JASON MEWES
Date of Birth: June 12, 1974
Hailing from New Jersey, Mewes graduated from Henry Hudson Regional in 1990
with his good friend Kevin Smith. After a few months in college and film
school, Smith worked at a local store with Mewes.Mewes eventually landed
a job at the video rental store close by, and Smith had his inspiration
for Clerks (1994). Once the script was complete, he asked Mewes
to play the role of Jay. With only a little acting experience in school
plays, Mewes accepted the part, thinking it would be fun. Clerks was made
after hours at the store where he worked during the day. As Jay and Silent
Bob, the two played an idiosyncratic pair of suburban drug dealers,
providing brief comic moments throughout the film. Jay's ramblings were
often interrupted by a rare moment of wisdom from Silent Bob.
Clerks (1994) was hailed at festivals worldwide and became a cult classic.
Mewes wasn't prepared for the film's success. "It was weird. All of a
sudden Kevin told me that the movie got bought and was gonna be shown in a
movie theatre. I was shocked. I was psyched." In fact, after the film
was made and distributed, Mewes got back to regular work as a roofer and
continued to work until he was called in to do Smith's next two films,
Mallrats (1995) and Chasing Amy (1997). Following the success of these
films, he bided his time working behind the counter at Smith's comic book store.
Now well known, Mewes and Smith started doing a number of MTV commercials
playing their famous characters. Mewes also made a rare appearance
as a character other than Jay in the indie film Drawing Flies (1996).
Although he is likely doomed to be typecast as Jay for the rest of his
career, Mewes doesn't seem too concerned. When asked about his typecast role
he said, "In Kevin's movies I would like to stay Jay. But, yeah, I'd love to
do something else in someone else's movie." After once again landing the
role of Jay in the 1999 comedy, Dogma (1999), he continued to play Jay in
following productions like the series, Clerks: The Animated Series,
and films like Scream 3 (2000), and Lucy You Love It (2000), Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back.
FILMOGRAPHY:
The Tripper (2007)
TV: The Movie (2006)
Bottom's Up (2006)
Jack's Law (2006)
Clerks II (2006)
Feast (2005)
Nice Guys (2005)
My Big Fat Independent Movie (2005) (voice)
The Pleasure Drivers (2005)
Tom 51 (2005)
Pauly Shore Is Dead (2003)
High Times Potluck (2002)
Sticks & Stones (2001)
Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)
Lucy You Love It (2000)
Vulgar (2000)
Scream 3 (2000)
Spilt Milk (1999)
Tail Lights Fade (1999) (uncredited)
The Blair Clown Project (1999)
Dogma (1999)
Chasing Amy (1997)
Drawing Flies (1996)
Mallrats (1995)
Clerks (1994)