Kevin Smith at the at the Sundance Film Festival, in Park City Utah, January 19, 2018. Photo by Michael Lccisano.
 
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Kevin Smith with Jason Mewes
Forecourt Ceremony held on Monday, October 14, 2019
 
Born: August 2, 1970, in Red Bank, New Jersey
Age at the time of the ceremony: 49
 
Director. Actor. Writer. Producer. Pundit. Commentator. Critic. Podcaster. Fanboy. Comic Book Store Owner. Kevin Smith is all of these things and more. Since breaking through with his garage movie Clerks in 1994, Smith has come to represent a whole galaxy of people who are, like, really into comic books, action / fantasy movies and stuff like that.

Smith was raised a Catholic in Highlands New Jersey by his stay-at-home mom and postal worker dad. Kevin is the youngest of three: he has an older brother and sister. An overweight child, Smith became an adept at comic critiques of high school life in order to socialize. After graduating high school, Smith attended The New School in Manhattan, but dropped out. He met fellow comic book fanboy Jason Mewes during this time.

For his 21st birthday, Smith went to see a film which would change his life: Richard Linklater's Slacker (released in July 1991). The film encouraged Smith to make his own movie. Attending the Vancouver Film School, he met up with Scott Moiser. Together, they would make Mae Day: The Crumbling of a Documentary (completed in 1992, but has not been officially released) with Emelda Mae. He dropped out of film school.

Returning to New Jersey and working in a convenience store, Smith decided to make a film about his experiences. He wrote, directed, edited and co-produced and played "Silent Bob" in Clerks (premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City Utah in January 1994) with Brian O'Halloran. Pal Jason Mewes played Jay to Smith's Silent Bob in the picture. Winning the Filmmaker's Trophy, the film was immediately picked up by Miramax, releasing it slowly (as was their way back then) in October 1994. The film became a sensation.

The Universal boutique studio, Gramercy, offered Smith a chance to make a picture. The result, Mallrats (released in October 1995) with Shannen Doherty, did not do well, but has since gained a following. After opening his own comic book store Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash in Red Bank New Jersey in January 1997, Smith returned to lower budgets and Miramax, delivering the hit Chasing Amy (released in April 1997) with Ben Affleck.

When Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's spec script was in turnaround hell, Smith got Miramax to buy it, making him co-executive producer of Good Will Hunting (released in December 1998) with Robin Williams. The picture won Oscars for both Damon and Affleck's writing and made both of them stars.

Smith's next film is the love-it-or-hate-it Dogma (released in November 1999) with Ben Affleck. Returning to his Clerks persona, he starred in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (released in August 2001) with Jason Mewes. Meanwhile, he worked with singer Prince on Untitled Prince Documentary, but it has never been released.

Jersey Girl (released in March 2004) with Ben Affleck, was supposed to open a new chapter in Smith's writing and directing, but backfired, as did a documentary he executive produced called Small Town Gay Bar (released in January 2006) which was misunderstood by many.

Smith returned to familiar ground with Clerks II (released in July 2006) with Brian O'Halloran, and while the film did well, Smith was still looking for a new direction. He put a lot on the line with Zack and Miri Make a Porno (released in October 2008) with Seth Rogen; the film fared poorly with Smith becoming bitter with Miramax (by then a part of Disney) over its release, which Smith felt to be half-hearted.

Trying to recover, Smith directed (and edited) for Warner Bros., the buddy cop movie Cop Out (released in February 2010) with Bruce Willis. The film did not do well, with Smith returning to the independent sector, where he has gloriously remained.

Still looking for his magic formula, Smith wrote, directed and edited a "straight horror movie" Red State (premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2011, released video-on-demand in September 2011) with John Goodman.

By now, Smith had become quite a pundent, sought out for his reactions to all things fanboys are into. On the streaming platform Hulu, he became excutive producer for the first season and starred in 20 episodes of Spoilers with Kevin Smith with Jason Mewes, beginning in January 2014.

A more comfortable combination of comedy mixed with horror was attempted in Tusk (released in September 2014) with Justin Long, but the film fizzled (Smith's fans saw it, though). A sequel of sorts was Yoga Hosers (released in September 2016) with Lily-Rose Depp, which is considered the worst film and and biggest bomb in Smith's career. He co-executive produced and directed the "Halloween" segment of Holidays (released in April 2016) starring his daughter Harley Quinn Smith.

Smith has directed three episodes of The Flash with Grant Gustin, aired over the CW Network in May 2016, and was executive producer of a documentary about the making of the first Clerks film, The Clerk (shown as a work in progress since October 2016 and still awaiting a release). He has directed four episodes of Supergirl with Melissa Benoist, aired over the CW Network in January 2017, and three episodes of The Goldbergs with Wendi-McLendon-Covey, aired over ABC in April 2017.

Tapping into his interest in comic books, Smith was executive producer on 71 and starred in all 96 episodes of Comic Book Men, shot at the Secret Stash, aired over AMC, beginning in October 2017. Smith shared his love for marijuana by writing, directing and starring in Hollyweed with Hina Abdullah, aired over Rivit TV in July 2018. He directed a sequel to Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (released in October 2019) with Jason Mewes. Smith published a coffee-table book autobiography, Kevin Smith's Secret Stash, and held a book launch in the Chinese Theatre Sixplex in October 2021.

Smith has a lot of projects going these days, due to the success of Clerks III (released in )September 2022).
 
 
TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX®, Hollywood, California. Kevin Smith Forecourt block. Executed by unknown, Monday, October 14, 2019. 31 x 21 inches.
TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX®, Hollywood, California. Kevin Smith / Jason Mewes Forecourt ceremony, Monday, October 14, 2019. Smith and Mewes show off their cementy hands after double dipping.
 
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