Jack Black credits This Is Spinal Tap for inspiring Tenacious D

Jack Black has once again emphasized that Tenacious D would never have come to life without the influence of Rob Reiner’s iconic rock satire This Is Spinal Tap.

Released in 1984, the cult classic followed the fictional heavy metal group Spinal Tap, portrayed by Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer, and became known for its sharp humor and parody of rock excess.

Speaking during a visit to Late Night with Seth Meyers on Tuesday, Black explained that both his comedy rock project Tenacious D and his 2003 film School of Rock owe their existence to the groundwork laid by This Is Spinal Tap.

“I don't really want to talk about anything other than Rob Reiner because he was such an incredible inspiration to me,” he said at the start of his interview. “There is no Tenacious D without Spinal Tap... There's no School of Rock without Spinal Tap.”

The Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle actor also encouraged the audience to do themselves “a favour” by watching This Is Spinal Tap if they had not already seen it.

Black continued by celebrating Reiner’s career behind the camera, highlighting a run of acclaimed films that includes When Harry Met Sally, Stand By Me, A Few Good Men and Misery.

“I love so many of his movies. It's like an incredible oeuvre of films that he made. What a genius,” The Holiday actor added. “I just wanted to really quick give a shout-out to one of the biggest inspirations of my life and send love to the universe to one of the greats. He brought so much joy.”

Tenacious D was formed by Black and Kyle Gass in 1994, later releasing four studio albums and headlining their own feature film, 2006’s Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny.

In School of Rock, directed by Richard Linklater, Black starred as down-on-his-luck guitarist Dewey Finn, who takes on a substitute teaching role and assembles a group of gifted students to compete in Battle of the Bands.

Reiner, 78, was discovered dead with his wife Michele at their Los Angeles residence on Sunday, and their son Nick, 32, has since been charged with two counts of first-degree murder.