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Jason Mewes
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| Jason Mewes | |
|---|---|
 Mewes at Wizard World, 2004 |
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| Born | Jason Edward Mewes June 12, 1974 Highlands, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Official website | |
Jason Edward Mewes (born June 12, 1974) is an American television and film actor known for playing foul-mouthed drug dealer Jay, the vocal half of Jay and Silent Bob from the "View Askewniverse" films of Mewes' childhood friend Kevin Smith. He has appeared in all of Smith's films except Jersey Girl.
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Personal life
Mewes grew up in Highlands, New Jersey, living with his mother, a heroin addict, who died of AIDS in 2002.1 He never met his father. He himself started using heroin in his early 20s, and remained addicted for the next decade.1
Smith entered Mewes into the first of a series of drug rehabilitation clinics in 1997, after noticing Mewes was nodding off during the filming of Chasing Amy.1 Mewes' attempt at sobriety was short-lived, however; in 1999, he was arrested for possession of heroin and a syringe, in violation of his probation.2
He also stole Smith's ATM card and charged $1,100, and had heroin shipped to the hotel where the press junket for Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back was being held.1 Smith had taken Mewes in to live with him and his wife, Jennifer Schwalbach Smith, but kicked him out after he was caught using again.1 In another attempt to get clean, Mewes moved in with his mother, who gave him OxyContin to ease the withdrawal symptoms; Mewes was soon addicted to that substance as well.1
In 2003, he made another attempt at sobriety, this time successful; to date, he has remained sober.1
Career
While he is mostly known for acting in films, Mewes also has worked in television. He voiced the role of Jay in the short-lived Clerks: The Animated Series. He, along with Smith, appeared in the films Scream 3, Bottoms Up and on Degrassi: The Next Generation. He appeared in two episodes of a three-part story arc in which he and Smith film a new addition to Smith's New Jersey films entitled Jay and Silent Bob Go Canadian, Eh? at Degrassi Community School. They appear again on Degrassi (in a two part episode), at the premiere of Jay and Silent Bob go Canadian, Eh? in Canada. Mewes, Smith, and Degrassi star Stacie Mistysyn made the cover of Canadian TV Guide. He and Kevin Smith will return to Degrassi: The Next Generation for some of the final 4 episodes of season 8 entitled Paradise City. In 1998, he starred as "Gary Lamb - Ground Activist" in a series of Nike commercials directed by Smith.
In Scarface: The World Is Yours Mewes provides a voiceover for a thief who steals some tapes. The character's dialogue, consisting mainly of constant stream-of-consciousness profanity, is entirely consistent with that of the Jay character.
Mewes starred in the pilot episode of a Kevin Smith directed sitcom called Hating Hal (which never advanced beyond the pilot stage.)
During a radio interview on WJFK 106.7, Mewes confirmed that at one time, he had a deal with Kevin Smith, that if he stayed sober, that they would make Clerks 2. He also stated that he is doing a film called K 11 with Kristen Stewart and Nikki Reed, and that he dyed his hair black for this role.3
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Clerks | Jay | |
| 1995 | Mallrats | Jay | |
| 1996 | Drawing Flies | Az | |
| 1997 | Chasing Amy | Jay | |
| 1999 | Dogma | Jay | |
| Tail Lights Fade | uncredited | ||
| The Blair Clown Project | Witness #3 | ||
| Spilt Milk | |||
| 2000 | Scream 3 | Jay | |
| Vulgar | Tuott the Basehead | ||
| 2001 | Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back | Jay | |
| 2001-2002 | Clerks | Jay | 6 episodes |
| 2002 | R.S.V.P. | Terry | |
| High Times' Potluck | Guy | ||
| Hot Rush | |||
| 2003 | Pauly Shore Is Dead | Jay the MC | as Jay Mewes |
| 2004 | Powder: Up Here | Evil Villain | |
| 2005 | Degrassi: The Next Generation | Himself | 4 episodes |
| My Big Fat Independent Movie | Answering Machine | voice | |
| Tom 51 | |||
| The Pleasure Drivers | Counter Monkey | ||
| 2006 | Clerks II | Jay | |
| Feast | Edgy Cat | ||
| National Lampoon's TV: The Movie | |||
| Bottoms Up | Owen Peadman | ||
| Jack's Law | Bobby Mewes | ||
| 2007 | Netherbeast Incorporated | Waxy Dan | |
| Gone Baby Gone | Thanks | ||
| The Tripper | Joey | ||
| 2008 | Bitten | Jack | Video |
| Zack and Miri Make a Porno | Lester | ||
| Tattoos: A Scarred History | Himself | ||
| Noah's Ark: The New Beginning | Ham | voice | |
| Fanboys | Himself | cameo | |
| 2009 | Tom Cool | ||
| Midgets Vs. Mascots | Jason | uncredited | |
| Silent But Deadly | Thomas Capper | post-production | |
| Repo | T.J. | post-production | |
| Shoot the Hero | Nate | post-production | |
| Mitch and Stu's Quest | Stu | pre-production | |
| The Science of Cool4 | Coach Cambria | In production | |
| K-11 | Ray | pre-production |
See also
Further reading
- Smith, Kevin. My Boring Ass Life: The Uncomfortably Candid Diary of Kevin Smith. Titan Books. 25 September 2007. ISBN 1845765389.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Spivnes, Christine. "To Hell & Back." Entertainment Weekly. July 14, 2006.
- ^ "Jason Mewes Arrest." The Smoking Gun.
- ^ Interview with Big O and Dukes WJFK 1067
- ^ Jason Mewes Joins The Science Of Cool Cinemablend. 5 April 2009
External links
- Jason Mewes at the Internet Movie Database
- Interviews Askew: Jason Mewes (Interview from March 14, 1999)
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