Jack Black Was Hesitant to Sing in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, But Couldn’t Pass Up a Love Song

When you hear Jack Black as Bowser singing “Peaches”, his ballad about Princess Peach, it seems like it was fate for the actor, singer, and gamer to take on this role. After all, Black admits that Bowser is his favorite character in the Nintendo universe. “Because he looks like he’s from the Road Warrior,” Black says. “He looks like a badass. He looks like he’s a heavy metal rockstar in a way.” And when you have a character who lives in a floating lava castle singing a rock ballad, it just makes sense. However, that wasn’t the case from the beginning.

Black sat down with IGN ahead of The Super Mario Bros. Movie premiere to discuss “Peaches.” When asked if Bowser was always musical in the script, Black noted, “There was no talk of singing until about halfway through the recording process.” Considering that he is known for performances in movies like School of Rock and Tenacious D and The Pick of Destiny, both roles where his character legitimately rocks out, that may be surprising to some. However, those instances actually point toward more of an exception than a rule.

Black describes the timeline, “We had already had a few sessions; I think we were a year in when [Directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic] first sprung it on me. They were like, ‘How would you feel about Bowser singing a song?’ And I was like, ‘Ooh, I don’t know.’ I’m very protective about my singing career with my band, Tenacious D.” (In our interview, he’s wearing a custom-made tie-dye shirt featuring the eponymous Pick of Destiny from the 2006 Tenacious D and The Pick of Destiny film starring the rock duo, which is comprised of Black and Kyle Gass. He points to his shirt when describing how Bowser “appealed to [his] sensibilities.”)

“I try not to do too many crossovers where my characters sing unless […] that’s what we set out to do,” Black explains further. “‘Are we doing a musical? If we are, then I want to hear the music before I agree to do it.’ So I said, ‘Let me hear what you got, what do you got?’ They sent over this little song, and I just couldn’t deny that it was funny. I was like, I get it. I see why you want Bowser to do this, tickling the ivories and singing a love song to Peaches. It was undeniable.” 

The Bowser actor got to work with producer and collaborator, John Spiker, and they turned a 30-second sample into a full song. “I sent it back to them and they were like, yes, they were over the moon. And then I was super stoked. And then I was also like, is this really going to be in the movie? And then by God, they put it in the movie,” Black notes.

“I didn’t really realize his softer side when I said yes to the movie,” Black goes on. “That was something that I discovered as we recorded.” Meaning that he got to go on the same journey that the audience will when it comes to the spiky, fire-breathing Koopa’s softer side. 

“The fact that he has this sensitive, insecure side and this romantic kind of unrequited love is funny,” Black adds“That’s kind of the great juxtaposition of these two sides of Bowser, the unexpectedness of it. And this song is delicate and romantic, but then it also has a dark side. It’s also kind of a greedy love and it’s kind of a jealous love, and it’s a wanting to control Peach’s love. So it’s like, is that even love? I don’t know. But it’s an interesting thing to explore, and it was fun to work on that song.” 

Sounds like Bowser should probably see a therapist to answer that. Maybe Dr. Mario can recommend someone?

The fun with “Peaches” doesn’t end there! Black also reveals that he filmed a music video. Directed by hip-hop music video director vet Cole Bennett, Black says it was filmed in “just a few hours” and apparently it takes place in something Black describes as “Peach’s spaceship living room” with a grand piano that he shows up and starts playing the song. “And as I’m singing it,” Black notes. “I get overtaken by emotion and I just have to just jump up and start dancing and I’m dancing and singing. I’m dressed as Bowser kind of, but also a dancer, I guess I would describe myself. It was a really cool costume and cool makeup job.”

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is out in theaters now.

The film’s incredible soundtrack is available digitally on the 7th, but will also be released on vinyl, cassette tape, and CD as a part of a special physical release collaboration between iam8bit and Nintendo, Illumination, and Universal Studios! The vinyl soundtrack will be pressed on red and green colorways, of course, with special pink and yellow versions as well. “Peaches” will be featured on the soundtrack and also as a 7” single with “Peaches” on the A-side and the “Mario Bros. Rap” on the B-side. Pre-orders will start April 7th at 9 a.m. at iam8bit.com/collections/smb.