Clerks star Jason Mewes has opened up about an emotional Thanksgiving he had with co-star and writer-director Kevin Smith. 1994's Clerks was the first film in which the world was introduced to Mewes and Smith's iconic characters, Jay and Silent Bob. Since then, the pair have become staple supporting roles in many of Smith's films, including Mallrats, Dogma and eventually Clerks: The Animated Series. By 2001, Mewes and Smith were reuniting once more for their own film Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Over the years, the characters have become so iconic that they have even made several cameo appearances in projects outside of Smith's body of work, including Wes Craven's Scream 3.
Sadly, it was not all fun and games on the Jay and Silent Bob ride. Shortly after appearing in Mallrats, Mewes began to struggle with a drug addiction. He spent much of his time under the influence while working on both of Smith's films Chasing Amy and Dogma. Over the years, Mewes started and continued his recovery journey, and has been sober since July 1, 2010. Mewes continues to be open about his experiences with addiction.
In a recent interview on Jackass star Steve-O's podcast Steve-O's Wild Ride!, Mewes opened up about an emotional Thanksgiving Day, which led to Mewes' first time going completely sober. According to Mewes, he and Smith always spent Thanksgiving together, but this was not the case one particular year. The actor described a difficult moment in which he arrived at Smith's house with visible "track marks" on his arms from drug use, leading to an emotional Smith asking him not to come inside the house with his family and children present. Mewes' story followed a segment in which he explained that his co-star had been supportive of his recovery journey for many years, and offered Mewes a place in his home on several occasions. See Mewes' full quote below:
"I remember I went to his house, it was Thanksgiving and I always used to have Thanksgiving with him. I remember me and him sitting out in front of his house, and he's crying, saying 'I want to let you in, but the whole family is here.' And I had a tank-top on, and I had track marks. And he's like, 'I can't have you see them like that.' And I'm like, 'I can't come in for a plate of Thanksgiving dinner?' And he's like, 'You can't. Here, I am going to bring you some food.' That was the first time I got sober for a while."
According to Mewes, Smith played a major role in helping him during his battle with addiction. The actor explained that Smith would frequently drive him to rehabilitation clinics and even pay for his treatments. While Mewes explained that Smith often laid down "boundaries" in their relationship, particularly when Mewes was in the presence of his young daughter, the Clerks director remained supportive of his friend through difficult circumstances.
While Mewes' story is an emotional one, it may be heartwarming for fans to know that Jay and Silent Bob are as close and full of love for each other in real life as they appear in their films. Mewes attributes much of his support through his addiction to Smith, and the pair continue to work together to this day, co-hosting a podcast together entitled Jay and Silent Bob Get Old. In podcast episodes, Mewes often openly and honestly discusses his past experiences with addiction. Mewes and Smith clearly have a strong and long-lasting friendship, and many Clerks fans will be excited to know that they will get to see the pair in action again, as Clerks 3 is on the way having already finished production.
Source: Steve-O's Wild Ride!