Jack Black wants 'anyone but that dude' Donald Trump to be US president

Comic actor Jack Black has said he would rather "anyone" but Donald Trump win the US presidential election.

The Tenacious D star said he believed American voters were "playing with fire" by wanting a race between the billionaire tycoon and Hillary Clinton to replace Barack Obama.

Mr Trump, who is favourite to become the Republican presidential nominee, has sparked widespread outrage with some of his more controversial policies, which include building a wall to stop illegal immigration from Mexico, and a short-term ban on Muslim immigrants.

A petition calling for him to be barred from entering the UK attracted more than 570,000 signatures and MPs spent more than three hours debating the issue.

Speaking on The Jonathan Ross Show, Black said: "Haven't you guys ever almost elected a horrible choice? It happens.

"Listen, (Trump's) not elected yet. I have faith in the voting public of the United States. Come on, Hillary. Or Bernie (Sanders). Anyone but that dude."

Black, 46, admitted he was "excited" about the prospect of Mr Trump and Mrs Clinton competing to be the next president.

He said: "Everybody wants to see that fight. But the entertainment level is so high, you're playing with fire.

"Tell me you're not going to tune into that debate. It'll be fireworks baby. She's going to take him down. She's tough."

Hollywood star Richard Gere also appeared on the show and discussed his latest film role as a homeless man in Time Out Of Mind.

The Pretty Woman star said a touching moment when a woman offered him food while he was in character outside New York's Grand Central Station was missed by the film's director.

Gere, 66, said: "I was going through garbage cans ... and in the middle of a shot I get a tap on the shoulder.

"No one has paid attention to me for 21 days. I turn around and there's a woman with a bag. I was in shock.

"No one had broken through to me and she had a bag and said, 'It's all right, it's good, it's for you.' I took the bag and she went away.

"I walked out of the shot and went to the director and said 'did you get that?' and he said, 'no, we had panned off at that point.'"

The New York Post later found the woman, who turned out to be a French tourist, Gere said.

"She had no idea it was me. When she was told it was me of course she freaked out," he added.

Motown Records founder Berry Gordy and comedienne Roisin Conaty are the other guests on the sofa.

:: The Jonathan Ross Show airs at 10pm on ITV.