In a moment of pure Hollywood charm, actor and comedian Jack Black has offered a characteristically humble and hilarious response to learning that actress Elle Fanning has a major crush on him. The revelation, which Fanning made earlier this year, left the "Kung Fu Panda" star genuinely baffled and resorting to his signature self-deprecating wit.
The Origin of the Crush
The story began in September, when Elle Fanning, now 27, participated in a Vanity Fair interview while connected to a polygraph machine. During the segment, she was asked about her celebrity attractions and did not hold back. Fanning declared Jack Black, 56, to be the "hottest man I've ever seen in my life" and described him as pure "sex on legs." She also confirmed that her boyfriend, Gus Wenner, was aware of this admiration, having even informed Black about it himself, making the actor her official "hall pass."
Black's Bewildered and Gracious Reaction
The situation came to a head this week when an interviewer showed Black a clip of Fanning's full comments during a promotional event for his upcoming "Anaconda" reboot with co-star Paul Rudd. In a clip released on Tuesday, Black's reaction was one of amused disbelief. "Have you ever heard of body dysmorphia?" he quipped, referencing the mental health condition characterized by an obsessive focus on perceived flaws.
He then flipped the script with his trademark humour: "I think she's got the opposite of that, where she looks at me, which objectively is a goblin gremlin, and she sees this gorgeous creature, apparently." Seated next to a beaming Rudd, Black dubbed Fanning's unique perspective as "goblin dysmorphia."
Despite the jokes, Black was gracious. "Thank you, I appreciate the compliment, but I have to close my eyes because I can't quite process what I'm hearing there," he said. He also sent a message to Fanning's boyfriend: "Dude, we got no beef. We're cool. I didn't do nothing to deserve this attention."
Support from Co-Star and Past Encounters
Paul Rudd, ever the supportive friend, chimed in with his approval. "I will say on behalf of Elle Fanning, I get it ... I really do! I think that I adore you, Jack. As does America! As does the world. Elle's got it right," Rudd declared.
This isn't the first time the crush has caused a blush-worthy moment. Fanning previously recounted on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" that she was caught off-guard last year when she bumped into Black at a Golden Globes valet stand. It was there that her boyfriend directly told Black about her admiration. "I was turning bright red," Fanning told Fallon. "I still am."
While Jack Black accepted the praise with a mix of sheepishness and comedy, he notably did not flirt back, handling the unexpected attention with the grace of a seasoned and beloved entertainer. The exchange has since become a heartwarming and funny highlight in the world of celebrity news.
