The world can be a dark place, but then there are some sparkling beacons of pure joy to remind us there is still some good. The friendship between Jack Black and Tanner Smith from Love on the Spectrum is perhaps the sparkliest of those beacons. I don’t know if I can fully express how obsessed I am with these two and their very sweet connection, but I’m gonna try.
Tanner is one of Jack’s biggest fans, and he especially loves the Kung Fu Panda movies. But the love and admiration go both ways because Jack is a huge fan of Tanner from watching Love on the Spectrum with his sons. Jack had previously recorded a video for Tanner. But when they were both guests on The Kelly Clarkson Show on April 3, while Jack was promoting A Minecraft Movie, that’s when the real magic happened.
During that April 3 show, Jack surprised Tanner with an in-person visit. Before Jack could even reach the couch, Tanner rushed up to him to hug him and tell him how much he loved him. Jack needed to wipe tears from his eyes several times, and so did I during the several times I watched the clip. And the best part? Jack Black and Tanner’s friendship is continuing beyond this viral moment. Here’s what we know.
Jack Black And Tanner Smith’s Friendship
If you’re still feeling the warm glow of Jack and Tanner’s joyful meet-up, you’re not alone; Jack is, too. He went on Amy Poehler’s podcast Good Hang for the April 22 episode and got genuinely choked up talking about the whole thing and how he and Tanner remain friends.
“We just had that one connection through Kelly Clarkson, then I got the call, ‘Hey, he’s gonna be here the same time you’re here promoting Minecraft, will you do a surprise run out to him?'” he said. “And I was like, yeah, this sounds really great. […] It was long overdue that we meet in person.”
Jack was raring to meet Tanner, but he said he wasn’t prepared for “how emotional” it was, and he even choked up telling Amy about it. “We were hugging, there was so much love,” he explained.
While they were on The Kelly Clarkson Show together, Tanner and Jack talked about working out, and Tanner promised to get Jack’s phone number so he could give him some lifting tips. Now, never mind the fact that Jack can probably hire the best trainers in the world. If I had the chance to work out surrounded by Tanner’s radiant joy, I would snag it in a heartbeat. And it looks like Jack is doing the same. He told Amy that he had given Tanner a contact to get in touch with him and that things were “to be continued.”
“I gotta get with him — we have a plan to do some workouts,” Jack said. If they want to film those workouts, too, I’ll watch it once or twice or a few dozen times, just saying. I can always use more joy.
