School Of Rock Actor Kevin Clark Dies At 32

Kevin Clark, one of the kids who appeared in the Jack Black hit School of Rock, has passed away after being struck by a motorist while riding his bicycle in a Chicago suburb, according to local news reports. Clark, who played drummer Freddy Jones in the film, was 32 years old. Clark was an aspiring musician still, according to TMZ, who noted that as recently as 2018, he reconnected with School of Rock star Jack Black. The Chicago Sun-Times said that the driver of the car that struck Clark had been issued a citation following the accident early this morning.

Clark was reportedly hit by a 20-year-old woman driving a Hyundai Sonata around 1:20 a.m., police said. Paramedics found himand took him to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 2:04 a.m., according to the Chicago Fire Department and the Cook County medical examiner's office.

School of Rock, from Boyhood and Dazed and Confused director Richard Linklater, centered on Jack Black, a middle-aged slacker who had been called in to substitute teach a music class by mistake. After developing a special rapport with the kids in the class, his character took them to a Battle of the Bands competition. The kids in the class were played mostly by actual music prodigies, and a number of them have remained in the arts after the movie wrapped. Clark had played in a number of bands, including Dreadwolf, and Jessie Bess and the Intentions. The latter played their first live show on Saturday.

"He's just a raw talent. He's got a heart of gold," Clark's mother, Allison, is quoted as saying in the Sun-Times report.

Clark stopped acting after School of Rock, but never lost sight of his music dreams. Clark landed the role in the movie, which was released in 2003, when he was just 12 years old. Becuase of the brash, outspoken nature of the character, Clark got more lines than most of the other kids in the movie, and is fondly remembered by fans of the film.

School of Rock was a critical and commercial success upon its release, earning more than $125 million against a $35 million budget.

Our condolences go out to Clark's friends, family, and fans at this difficult time.

h/t 102.9 MGK