Jack Black explained why he gets called that even though it’s not his legal name

You know how many of your favourite Hollywood celebrities are known by a different name to their actual one?

Well, if you didn't then now you do.

It's rampant in showbusiness, as you're not supposed to have a name another performer has already taken and thus you get cases like Emily Stone going by 'Emma' or Michael Douglas having to go by Michael Keaton because there was already a Michael Douglas.

It's just something that happens in Hollywood, though it seems as though they like being called by their actual name from time to time.

Joining that list of movie stars with a stage name different to their legal name is Jack Black, though his reason for changing things up is a little bit different to some of his co-stars.

Jack Black's legal name isn't Jack Black. (Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

"I was always Black but I was not always Jack," the actor and musician explained to The Howard Stern Show back in 2009.

"My legal name is Thomas Jacob Black. Jack was my nickname, my dad and mom called me Jack.

"There was history behind it. My dad's dad was Thomas and his dad. And it goes back to, like, the ancient Ireland blacksmiths. There was a Thomas Black.

"They knew I was Jack, and I resented it, and so I was like, I just am Jack. Then I felt the pressure and I named my son Thomas.

"When push came to shove I couldn't break the chain. I call him Tommy. Tommy's also my favourite album. The Who's Tommy."

So there you have it, Tenacious D rocker Jack Black is actually Thomas Jacob Black, but he seems to like going by Jack, so that's what we'll stick with.

Jack Black explained has family naming traditions. (Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

These days you can catch Jack Black being in movies and making music for them, as well as occasionally forgetting the films he has been in.

His career has been going on for a long time, and some people even discovered one of his first appearances on screen where he was part of an advert for the video game Pitfall!

Funnily enough, the hat Black was wearing in the ad ended up being pretty similar to the one he donned for both of the Jumanji films he starred in.

Meanwhile, when he's not performing, he seems to be going around living his best life while generally being a cool dude, a fate I think we can all appreciate the benefits of.