Kevin Smith is an American filmmaker, actor, film producer, and screenwriter. He also produces and directs films. The low-budget movie Clerks (1994), in which he played the character Silent Bob, is largely credited for bringing him to public attention.
Fans refer to this shared canon as the “View Askewniverse,” which is named after the production company that he and Scott Mosier co-founded, View Askew Productions. His first several films were mostly set in his home state of New Jersey, and while they are not strictly sequential, they frequently feature crossover plot elements, character references, and a shared canon.
Smith is also known for directing and producing movies including the buddy cop action comedy Cop Out and the thriller Red State. Outside of the film industry, Smith has contributed in a variety of roles to a number of different television series.
Kevin Smith Early Life
Kevin Patrick Smith was born on August 2nd, 1970 in the city of Red Bank, which is located in the state of New Jersey. He was one of three children reared in a Catholic household, the others being his two siblings.
Kevin Smith got his start in the film industry when he was still in high school and began recording the school’s basketball games on video. During his time at the high school, he also created his own comedic skits.
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After finishing his studies at The New School in New York, Kevin Smith began working at a juvenile center. It was there that he first became acquainted with Jason Mewes, the actor who would go on to play the role of “Jay” in the films that Kevin Smith would direct.
Because of their mutual interest in comic books, they became fast friends. Smith was motivated to pursue a career in filmmaking after watching Slacker, a movie directed by Richard Linklater when he was 21 years old.
He received the training he needed to direct his first film by enrolling in the Directing Program at Vancouver Film School. After finding that he already knew enough to start working on his project, he decided to quit the class halfway through in order to save some money.
Kevin Smith Career
Kevin Smith had to sell his whole comic book collection to fund his first film. After moving, he got his previous job at a convenience shop. His debut film, Clerks, was inspired by his time there. Kevin Smith made the film for $27,575 and slashed costs by casting buddies.
In 1994, Kevin Smith’s Clerks won the Filmmaker’s Trophy at Sundance. It won at Cannes that year. This critical acclaim led Harvey Weinstein to buy the picture from Kevin Smith. With fewer than 50 screenings at a time, the film made almost $3 million.
Kevin Smith’s Mallrats bombed critically and commercially. Despite a bigger budget and screen, it only made $2 million. Chasing Amy is considered Smith’s best picture. The picture made $12 million with a $250,000 budget. Dogma earned $30 million on a $10 million budget.
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Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back were released in 2001. The film focuses on two of Smith’s earliest characters. It earned $30 million despite mediocre reviews. Smith’s next picture lost money. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez were in Jersey Girl after Gigli. Fans avoided the film fearing a “Gigli 2.”
2006’s Clerks II was Smith’s return to form, and he ended the series with style. The film won two festivals. Clerks II made $25 million on $5 million.
After Clerks II, Smith made two major studio films that flopped. Zack and Mimi Make a Porno was a failure that nearly ended Seth Rogen’s career. The film’s failure hurt Kevin Smith’s reputation. Smith’s 2010 picture was no better. Cop Out starred Bruce Willis. Willis and Smith reportedly clashed constantly on set; it was Smith’s first non-written film.
Kevin Smith’s last film with a major studio was Cop Out; he then made smaller-budget films. His “horror cinema period” began with 2010’s Red State.
Also a box office flop. 2013’s Tusk, 2016’s Yoga Hosers, and 2017’s Killroy Was Here are others. Jay and Silent Bob Reboot came out in 2019. He also announced Clerks III production that year.
Smith is a film and TV director. Flash, Supergirl, and The Goldbergs. Kevin Smith directed 1998 Coca-Cola advertisements.
Smith has acted in TV shows and movies in addition to his own projects. Scream 3, Daredevil, Catch and Release, Live Free or Die Hard, and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker include him. He’s also appeared in Degrassi: The Next Generation.
Kevin Smith’s Personal Life
Kevin Smith is the proprietor of his very own comic book store in New Jersey, which is called Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash.
He is best known for his romance with Joey Lauren Adams, who played his leading woman in the film Chasing Amy; however, the strain of working together finally caused the relationship to end. In 1999, after he had tied the knot with Jennifer Schwalbach Smith, he welcomed his first kid into the world.
Over the course of his life, Kevin Smith has struggled significantly with his weight. In spite of the fact that throughout the years he has been able to effectively lose an unbelievable amount of weight, he frequently finds himself once again being overweight or even obese.
Smith transitioned to a vegan diet after experiencing a severe heart attack while performing stand-up comedy on stage. As of the year 2019, Smith is making progress toward a healthy lifestyle and weight thanks to the new diet.
Kevin Smith Real Estate
In 1998, Kevin purchased a home in the Los Angeles area for a price of $1,145 million. This is still his principal residence, and judging by recent sales in the area, the property is probably valued at something in the neighborhood of $3 million.
Current Net Worth of Kevin Smith
Screenwriter, actor, director, film producer, and comic book author Kevin Smith is an American who has a net worth of $25 million. Kevin Smith is now regarded as one of the most prominent figures in the entertainment industry.
He first rose to prominence after appearing in the film Clerks, which marked his debut as a filmmaker. Kevin Smith is also responsible for directing a number of terrifying movies.