Sundance 2015: Jack Black Rides the D Train

According to Jack Black, the unrivaled star of the 2015 Sundance Film Festival isJack Black.I do notice that Im three times more famous here than anywhere else in the world, the actor-comedian tells RollingStonemovie critic Peter Travers during their hilarious and insightful Off the Cuff chat.As soon as I got off the plane, I was like, Whoa, whats happening here? Im suddenly the Beatles now.

Black puts that star power to good use in the new comedyThe D Train, in which he plays Dan Landsman, the pathetic head of a high school reunion committee tasked with tracking down Oliver Lawless (James Marsden), the most popular peer from his graduating class. In the above interview,Black discusses what attracted him to the role but first, he addresses the power of spoiler alerts, creates an awkward moment of silence, sings a gibberish-filled snippet of Elton Johns 1970 song Take Me to the Pilot (per Travers request for a musical interlude) and addresses the possibility of a School of Rocksequel by poking fun at Richard Linklater, who directed the original film.

At the Golden Globes, I introduced the Boyhood clip, Black says. I was there at [Linklaters] table of best friends, and when he got the call for Youre the best director, he hugged everyone at the table. He kind of missed my hug, so I did in that moment feel, Hes changed. This guy, he really thinks hes something special, not giving me a hug.'

But the conversation turns more thoughtful when Black emphasizes his respect for The D Trains unconventional story.

I read the script, and it made me laugh very hard, Black says. It was taking some risks that I hadnt seen before. It pushes the boundaries of what it means to be a man.

Check out ourSundance page for complete coverage of the 2015 festival.