on Sam at all. He’s going to be free to be his own man,” Black said.
Sammy has collaborated with his dad on the movie side of things, though. In 2016, he had a small role in Kung Fu Panda 3, voicing one of the bunnies in the animated film. A few years later, Black brought Sammy and his brother Tommy to the premiere of Jumanji: The Next Level.
Afterward, Sammy decided to give the film some honest feedback. On Live with Kelly and Ryan in 2019, Black explained that his older son enjoyed writing movie reviews on Instagram and decided to do one for Jumanji.
“He gave it a nice review and it’s the best review I could hope for,” he said, adding that Sammy gave the film an 8.5 rating. “I don’t really care about any of the reviews except for that one, so it was very touching to me.”
Since then, the teen has gotten even more creative. “[He] gets a kick out of some of my stories that I tell him about Hollywood adventures,” Black told PEOPLE in 2022. The actor went on to say that Sammy asked him if he could make a movie about said adventures. “I’m like, ‘You bet. You go. Run with it, my son. My stories are your stories. That is what I can bestow upon you,’ ” Black said.
Thomas “Tommy” David Black, 16
On May 23, 2008, Black and Haden welcomed their second son, Thomas David Black. “Tommy” was named after his father, who shares the same birth name.
At the Cannes Film Festival in 2011, Black revealed that during her second pregnancy, Haden received a noteworthy gift from none other than Jolie, who was expecting twins at the same time, per Today.
“My wife, Tanya, was like, ‘That is the most amazing maternity dress I’ve ever seen,’ ” Black told Access Hollywood alongside Jolie. “And then, what do we get in the mail like the next week? That gown. You sent it over. It was one of the sweetest gifts of all time.”
For Black, being the dad of two boys hasn’t always been easy. During an appearance on The Late Late Show in 2017 with guest host Bryan Cranston and his Jumanji costar Dwayne Johnson, Black admitted to feeling jealous of Johnson for having daughters.
“I love my boys, but there is a small part of me that wishes I had one more, a girl,” he said. “Legend has it that girls love their dad more than boys love their dad,” he joked, adding, “It definitely seems like [my sons] got more love for Mom.”
“I annoy them,” he continued, sharing that his sons are often embarrassed by him, especially when he starts singing in public.
Embarrassment aside, both Tommy and his older brother share a passion for music, just like their father. “I don’t know if my kids will follow in my footsteps,” the Tenacious D rocker told The Guardian in 2011. “But they love to sing and dance, they love to show off.”
Beyond the performing arts, Black has also shared that his younger son loves martial arts. “He literally jumps out and surprises me,” he said on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in 2015. “I have to be on guard at all times,” he added before showing Fallon a photo of Tommy in a ninja pose.
As far as acting goes, Black told Parents in 2023 that neither of his kids seemed too keen on the idea of being in movies like their dad. “They are interested in creativity in terms of music and directing and filmmaking,” he said. “I’m not going to pressure them in any certain direction. I just like them to follow their passion and do what they’re interested in,” Black added.
No matter what those interests are, Black has said his priority is Sammy and Tommy’s joy. “I just want them to be happy,” he told PEOPLE in 2023. “The hard thing is that being the child of a celebrity is not easy. It has some special stresses that are not [typical of] normal childhood stuff.”
