Hollywood actor and comedian Jack Black has confessed to falling for one of Australia's most famous practical jokes while filming his latest project on the Gold Coast. The 56-year-old star, known for Kung Fu Panda and Jumanji, was completely taken in by tales of the mythical and vicious 'drop bear'.
The Gold Coast Prank
While in Australia to shoot a reboot of the 1997 horror film Anaconda alongside Paul Rudd, Thandiwe Newton, and Steve Zahn, Black was given a friendly warning by his driver. Speaking to News Corp this week to promote the film, Black recounted how his driver, Phil, told him to be vigilant for drop bears in the Gold Coast hinterland.
"He told me they look a bit like koalas, but they drop out of the tree and they'll attack because they are vicious," Black explained. Taking the advice seriously, the actor promised to be on the lookout.
The Moment of Realisation
The joke was soon revealed when Black, staying at accommodation on Tamborine Mountain, asked a hotel employee about the potential danger. "I was like, 'So, do we have to be careful of drop bears? Because there's some high eucalyptus trees?'" he said.
The woman's response was swift and definitive: "There's no such thing as drop bears, love, someone was pulling your leg." The drop bear is a purely fictional creature from Australian folklore, often described as a carnivorous, predatory version of a koala and used as a classic trick on unsuspecting tourists.
Paying the Prank Forward
Black confronted the prankster driver, Phil, the next day. "I was like, 'You son of a b***h,'" the actor laughed. "I saw Phil the next day and said, 'There's no such thing as drop bears' and he laughed his a**e off."
Far from being annoyed, Black admitted he was now keen to continue the tradition. "I'm a sucker for a drop bear and I have yet to get someone back. I want to pay it forward," he said, already plotting to trick an unsuspecting Australian tourist himself in the future.
The new Anaconda film, which involves a group of friends facing mid-life crises who remake their favourite movie from their youth, is set to hit Australian screens on Boxing Day. The original 1997 movie starred Jennifer Lopez, Owen Wilson, Ice Cube, and Jon Voight.
This wasn't Black's only memorable moment in Australia this year. Back in January, he was filmed playfully warding off a paparazzo on a Gold Coast beach with mock Kung Fu moves and sound effects. His band Tenacious D also made headlines after cancelling their 2024 Australian tour following controversial on-stage remarks by bandmate Kyle Gass, though Black later reassured fans the band would return.
