Jack Black opens up about brother's death

Actor Jack Black. Photo / Getty Images

Actor Jack Black is marking the 25th anniversary of his brother's death by opening up about the AIDS-related tragedy.

Black is known for his comedy talents but he admits his early career was marred by drugs, divorce and the death of his sibling Howard, aged 31.

"Losing a family member is the worst thing I could imagine," Jack tells Parade magazine. "Death didn't happen quickly. We all saw the deterioration. He was 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 mum when we lost Howard. She's never really recovered."

Jack, who was 11 years younger than his big brother, still counts his sibling as one of the main inspirations in his life, saying, "He was a big influence on me. He took me to my first rock concert. He was so vibrant, creative, amazing. He shaped my taste in music."

Black admits he was heading down the wrong path in life before his brother died, revealing he turned to drugs in his early teens to cope with the heartbreak of his parents' divorce.

"I remember just lots of turmoil from that time period," he adds. "I was having a lot of troubles with cocaine ... I was hanging out with some pretty rough characters. I was scared to go to school because one of them wanted to kill me. I wanted to get out of there."

Ironically, it was those troubled times that inspired Jack to sign on for his new movie Goosebumps, based on the popular children's horror fiction series of the same name.

"It was a great adventure and a really fun role," he said.

"It's about forgiveness and not letting your rage and thirst for revenge control you, but it's also about how some of those darker emotions can be used to create great masterworks. I play a guy with a dark past and a brilliant mind, wrestling with his own demons, literally."

- WENN