Several year ago, I had an online conversation with Kevin Smith, director and co-star of 5 very well known films and one upcoming one. Basically, I'd defended Dogma on the ViewAskew boards from the ramblings of some fundamentalist moron who didn't get the gag, and Kevin contacted me through my hotmail address, he set up a temp hotmail addy himself and chatting was to be had.
He's a cracking bloke, really nice guy and the converstation flowed nicely. Until I asked how Jason was doing. Then there was a pause. Just after I typed "Hello? You still there?" Kevin said "He bolted from rehab again". Jason Mewes was a drug addict, a heavy use one. Kevin Smith loves him like a father and it was heartbreaking to read what Kevin was telling me, a complete stranger, about someone he'd taken under his wing, yet shrugged it off for another fix time and time again.
Jason Mewes is one of those guys you hate with a passion or you want to have him be the godfather to your kids. His persona in the movies as Jay is exactly how Jason is. If you were ever unfortunate enough to see R.S.V.P, you'll see how wide Jason's acting range is: Not very. However, during the filming of Dogma, he was high on either Heroin or Oxycontin every day. There's a scene in that movie 'Holy Bartender' where Jay 's asleep, sitting in a chair. No reason, just asleep. During filming the scene where Rufus (Chris Rock) is explaining to Bethany (Linda fiorentino) about why she was 'chosen' Rock suddenly starts laughing. Smith yells 'cut' and asks Rock what's so funny. Jason is asleep, standing up. Heroin addicts don't sleep like us. They get their heads down for about 2 hours at night, after that it's 5-minute 'quick naps'.
Why am I telling you this? Why, while I'm waiting for the bread to finish, am i recounting past memories of someone I've never met, and probably doesn't know I exist (unless Kevin told him about our conversation)?
At the end of the conversation, I said to Kevin "If he ever gets his head sorted out, you should write about this shit. If he can get clean after all that dope he's done, it needs to be told. He should be a fucking poster boy"
He got clean. Kevin wrote about it (Off his own back, I'm not taking credit for this). it's a hefty slab of reading, but it's from the heart and damn is it inspirational stuff
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Jason Mewes has now been drug-free for 3 years, and given the life he had, it's incredible that he's done it. You might say that the money helped, but how? The guy had money coming out of his fucking ears and he jacked it all. After Jay & Silent Bob strike back, Jason blew his cash so quickly he was hanging around the editing suite trying the score some cash from Kevin 'Just for one fix, to get my head straight', before the movie was even released.
Clerks 2 is coming out in August. Jason & Kevin aren't the main stars, but dammit, i'm gonna watch it for them. Cause they make me smile.
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