When it comes to Kevin Smith, there are generally two reactions people have: either "I love Kevin Smith" or "who's Kevin Smith?" And the answer to that second question is part of why so many people give the first response.
Kevin Smith is a pioneer of indie comedy films whose movies depicted nerds respectfully when most Hollywood productions made them punchlines. In addition to being a director, he has worked as a writer, podcaster, comedian, and actor. For all this, the stories behind his accomplishments are even more impressive. These are ten hilarious behind the scenes stories about Kevin Smith:
High Expectations
For years, Kevin Smith has been Clerks, he's played the recurring character Silent Bob, a drug dealer who sells weed with his loud-mouthed best friend Jay.
While shooting the film Zack and Miri Make a Porno, actor Seth Rogen felt personally hurt that Smith never invited him to get high. Ironically, this was because Smith had never been a smoker. They eventually toked up together after work one night and Smith fell in love with the experience. Years later, when Smith went into cardiac arrest, the only reason he survived was that he didn't panic due to being high.
Water Cooler Stories
One of the most famous Kevin Smith stories involves his work onSuperman movie that was never made. As Smith was rising in Hollywood, he was given a copy of a Superman script that needed rewrites.
He read it, and when a studio executive asked his thoughts, Smith said it was bad. "brutal criticism of the script, which is how he eventually became the next scriptwriter.
3 Tenants of Superman
To get approval for writing Superman Lives, Smith met with the film's producer, Jon Peters, a former hairdresser who lived in a huge mansion. Taking a look at Smith, Peters said, "You know why you and me are gonna do a good job on Superman? Cuz you an' me, we get Superman? 'Cuz...we're from the streets."
Peters had just three conditions to make Superman. 1. No flying. 2. Get rid of the costume. 3. Superman had to fight a giant spider in the third act. The insanity of Peters eventually tanked the film, but a year later, another film came out that Jon Peters produced: The Wild, Wild West, a cinematic trash fire which famously ended with the heroes fighting a giant spider.
"F*ck Tim Burton"
Before Superman Lives was completely tanked, director Tim Burton was brought onto the project and forced Kevin Smith out. As a joke, Kevin Smith would sign autographs for years with the words "f*ck Tim Burton." Burton eventually found out.
Much later, after Burton's remake of I would never read a comic book. And I would certainly would never read anything by Kevin Smith." In 2012, Smith released his book Tough Sh*t. On the back cover, he put Burton's quote saying he'd never read anything Smith wrote.
Ordering Takeout
After collaborating on multiple projects, Kevin Smith eventually bought the house that had previously belonged to his long-time friend Ben Affleck.
One night, Smith tried to order takeout. He placed an order, then when he gave his address, the person on the other end of the line screamed obscenities and hung up. A confused Smith later learned that Ben Affleck's friends would apparently order takeout and not pay, resulting in this reaction.
Dogmatic Words
As a lapsed Catholic, Kevin Smith made the single greatest comedy movie about Christianity: Dogma, a film featuring the 13th Apostle, God as a woman, and a savior who works at an abortion clinic.
Naturally, there were protest. Thinking this was hilarious, Smith made his own protest sign, reading "Dogma is Dogsh*t." He ed the protesters. Then, a reporter came and interviewed him as a protester, where he gave a false name and denounced his own movie as something t00 offensive to watch. It was the best free advertising he'd ever had.
Cop Out
Kevin Smith made a cop buddy comedy film called Cop Out, which starred Bruce Willis.
Smith was excited to make this, as it was the sort of movie that he thought his father would watch. However, he was high the entire time he was directing it, resulting in Willis feeling that Smith was completely unprofessional. Apparently, Willis was so intimidating, Smith was actually scared to interact with the actor.
Haters Learn the Taste of Love
Breaking from his usual run of comedy films, Smith made a dark drama about the Westboro Baptist Church, called Red State. The church--known to hatefully protest anything and everything--naturally protested this film.
Smith and his followers gathered together in a counterprotest. LGBTQ+ teenagers came out chanting Lady Gaga lyrics so loud it drowned out the Westboro Baptist Church's homophobic slurs, while Smith's dear friend Malcolm Ingram, a bear in the gay community, stood front and center with a sign that read "D*ck Tastes Yummy." Smith re the moment the church's figurehead, Shirley Phelps-Roper, saw the sign, her jaw dropped. Smith later asked her if this was because she knew it to be true from firsthand experience.
Writing Comics
Kevin Smith is a huge comics fan. He wrote the book Joss Whedon to write comics.
Later, while writing Batman, Smith was apparently so high he does not what he actually wrote. This may explain why his comic Batman: The Widening Gyre is universally reviled, and why it features a scene where Poison Ivy uses marijuana to incapacitate the Dark Knight...and another where Batman wets hit Bat-undies.
Prince
The musical artist Prince once invited Smith to work on a documentary about his newest album, which had heavy Christian themes.
Smith arrived and quickly realized that Prince wanted him to do things he was not equipped for. He also realized Prince was "living in Princeland," making demands such as "It's 3 in the morning in Minnesota. I really need a camel." Smith witnessed a number of bizarre behaviors over the week, and the documentary was never released, instead being locked in Prince's personal vault. After Smith shared the details of this encounter with a live audience, Prince tried to sue him, only to realize that the director never signed the nondisclosure agreement he was given.
