Kevin Smith Biography

After finishing film school Kevin Smith made the low-budget comedy hit Clerks (1994), a classic in the cinematic sub-genre of “slacker movies.”

His other movies, Mall Rats (1995) and Chasing Amy (1999), featured many of the same characters and actors, and Smith carved out his own niche of the movies, a screen world littered with pop culture references like comic books and convenience stores, all conveyed in coarse but snappy dialogue.

Actors who frequently appear in his films include Ben Affleck, Jason Lee and Matt Damon. Jason Mewes and Smith himself appear in his films as Jay and Silent Bob, respectively, two idle stoners who pop up for added comic relief.

Smith’s other movies include the irreverent comedies Dogma (1999) and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001), as well as the notorious flop Jersey Girl (2004, starring Affleck and Jennifer Lopez), the skewed romantic comedy Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008) and the strange drama Tusk (2014).