Kevin Smith | |
|---|---|
 Smith at the 2022WonderCon | |
| Born | Kevin Patrick Smith (1970-08-02)August 2, 1970 (age 55) Red Bank, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1992–present |
| Style | |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Harley Quinn Smith |
| Awards | Inkpot Award (2018)[1] |
| Website | viewaskew |
Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American writer, director, producer, film editor, and actor. He came to prominence with the low-budgetcomedy filmClerks (1994), which he wrote, directed, co-produced, co-edited, and acted in as the character Silent Bob of stoner duoJay and Silent Bob. These characters also appeared in Smith's later filmsMallrats (1995),Chasing Amy (1997),Dogma (1999),Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001),Clerks II (2006),Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2019), andClerks III (2022), which are set primarily in his home state ofNew Jersey. While not strictly sequential, the films have crossover plot elements, character references, and a sharedcanon known as the "View Askewniverse", named after Smith's production companyView Askew Productions, which he co-founded withScott Mosier.
He is a supporting actor in film, his most prominent role playing a rogue computer hacker inLive Free or Die Hard (2007), and has made cameos in other movies. His other non-"View Askewniverse" films written and directed by Smith include the comedy-dramaJersey Girl (2004), the sex comedyZack and Miri Make a Porno (2008),Cop Out (2010), the horrorRed State (2011), and the comedy horrorTusk (2014). He has directed numerous episodes of television for series such asThe Flash (2016–2018),Supergirl (2017–2018), andThe Goldbergs (2017–2019), and created the animated television seriesClerks: The Animated Series (2000) andNetflix'sMasters of the Universe (2021–2024).
Smith ownsJay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash inRed Bank, New Jersey, a comic book store which became the setting for thereality television showComic Book Men (2012–2018). As a podcaster, Smith co-hosts several shows on hisSModcast Podcast Network, includingSModcast,Fatman Beyond, and the live showHollywood Babble-On. He is known for participating in long, humorous Q&A sessions that are often filmed for release, beginning with the DVD release ofAn Evening with Kevin Smith (2002).[2]
Kevin Patrick Smith was born on August 2, 1970,[3] inRed Bank, New Jersey,[4][5] the son of Grace (née Schultz, 1945–2025), a homemaker, and Donald E. Smith (1936–2003),[6] apostal worker.[7][8][9] He has two siblings: an older sister, Virginia, and an older brother, Donald Jr. He was raised in aCatholic household[10][11] in the nearby clamming town ofHighlands.[4]
Smith's childhood was scheduled around his father's late shifts at the post office. His father grew to despise his job, which greatly influenced Smith, who remembers his father finding it difficult on some days to get up and go to work. Smith vowed never to work at something that he did not enjoy.[7]
Smith attendedHenry Hudson Regional High School,[12] where he was aB and C student, videotaped basketball games, and producedSaturday Night Live-stylesketch comedy. An overweight teen, he developed into a comedic observer of life to socialize with friends and girls.[7] After high school, Smith attendedThe New School in New York City, but did not graduate.[13] Smith metJason Mewes while working at a youth center; they became friends after discovering a mutual interest in comic books.[14]
On his 21st birthday, Smith sawRichard Linklater's comedySlacker.[15] Impressed that Linklater set and shot the film in his hometown ofAustin, Texas, rather than on a soundstage in a major city, Smith was inspired to become a filmmaker, and to set films where he lived.[7] He has said: "It was the movie that got me off my ass; it was the movie that lit a fire under me, the movie that made me think, 'Hey, I could be a filmmaker.' And I had never seen a movie like that before ever in my life."[16] He assembled a library of independent filmmakers like Linklater,Jim Jarmusch,Spike Lee andHal Hartley to draw from.[17]
Smith attendedVancouver Film School for four months, where he met longtime collaboratorsScott Mosier andDave Klein. Unlike them, Smith left halfway through the course, figuring he knew enough to proceed and wanting to save money for his first film.[18]
Smith moved back to New Jersey and got his old job back at a convenience store in theLeonardo section ofMiddletown Township, New Jersey.[7][19] He decided to set his film,Clerks, at the store, borrowing the a-day-in-the-life structure from the Spike Lee filmDo the Right Thing. Smith maxed out more than a dozen credit cards, and sold his much-treasured comic book collection, to raise $27,575 to make the film,[15] while saving money by casting friends and acquaintances in most roles.Clerks was screened at theSundance Film Festival in 1994, where it won the Filmmaker's Trophy. At a restaurant following the screening,Miramax Films executiveHarvey Weinstein invited Smith to join him at his table, where he offered to buy the film. In May 1994, it went to theCannes International Film Festival, where it won both the Prix de la Jeunesse and the International Critics' Week Prize. Released in October 1994 in two cities, the film went on to play in 50 markets, never playing on more than 50 screens at any given time. Despite the limited release, it was a critical and financial success, earning $3.1 million.[7][20] Initially, the film received anNC-17 rating from theMPAA for sexually graphic language. Miramax hiredAlan Dershowitz to sue the MPAA. At an appeals screening, a jury of members of the National Association of Theatre Owners reversed the MPAA's decision, and the film was given an R rating.[21][22] The movie had a profound effect on the independent film community. According to producer and authorJohn Pierson, it is considered one of the two most influential film debuts in the 1990s, along withThe Brothers McMullen.[7]
Smith's second film,Mallrats,Jason Lee's debut as a leading man, did not fare as well as expected. It received a critical drubbing and earned only $2.2 million at the box office despite playing on more than 500 screens.Mallrats was more successful in the home video market.[7][23]
Widely hailed as Smith's best film, 1997'sChasing Amy marked whatQuentin Tarantino called "a quantum leap forward" for Smith.[24] StarringMallrats alumni Jason Lee,Joey Lauren Adams andBen Affleck, the $250,000 film earned $12 million at the box office,[25][26] wound up on a number of critics' year-end best lists,[27][28] and won twoIndependent Spirit Awards (for Screenplay and Supporting Actor for Lee).[29] The film received some criticism from members of the lesbian community, who felt that it reinforced the perception that lesbians merely need to find the right man. Smith, whose brother Donald isgay, found this accusation frustrating, as he has endeavored to be a pro-LGBT filmmaker, believing that sexuality is more fluid, with social taboos, not sexual desire, preventing more people from expressingbisexuality.[7]
Smith's fourth film,Dogma (1999), featured an all-star cast and was mired in controversy. A religious-themed comedy that starred a post-Good Will Hunting Ben Affleck andMatt Damon, as well asChris Rock,Salma Hayek,George Carlin,Alan Rickman,Linda Fiorentino, and Lee and Mewes, it was criticized by theCatholic League.[30][31][32] The film debuted at the1999 Cannes Film Festival, out of competition. Released on 800 screens in November 1999, the $10 million film earned $30 million.
Smith then focused the spotlight on the two characters who had appeared in supporting roles in his previous four films.Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back featured an all-star cast, with many familiar faces returning from those four films. Affleck and Damon appear as themselves filming a mock sequel toGood Will Hunting. The $20 million film earned $30 million at the box office and received mixed reviews from critics.
Jersey Girl, with Affleck,Liv Tyler, George Carlin, andRaquel Castro, Smith's first film outside the View Askewniverse, marked a new direction in Smith's career. The film took a critical beating[33] as it was seen as, in Smith's own words, "Gigli 2", because it co-starred Affleck and his then girlfriend,Jennifer Lopez.[34] Smith heavily reedited the film to reduce Lopez's role to just a few scenes, but the film did poorly at the box office. Budgeted at $35 million, it earned $36 million.[35]
In the 2006 sequelClerks II, Smith revisited the Dante and Randal characters from his first film. Roundly criticized before its release, the film won favorable reviews as well as two awards (the Audience Award at theEdinburgh Film Festival and the Orbit Dirtiest Mouth Award at theMTV Movie Awards).[36] It marked Smith's third trip to the Cannes International Film Festival, where it received an eight-minute standing ovation.[37] The $5 million film, starring Jeff Anderson, Brian O'Halloran,Rosario Dawson, Mewes, Jennifer Schwalbach and Smith reprising his role as Silent Bob, earned $25 million.
Zack and Miri Make a Porno was originally announced in March 2006 as Smith's second non-Askewniverse film. The film began shooting on January 18, 2008, inMonroeville, Pennsylvania, and wrapped on March 15, 2008. It starsSeth Rogen andElizabeth Banks as the title characters who decide to make a low-budget pornographic film to solve their money problems. It was released on October 31, 2008, and ran into many conflicts getting an "R" rating. Rogen said:
It's a really filthy movie. I hear they are having some problems getting an R rating from an NC-17 rating, which is never good. They [fight against] sex stuff. Isn't that weird? It's really crazy to me thatHostel is fine, with people gouging their eyes out and shit like that, but you can't show two people having sex—that's too much.[38]
Smith took the film through the MPAA's appeals process and received an R rating without having to make any edits.[39]Zack and Miri Make a Porno was considered a box-office "flop".[40][41][42] It was hurt by "tepid media advertising for a movie with the title PORNO".[40] In the aftermath of the film's performance, Smith's and Weinstein's business relationship became "frayed".[43]Zack and Miri opened #2 behindHigh School Musical 3: Senior Year with $10,682,000 from 2,735 theaters, an average of $3,906.[44] The "bankable" Rogen[45] experienced his "worst box-office opening ever".[46] In an interview with Katla McGlynn of theHuffington Post, Smith said:
I was depressed, man. I wanted that movie to do so much better. I'm sitting there thinking 'That's it, that's it, I'm gone, I'm out. The movie didn't do well and I killed Seth Rogen's career! This dude was on a roll until he got in with the likes of me. I'm a career killer!Judd [Apatow]'s going to be pissed, the whole Internet's going to be pissed because they all like Seth, and the only reason they like me anymore is because I was involved with Seth! And now I fuckin' ruined that. It was like high school. I was like, 'I'm a dead man. I'll be the laughing stock.'[41]
It was announced in 2009 that Smith had signed on to directA Couple of Dicks, a buddy-cop comedy written by the Cullen Brothers and starringBruce Willis andTracy Morgan.[47] Due to controversy surrounding the original title, it was changed toA Couple of Cops,[48] then reverted to its original title due to negative reaction,[49] before finally settling on the titleCop Out.[50] The film, shot from June to August 2009, involves a pair of veteran cops tracking down a stolen vintage baseball card,[51] and was released on February 26, 2010, to poor reviews; it was the first film Smith directed but did not write.Cop Out opened at number two at the box office and was mired in controversy, mostly over reported conflicts on the set between Smith and Willis. It was the last time Smith worked with a major studio, leading him to return to his independent film roots.[41][52]
In September 2010, Smith started work onRed State, an independently financed horror film loosely inspired by theWestboro Baptist Church and its pastor,Fred Phelps.[53][54][55] Weinstein and his brotherBob, who had been involved in the distribution of Smith's films exceptMallrats andCop Out, declined to supportRed State.[56][57][58][59][60] The film starsMichael Parks,John Goodman andMelissa Leo. Smith had said he would auction off rights to the $4 million film at a controversial event following its debut screening atSundance but instead kept the rights to the film himself and self-distributed it under theSModcast Pictures banner. The January 2011 premiere drew protests from a half-dozen members of the church, along with many more who counter-protested Westboro members.[61] Smith explained his decision as a way to return to an era when marketing a film did not cost four times as much as the film itself, a situation he called "decadent and deadening".[62]Red State was a box office bomb, earning just $1,104,682, and opened to poor reviews; the critical consensus (according toRotten Tomatoes) was "Red State is an audacious and brash affair that ultimately fails to provide competent scares or thrills."[63][64] In April 2011, Smith said thatRed State had made its budget back by making $1 million on the first leg of the tour, $1.5 million from a handful of foreign sales and $3 million from a domestic distribution deal for VOD.[65]
Smith had said beforeRed State that he would soon retire from directing, and announced that his last movie would beClerks III.[66] In December 2013, he said he would continue to make films, but only ones that were uniquely his, as opposed to generic ones "anybody could make".[67]
In 2013, Smith directedTusk, a horror film inspired by a story Smith and Mosier read about aGumtree ad for a man who rents out a room in his house for free on the condition that the respondent dresses as a walrus for two hours per day.[68] The project began pre-production in September 2013,[69] and was shot in November of that year.[70][71] Released September 19, 2014, it received mixed reviews.[72]
BeforeTusk's release, Smith wrote the script for a spin-off of the film, which he titledYoga Hosers. The film began filming in August 2014, and was released in 2016. It stars Smith's daughter,Harley Quinn Smith, andLily-Rose Depp, reprising their two minor characters fromTusk, withJohnny Depp playing his inspector character from the earlier film.[73][74]
Smith revealed at the 2014San Diego Comic-Con that he had written the script for a film calledMoose Jaws, which he described as "Jaws with a moose", and which is planned to be the third film in hisTrue North trilogy.[75]
Smith wrote and directed one segment,Halloween, of the 2016 horroranthology filmHolidays, in which each segment takes place during a different holiday.[76]
In June 2017, Smith started shootingKillRoy Was Here, a horror film based on thegraffiti phenomenon. Directed by Smith, the script was co-written with Andrew McElfresh, marking the first time he shared writing credit. It represents a retooling of theirAnti-Claus film, which was initially canceled after the release ofKrampus, due to the two stories' similarity. The film crew was mostly made up of students of theRingling College of Art and Design, with shooting continuing over every semester break.[77]
In 2017, due to obstacles gettingClerks 3 orMallrats 2 produced, Smith decided to write and direct aJay and Silent Bob Strike Back sequel instead,Jay and Silent Bob Reboot. It was scheduled to be filmed in September 2017,[78] but shooting was postponed to February and March 2019.[79] The first trailer for the film was released on July 18, 2019. Smith announced a tour to accompany the film.[80]
On October 1, 2019, Smith announced onInstagram thatClerks III was happening and thatJeff Anderson, who had retired, had agreed to reprise his role as Randal.[81] The film was released on September 13, 2022.
In 2024, Smith releasedThe 4:30 Movie, focusing on a group of teenagers in the 1980s who spent a day "theatre-hopping", in Monmouth County, New Jersey.[82]
With the exception ofMallrats, all of Smith's films until 2008 were financed and/or distributed byHarvey Weinstein and his brotherBob, via their companiesMiramax,Dimension Films, andThe Weinstein Company. In 2008 Smith's relationship with Harvey Weinstein soured due to the financial failure ofZack and Miri Make a Porno, which Smith blamed on a lack of marketing.[43] Nonetheless, they continued to discuss potential funding for other Smith projects, and The Weinstein Company co-produced Smith's 2016 talk showGeeking Out. Smith named the independent production company he created for the 2011 filmRed State "The Harvey Boys" in Weinstein's honor.[83] Smith is considered one of the writer-directors whose career Weinstein nurtured, a group that also includesQuentin Tarantino andDavid O. Russell.[84]
Smith severed professional ties with Weinstein when he was informed of his assault onRose McGowan.[85] Soon afterallegations of rape and sexual assault by Weinstein publicly surfaced in October 2017, Smith said on Twitter that he was "ashamed" of his relationship with Weinstein. On hisHollywood Babble-On podcast, he said: "My entire career is tied up with the man", adding: "No fucking movie is worth all this." He lamented that in addition to working with Weinstein, "I sat out there talking about this man like he was a hero, like he was my friend, like he was my father." He pledged to donate all his futureresiduals from his Weinstein-produced films to the nonprofit organizationWomen in Film, which advocates for the inclusion of more women in film production.[86] Smith later announced that, due to the declining appeal of his earlier films, the residuals from Weinstein-funded films may be lower than expected; he decided that he would instead donate $2,000 a month to Women in Film.[87]
Smith regularly casts the same actors in his film projects.Jason Mewes has been in nine of his films, his wifeJennifer Schwalbach Smith in eight andBen Affleck in seven.
In 1997,New Line Cinema hired Smith to rewriteOvernight Delivery, which was expected to be a blockbuster teen film. Smith's then-girlfriendJoey Lauren Adams almost took the role of Ivy in the movie, instead of the female lead inChasing Amy. Eventually, she lost out toReese Witherspoon, andOvernight Delivery was quietly released directly to video in April 1998. Smith was not credited for his contributions. He has said that the only scene that really used his dialogue was the opening scene, which includes a reference to longtime Smith friendBryan Johnson.[88]
Smith was an uncredited screenwriter on the 2000 comedy-drama filmCoyote Ugly.[89]
Smith has been a regular contributor toArena magazine. In 2005,Miramax Books released Smith's first book,Silent Bob Speaks, a collection of previously published essays (most fromArena) dissecting pop culture, the film business, and Smith's personal life. His second book,My Boring-Ass Life: The Uncomfortably Candid Diary of Kevin Smith, published byTitan Books, was another collection of previously published essays (this time blogs from Smith's website silentbobspeaks.com) and reached No. 32 onThe New York Times Best Sellers List.[90] Titan released Smith's third book,Shootin' the Sh*t with Kevin Smith: The Best of the SModcast, on September 29, 2009.[91]
A lifelong comic book fan, Smith's early forays into comic books dealt with previously established View Askew characters, and were published byOni Press. He wrote a shortJay and Silent Bob story about Walt Flanagan's dog inOni Double Feature No. 1, and followed it with aBluntman and Chronic story inOni Double Feature #12. He followed these with a series ofClerks comics. The first wasClerks: The Comic Book, which told of Randal's attempts to corner the market onStar Wars toys. The second wasClerks: Holiday Special, where Dante and Randal discover that Santa Claus lives in an apartment between the Quick Stop and RST Video. Third wasClerks: The Lost Scene, showing what happened inside Poston's Funeral Parlor. This story was later animated in the TV series style and included as an extra on the 10th AnniversaryClerks DVD.
Smith wrote the miniseriesChasing Dogma, which tells the story of Jay and Silent Bob between the filmsChasing Amy andDogma. He has written thetrade paperbackBluntman and Chronic, published byImage, which purports to be a collection of the three issues of the series done by Holden McNeil and Banky Edwards (ofChasing Amy). It includes a color reprinting of the story fromOni Double Feature No. 12, purported to be an early appearance by McNeil and Edwards. These stories have been collected inTales From the Clerks (Graphitti Designs,ISBN 0-936211-78-4), which includes a newClerks story tying into theClerks 2 material, and the story fromOni Double Feature #1. They were previously collected by Image Comics in three separate volumes, one each forClerks,Chasing Dogma andBluntman and Chronic. In 1999, Smith won aHarvey Award, for Best New Talent in comic books.[92]
In 1999, Smith wrote "Guardian Devil", an eight-issue story arc ofDaredevil forMarvel Comics illustrated byJoe Quesada. He produced a 15-issue tenure onGreen Arrow forDC Comics that saw the return ofOliver Queen from the dead and the introduction ofMia Dearden, a teenage girl who would become Speedy after Smith's run had ended.
Smith returned to Marvel for two miniseries,Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil That Men Do andDaredevil/Bullseye: The Target, both of which debuted in 2002. The former was six issues long, but problems arose when the third issue was published two months after the initially scheduled release date. As a result, the final issues were delayed for at least three years, prompting Marvel to release an "in case you missed it" reprinting of the first three issues as one book before the remaining issues were released. The delay in part was due to Smith's work onJersey Girl andClerks II, causing him to shelve completion of the miniseries until the films were completed. He was announced as the writer of an ongoingBlack Cat series[93] andThe Amazing Spider-Man[94] in 2002, but because of the delays onEvil That Men Do andThe Target, the plan was changed so that Smith would start a third Spider-Man title,[95] launched in 2004 byMark Millar instead.Spider-Man/Black Cat was completed in 2005, butDaredevil/Bullseye: The Target remains unfinished, with one issue published.
Smith wrote the limited seriesBatman: Cacophony, with art by friendWalt Flanagan, which ran from November 2008 to January 2009. The series featured the villainsOnomatopoeia (a character created by Smith during his run at Green Arrow),The Joker,Maxie Zeus, andVictor Zsasz.[96] Thetrade paperback ofBatman: Cacophony became aNew York Times Bestseller in their Hardcover Graphic Books section.[97]
In 2010, Smith wrote a six-issueBatman miniseries,The Widening Gyre, for DC, drawn by Walt Flanagan. The series was initially planned as 12 issues, with a long break planned between issues six and seven.[98] After issue six was published, Smith and Flanagan's work on their reality show,Comic Book Men, extended this planned break longer than expected. It was decided in the interim to release the remaining issues as a separate series,Batman: Bellicosity, scheduled for 2016,[99][100] but it remains unreleased.
Also in 2010, Smith published aGreen Hornet story forDynamite Entertainment based on an unused script he wrote for aGreen Hornet film that never came to fruition.[101][102]
In August 2011, Dynamite Entertainment debuted Smith'sThe Bionic Man, which was based on a 1998 script he wrote that Universal rejected for being "more like a comic book than a movie."[103]
In 2014, Smith andRalph Garman released a six-issueBatman '66 crossover featuring Batman and Green Hornet,Batman '66 Meets the Green Hornet.[104]
On March 7, 2022, it was announced that Dark Horse and Smith would be teaming up to publish the books ofSecret Stash Press, a new publishing line by Smith. The first two books of the line includeMaskerade, written by Smith and AndyMcElfresh, andStops, written by Smith and set within theView Askewniverse.[105]
In 1998, Smith shot two TV commercials forCoca-Cola in New Jersey.[7]
In 2000, Smith and Mosier teamed up with television writerDavid Mandel to develop an animated television show based onClerks calledClerks: The Animated Series. Only the first two episodes aired, onABC in May 2000, before the series was canceled due to poor ratings. The six produced episodes were released on DVD in 2001.
During the mid-1990s, Smith directed and starred in a series of commercials for MTV, alongsideJason Mewes, in which they reprised their roles asJay and Silent Bob. In 1998, he directed Mewes as "Gary Lamb – Ground Activist" in a series ofNike commercials. That same year, he shot commercials for Diet Coke. Two years later, he directedStar Wars toy commercials for Hasbro. He has directed[106] and starred[107] in commercials forPanasonic. In 2004, he shot apublic service announcement for theDeclare Yourself organization, which promotes youth voter registration.[108] These advertisements brought Jay and Silent Bob out of their "semi-retirement."
On February 27, 2002, Smith released a short film forThe Tonight Show,The Flying Car.
Smith directed the pilot forThe CW supernatural comedy seriesReaper. He described it as "lessBrimstone orDead Like Me and more likeShaun of the Dead than anything else". He added that he took the job because he had always wanted to direct something he did not write, but never had an interest in doing it on the big screen.
Smith produced and appeared in theAMC reality television seriesComic Book Men, which is set inside Smith's comic book shop,Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash, inRed Bank, New Jersey.[109] The show ran for seven seasons, from 2012[110][111] to 2018.
A second series ofSpoilers aired onThe Comedy Network in Canada.[112]
Smith has directed three episodes ofThe Flash ("The Runaway Dinosaur", "Killer Frost", and "Null and Annoyed"),[113] four episodes ofSupergirl ("Supergirl Lives",[114] "Distant Sun", "Damage" and "Bunker Hill") and three episodes ofThe Goldbergs ("The Dynamic Duo", "Graduation Day" and "Our Perfect Strangers").
In February 2017, Smith was announced to write, direct, and executive produce a TV series based on the Image Comics titleSam and Twitch forBBC America.[115]
In February 2019, Smith was announced to cowrite, withDave Willis, an animated web series based onMarvel Comics'Howard the Duck forHulu.[116] In January 2020, it was announced that theHoward the Duck series was scrapped.[117]
In 2022, Smith guest starred as himself on theNickelodeon sitcomWarped!, in the episode "Plagiarized!"; in the episode, Smith announces to the lead characters what his new film would be, and the two leads believe Smith stole their similar idea and try to stop him.[118]
In 1996, Smith worked on a script for a plannedSuperman film tentatively titledSuperman Lives. He wrote several drafts but was dropped from the project whenTim Burton was hired to direct and brought his own team to write the script; Burton's attempt was later abandoned as well. Smith publicly discussed his experience working on the script at a Q&A session atClark University shown on the 2002 DVDAn Evening with Kevin Smith. In the Q&A, he said the experience was positive overall, since he loves Superman and was paid well. But he listed a number of unusual demands that producerJon Peters made, including that Superman not be shown flying or wearing tights, and that he should battle a giant spider at the end of the film. Smith noted that he went to see the 1999 filmWild Wild West, which Peters produced, and was surprised to see a giant mechanical spider at the end of the film, presumably Peters's handiwork. Smith's description of his experience gained a life of its own, with film criticA.O. Scott ofThe New York Times calling it "extraordinary".[119][120] In the 2007 direct-to-DVD animated filmSuperman: Doomsday, Smith has a cameo as an onlooker in a crowd that alludes to this anecdote: after Superman defeatsToyman's giant mechanical robot, Smith scoffs, "Yeah, like we really needed him to defeat that giant spider. Heh.Lame!"
In the early '00s, Smith was said to be writingFletch Won, a prequel to theChevy Chase filmFletch, and was set to direct with Jason Lee in the lead role, but the plans ultimately came to nothing. Smith cited Miramax not seeing Lee's box-office appeal (in anEntertainment Weekly article covering the delays, Smith claimed Harvey Weinstein continually refused it personally or suggested he focus more on the disguises of the character in a matter similar toAustin Powers, Smith admitting incredulity that Harvey refused even after Lee was frequently seen in billboards and posters in the city at the time, to promote his new showMy Name is Earl, but admitting that Harvey's vision for the film clearly did not include Lee) as a reason for its abandonment. For a time, Ben Affleck was considered for the role, with Chase framing the action as the narrator, looking back on his early adventures.
In 2004, Smith wrote a screenplay for a film adaptation ofThe Green Hornet, and announced that he intended to direct it.[121] The project died after the poor box office ofJersey Girl; the screenplay was later turned into aGreen Hornet comic book miniseries.[101] (A live-action film adaptation,The Green Hornet, was released in 2011, with no involvement from Smith.)
At the 2007San Diego Comic-Con, it was announced that Smith would write and direct an episode of theHeroes spin-offHeroes: Origins,[122] but the project was canceled because of the2007 Writers Guild of America strike.
Smith planned to direct a hockey drama-comedy based onWarren Zevon's song "Hit Somebody (The Hockey Song)". The song, about a hockey player famous for fighting in the rink, was co-written byMitch Albom, who worked with Smith on the project.[123] Smith announced at the 2011 Sundance premiere ofRed State thatHit Somebody would be the last film he directed, but that he would continue to tell stories in other media.[124][125] In August 2011,Hit Somebody was announced as a two-part film titledHit Somebody: Home andHit Somebody: Away, with part one rated PG-13 and part two rated R,[126] but later it became one film again.[127] In December 2012, Smith announced that, due to difficulties finding funding,Hit Somebody would be a six-part miniseries on an as-yet unknown network.[128] Smith announced in March 2015 thatHit Somebody would film from September to Christmas 2015,[129] but this did not happen.
On March 12, 2015, Smith said he would filmClerks III in May 2015, followed in early 2016 byMoose Jaws andAnti-Claus (a story inspired by theKrampus tradition),[130] which he confirmed the next day.[131]
On April 8, 2015, Smith said thatMallrats 2 would instead be his next film. Most of the original film's cast (16 of the 18) signed on to appear in the sequel.[132] In June 2016, Smith revealed that becauseUniversal owns the rights to theMallrats title a sequel would not be made; instead, it would be turned into a ten-episode TV series produced byUniversal Television.[133][134] He also confirmed that the film's entire cast would reprise their roles in the series.[135] Toward the end of the month, Smith announced that he had closed a deal with Universal Television to pitch the series to networks and streaming services in August.[136]
In January 2016, Smith wrapped production on a pilot episode for a planned half-hour comedy series,Hollyweed. He wrote and directed the pilot, which starred Smith andDonnell Rawlings, along withKristin Bauer van Straten,Frankie Shaw,Jason Mewes,Ralph Garman,Adam Brody, Hina Abdullah, Pete Pietrangeliand andHarley Quinn Smith.[137][138] The pilot was not picked up. In July 2018, it was released as the inaugural pilot on the new TVcrowdsourcing site Rivit TV, in hopes of getting funded as a web series.[139]
In May 2016, Smith announced that he was adapting the 1984 filmThe Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension for television throughMGM and said he and the company were shopping it around to networks.[140] In July 2016, it was revealed thatAmazon Studios was close to closing a deal to produce the series,[141] but in November 2016, during a Facebook Live Stream, Smith said he would walk away from the series after MGM filed a lawsuit against the original creators, but would be willing to come back on board if they wanted him.[142]
As an actor, Smith is best known for his role asSilent Bob inClerks,Mallrats,Chasing Amy,Dogma,Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back,Clerks II,Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, andClerks III. He made a cameo appearance in the horror filmScream 3, and was featured along withJason Mewes in severalDegrassi: The Next Generation episodes, including a special, "Jay and Silent Bob Do Degrassi" (also as a fictional version of himself).
Smith played the role of Paul, a cynical divorced man, in aShowtime television series pilot,Manchild, filmed in December 2006. It was not picked up by the network.[143]
From 1995 to 1999, Smith played small roles in the View Askew filmsDrawing Flies,Vulgar, andBig Helium Dog.
In 2001, he appeared in friend Jeff Anderson's filmNow You Know.
In 2003, Smith appeared in a cameo role as coroner Jack Kirby in the filmDaredevil. In 2006, he voiced the Moose in the CGI cartoonDoogal.
In early 2005,Smith appeared in three episodes of the Canadian-made teen dramaDegrassi: The Next Generation. He wrote his own dialogue for the episodes. An avid fan of the originalDegrassi seriesDegrassi Junior High andDegrassi High, Smith references them in some of his early films. In the episodes, portraying a fictionalized version of himself, he visited the school to work on the fictional filmJay and Silent Bob Go Canadian, Eh! All three episodes were collected on the DVDJay and Silent Bob Do Degrassi. Smith and Mewes reappeared in two episodes the following season, in which they returned to Degrassi for the Toronto premiere of the movie. Smith also appeared in the 2009 made-for-TV movieDegrassi Goes Hollywood.
In 2007, Smith appeared in a number of films, co-starring as Sam inCatch and Release, starringJennifer Garner,[144] and appearing as The Warlock, a hacker, in the fourth installment of theDie Hard franchise,Live Free or Die Hard.[145] At year's end, he appeared briefly in friend and fellow writer-directorRichard Kelly'sSouthland Tales, in which he played the legless conspiracy theorist General Simon Theory. The same year, Smith did voicework for the CGI filmTMNT as a diner chef and was seen as Rusty (a friend of lead Jason Mewes) inBottoms Up with co-star Paris Hilton.
Smith cameoed in thesecond-season premiere of the sitcomJoey, playing himself, on an episode ofLaw & Order (2000, episode "Black, White and Blue"),Duck Dodgers (2003 asHal Jordan, voice only) andYes, Dear (2004, as himself and as Silent Bob behind the end credits). He appeared in the second episode of season two ofVeronica Mars, playing a store clerk. Before it aired, Smith watched the show's first season and raved about it in his "online diary", calling it one of the best shows in the history of television.[146]
Smith does a voice cameo inSuperman: Doomsday as a bystander. He had a cameo appearance as "Bob the Security Guard" alongsideJason Mewes as "Jay the Security Guard" onThe Flash episode, "Null and Annoyed", which he also directed.
Smith played himself in the video gameLego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham as a playable character.[147]
Smith appears as himself inCall of Duty: Infinite Warfare, as a cameo and a playable character in the map Rave in the Redwoods.
In 2017, he appeared as himself in the animated filmTeen Titans: The Judas Contract from theDC Universe Animated Original Movies series.
Smith had a voice cameo inStar Wars: The Force Awakens, and an on-screen cameo inStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.[148]
Smith has appeared in five Q&A documentaries:An Evening with Kevin Smith (2002),An Evening with Kevin Smith 2: Evening Harder (2006),Sold Out: A Threevening with Kevin Smith (2007),Kevin Smith: Too Fat for 40 (2010) andKevin Smith: Burn in Hell (2012). All five have been released on DVD, and the last two were broadcast on the cable channelEpix.
The first is a collection of filmed appearances at American colleges, while the sequel was shot at two Q&A shows held inToronto and London. The third and fourth were filmed in Red Bank, New Jersey at the Count Basie Theater on Smith's 37th and 40th birthdays, respectively. The fifth was filmed in Austin, Texas at the Paramount Theater. The first two DVD sets were released by Sony Home Video, while the third was put out by the Weinstein Company.
A stand-up special, entitledKevin Smith: Silent But Deadly, filmed a mere hour before Smith's heart attack, premiered in 2018 on the cable channelShowtime and was later released to DVD.
Smith appears with Marvel Comics'Stan Lee inMarvel Then & Now: An Evening With Stan Lee and Joe Quesada, hosted by Kevin Smith. The film is similar in tone to theEvening with Kevin Smith series. Proceeds from the film benefitThe Hero Initiative, a charitable organization that aids ill or aging comic book creators.[149]
After an August 2001 appearance onThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno to promoteJay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Smith returned to the show for monthly segments as a correspondent. The "Roadside Attractions" segments featured him traveling to places around the country, includingHowe Caverns in upstate New York and thePike Place Fish Market inSeattle. At least 12 of these segments were aired, and Smith regularly appeared on the program to introduce the pre-taped pieces. Five of the segments were also included on theJersey Girl DVD.
Smith appeared in the 2006mtvU showSucks Less with Kevin Smith. The show gives college students ideas for things to do on the weekends.
In 2006, Smith guest reviewed onEbert & Roeper, in place ofRoger Ebert, who was recovering fromthyroid cancer treatment. These spots were notable for the arguments between Smith andRichard Roeper over certain films, with Smith often citing Roeper's negative review ofJersey Girl to discredit his review of the film at hand. On one appearance, Smith comparedCraig Brewer'sBlack Snake Moan to the works ofWilliam Faulkner.
Smith was featured as one of the interview subjects inThis Film Is Not Yet Rated, a 2006 documentary about theMotion Picture Association of America's process of rating films. Smith discussed howJersey Girl receiving an R rating, on the basis of a conversation two characters in that film have about masturbation, which MPAA headJoan Graves told Smith she would not feel comfortable having her 16-year-old daughter watching. Smith's response was to question whether Graves' daughter had not already masturbated or learned about masturbation, arguing that his film was not teaching 16-year-olds anything they did not already know.[150]
Smith teamed withAMC andThe Weinstein Company to co-host a late night talk show withGreg Grunberg,Geeking Out, which premiered in July 2016, coveringSan Diego Comic-Con with 8 subsequent episodes running weekly.[151][152][153]
In February 2019, he made his second appearance onThe Big Bang Theory in season 12 episode 16, "The D&D Vortex", alongside other guests stars,Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,William Shatner, andJoe Manganiello in a storyline where they get together at the home of recurring starWil Wheaton, to playDungeons & Dragons.[154] His first appearance was in season 8 episode 20, "The Fortification Implementation", when he joinsWil Wheaton on a podcast,[155] voice only.[156]
On November 16, 2019,Amazon Prime published "Bonus: Kevin Smith ExplainsThe Expanse" as a forerunner to series 4 ofThe Expanse, in which Smith helps explain the action that unfolded during the first three seasons. Two days later, it was published on YouTube.
Smith's longest Q&A session took place April 2, 2005, at theCount Basie Theatre inRed Bank, New Jersey.[157] The sold-out event was over seven hours long, took place from 8 pm through 3 am (which due todaylight saving time, was actually 4 am). Following the Q&A, he openedJay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash for a meet-and-greet with the numerous remaining audience members, which ended around 6:30 am. Smith then hopped on a plane and did another Q&A at the Raue Center for the Arts inCrystal Lake, Illinois, that night. Planned for two hours, it lasted just over five hours, ending a little after 1 am Central time.[158]
Smith made sold-out appearances atCarnegie Hall in 2009 and theSydney Opera House in 2010.[159][160]
Smith has a website, The View Askewniverse, which went online in late 1995. He has an online blog, "My Boring-Ass Life", the contents of which were published in a book by the same name.Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back's fictional website MoviePoopShoot.com became real in 2002. It becameQuick Stop Entertainment and was the home of SModcast until it was sold and SModcast moved to a dedicated websiteSModcast.com, which carries the other SModcast networkpodcasts in early 2010.
On February 5, 2007, Smith andScott Mosier beganSModcast, a regular comedy podcast. SModcast has since spawned into a podcast network called the SModcast podcast network which began in 2010, its owndigital radio station called SModcast Internet Radio (S.I.R) in 2011 and an internet television channel SModCo Internet Television (S.I.T.) in 2012.
On June 4, 2012, Smith premiered hisHulu weekly seriesSpoilers, described as an "anti-movie review" series, where Smith takes a group of people to a new film and has them comment on what they have seen. Other segments on the show include interviews with celebrities, and the "Criterion Lounge", where Smith discusses aCriterion Collection film available on DVD and the Hulu Plus service.[161]
On December 14, 2015, Smith began posting hisFatman on Batman series onYouTube.[162]
In late 2015, Smith and Jason Mewes began the web seriesWhat's in the Box? on theScreen Junkies website, through the site's streaming service.
Smith owns and operatesJay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash inRed Bank, New Jersey, a comic book store largely dedicated to merchandise related to his films and comics. He purchased the original store in January 1997 for $30,000, using the money he earned fromClerks.[7] The current location is its third. The original store was moved to a defunct ice cream parlor at 35 Broad St. after Smith sold the Monmouth Street property. The New Jersey location was managed by Smith's long-time friendWalt Flanagan, who appears frequently in Smith's films. On November 25, 2020, Smith announced on his Twitter account that he was closing the Red Bank store at 35 Broad Street on December 28, and moving the store down the block to a long-vacant corner location at 65 Broad Street.[163][164] The new location opened on February 22, 2021.
A second Secret Stash in the Westwood section of Los Angeles was opened in September 2004 and was managed by long-time friend and associate Bryan Johnson, who has appeared in Smith's films as Steve-Dave.[165] Smith had announced that he would close after his lease expired and Johnson wanted to resign, but eventually relocated to Laser Blazer, a now-defunct laserdisc and DVD store in Los Angeles.[166] In January 2009, the Los Angeles store closed, leaving the Red Bank store as Smith's only operating store.[167]
After the success of his first films, Smith moved toLos Angeles, though he felt homesick due to being away fromRed Bank, New Jersey. He dated actressJoey Lauren Adams, and declared his desire to marry her inTime magazine. Smith and Adams' relationship was tested by their working together onChasing Amy, and the two had a heated argument while on the film's set. They broke up in June 1997.[7]
Smith is married toJennifer Schwalbach Smith, whom he met while she was interviewing him forUSA Today.[168] They got married atSkywalker Ranch on April 25, 1999.[169] He photographed her for a nude pictorial inPlayboy.[170][171] Their daughter,Harley Quinn Smith, was born June 26, 1999, and was named afterthe character fromBatman: The Animated Series.[172] They live in theHollywood Hills[124] in a house Smith purchased from his longtime friendBen Affleck in 2003.[173]
Smith is an avid hockey fan and supports theNew Jersey Devils. He is also a fan of theEdmonton Oilers.[174]
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Smith never smoked until his debut film,Clerks, in which he used thecigarettes as a prop, but did not inhale. He quitsmoking cigarettes in 2008, when he took up smokingcannabis after working withSeth Rogen onZack and Miri Make a Porno.[175]
Smith has had a history ofyo-yo dieting. He lost 50 pounds (23 kg) upon meeting his wife. During production ofClerks II in 2005, he went from 319 pounds (145 kg) to 269 pounds (122 kg). After watchingFed Up, he eliminatedsugar from his diet and took up juice fasts in 2014, lowering his weight from 330 pounds (150 kg) to 240 pounds (110 kg).[citation needed]
On February 25, 2018, after performing astand-up comedy show at theAlex Theatre inGlendale, California, Smith suffered a severeheart attack caused by a total blockage of theleft anterior descending artery.[176][177][178] An ambulance rushed him to the nearbyGlendale Adventist Medical Center for emergency surgery, from which he recovered. Following the episode, his doctor told him he needed to lose another 50 pounds (23 kg). He adopted a vegan diet,[179] also joiningWeight Watchers and becoming a paid spokesperson for the brand.[180]
On the fifth anniversary of his heart attack, Smith confirmed that he had quit using marijuana in early 2023 and had experienced a mental health crisis earlier in the year that led him to reassess his livelihood and identify asco-dependent.[181]
Though raisedCatholic, Smith began to become disillusioned about his beliefs in his early 20s, and came to seeCatholic Mass as "dry and lip-servicey". Seeking advice, Smith spoke to a priest, who analogized faith to liquid filling a shot glass, and explained that the glass grows in size as a person grows older, and thus the same knowledge that satisfies a person as a child can be insufficient as an adult.
Smith researchedChristianity thoroughly, explored other religions, read theBiblical apocrypha, and tried joining aPentecostal congregation. The thoughts and ideas he explored during this time formed the inspiration for his filmDogma, the beginning of which features characters using the shot glass metaphor used by the priest. Though Smith still regularly attended Mass as late as 1998,[7] he stated on "Back to the Well", a feature on theClerks II documentary, that he only goes to Mass on the day before he starts production of a film, and the day before it premieres. In September 2014, Smith said that he believed inGod, stating: "Proof of God is that I have a career."[182]
In a 2015 interview, Smith said that he had left both Catholicism andtheism behind, citing the death of his dog. He said that upon the dog's death, he realized that dogs do not have religious beliefs. This in turn made him decide that religion was something meant to comfort children who were afraid of death. As an adult, Smith decided he no longer needed religion if his dog did not.[183] When asked about his religious beliefs in 2017, Smith said that he "believes in people".[184]
Smith co-founded "The Wayne Foundation", a charity supporting women affected by human trafficking and exploitation in 2010; as of 2025 it had its tax exempt status revoked by the IRS due to failure to file for 3 consecutive years.[185] In February 2019, he donated some of his previously worn jerseys to be auctioned off for the charity.[186]
In 2018,Vancouver Film School announced three "Kevin Smith Scholarships" in Acting, Writing and Film Production covering full tuition. Thirteen partial scholarships were awarded, funded by Smith. He personally selected the recipients from over nine hundred applications.[187]
Smith has directed sixteen feature films since 1994; he was the screenwriter for all but one of them,Cop Out (2010).
He has created and executive produced the TV seriesClerks: The Animated Series (2000–2001),Sucks Less with Kevin Smith (2006),Comic Book Men (2012–2018) andGeeking Out (2016). Since 2016, he has regularly directed episodes for a number of television shows.
Smith has had many small acting roles in films and television, often playing himself or otherwise making a cameo appearance.
In 2019,Clerks was selected by theLibrary of Congress for preservation in the United StatesNational Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[188]
Kevin Smith Schultz grace.
Mr. Anderson's film career was a happy accident. While he and Mr. Smith graduated together in 1988 from Henry Hudson Regional High School in Highlands, they were not close until Mr. Anderson began to rent movies from the video store where Mr. Smith worked.
As one of the hottest young stars in comedy, Seth Rogen has gone from scene-stealing supporting character to bankable leading man in just a few short years
Smith, a famous comic-book fan, also photographed her for Playboy magazine while she posed nude with a "Superman" look-alike.
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Quotations from Wikiquote
Data from Wikidata
| Preceded by | Daredevil writer 1998–1999 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Green Arrow writer 2001–2002 | Succeeded by |
