Kevin Smith Survives Heart Attack, 'Jay and Silent Bob Reboot' Still On
The director of 'Clerks' had a blockage of his LAD artery, known as "Widow-Maker."
Kevin Smith’s return to stand-up comedy ended in the hospital. But from an Instagram selfie on his hospital bed, the director of Clerks and Chasing Amy hints he’s moving forward with Jay and Silent Bob Reboot.
On early Monday morning, Smith shared an Instagram selfie from a hospital bed, following a heart attack he suffered on Sunday night. “If I hadn’t canceled the second show to go to the hospital, the Doc said I would’ve died tonight,” Smith wrote.
The day before, on Sunday, Smith was shooting the first of two new live specials in Glendale when he suffered a heart attack that forced the cancellation of his second show. At the hospital, Smith was informed that he had “100% blockage” of his LAD artery, which he says is known as the “Widow-Maker.” Thankfully, Smith made it to the hospital in time.
Characteristically open and honest about his personal life in public, Smith said he was “content” if his time was up, with the only disappointment being that he wouldn’t get to make Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, a continuation of Smith’s View Askew film series.
“But as I stared into the infinite, I realized I was relatively content,” Smith wrote. “Yes, I’d miss life as it moved on without me - and I was bummed we weren’t gonna get to make #jayandsilentbobreboot before I shuffled loose the mortal coil. But generally speaking, I was okay with the end, if this was gonna be it.”
Making a movie is probably the least of Smith’s concerns at the moment. But for the past few months, Smith has given regular updates via social media on writing and producing Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, in which Smith’s pot-smoking mascots Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Smith) attempt to stop the movie reboot of their comic book Bluntman and Chronic.
The film is a sequel to 2001’s Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, when the duo first traveled all the way from New Jersey to Hollywood to stop the original Bluntman and Chronic, which starred fictionalized versions of James Van Der Beek (Dawson’s Creek) and Jason Biggs (American Pie).
Aside from directing movies and shows like The Flash and Supergirl, Smith is also a podcaster whose fans tune in to listen to his take on geek pop culture. They’re also interested in his sometimes fascinating personal life; for example, his bizarre adventures writing the script for Tim Burton’s failed Superman movie with Nicholas Cage. Smith says this latest episode “is part of my mythology now,” which can only mean a podcast about the harrowing experience is in store.
“This is all a part of my mythology now and I’m sure I’ll be facing some lifestyle changes (maybe it’s time to go Vegan),” Smith said. “But the point of this post is to tell you that I faced my greatest fear tonight… and it wasn’t as bad as I’ve always imagined it’d be. I don’t want my life to end but if it ends, I can’t complain. It was such a gift.”
There is not yet a release date for Jay and Silent Bob Reboot.
