Who is Jason Edward Mewes? The entertainment world knows him as a 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 that he wrote and directed except Jersey Girl and Cop Out.
Early life
Mewes was born June 12, 1974 and he grew up in Highlands, New Jersey, living with his mother, a heroin addict, who died of AIDS in 2002. He never met his father. He himself started using heroin in his early 20s, and remained addicted for the next decade.
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, performed in the films Scream 3 and Bottoms Up and on Canadian television series 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 Jay's character.
Mewes starred in the pilot episode of Smith's sitcom, Hating Hal; it 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, 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.
Personal life
Smith entered Mewes into the first of a series of drug rehabilitation clinics in 1997, after noticing Mewes was nodding off during the recording of the Chasing Amy commentary track. Mewes' attempt at sobriety was short-lived; in 1999, he was arrested for possession of heroin and a syringe, in violation of his probation.
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. 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. 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.
In 2001, a warrant was issued for his arrest and in April 2003, he surrendered himself and pleaded guilty to probation violation charges. He was ordered to enter rehab and was told if he violated parole again, he could face up to five years in prison. In the same year, he made another attempt at sobriety after he fell asleep with a lit cigarette, nearly setting himself on fire; to date, he has remained sober.
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 | |||
| The Tripper | Joey | ||
| 2008 | Bitten | Jack | Video |
| Zack and Miri Make a Porno | Lester | ||
| Tattoos: A Scarred History | Himself | ||
| 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 Cool | Coach Cambria | In production | |
| 2010 | Noah's Ark: The New Beginning | Ham | voice |
| Big Money Rustlas |