« If I hadn’t canceled show 2 to go to the hospital, I would’ve died tonight. »
Kevin Smith tweeted fans early Monday that he had suffered a « massive heart attack » after shooting a comedy special in the Los Angeles area.
« If I hadn’t canceled show 2 to go to the hospital, I would’ve died tonight, » Smith tweeted from the hospital. « But for now, I’m still above ground! »
Smith, the 47-year-old filmmaker (« Clerks, » « Mallrats, » « Chasing Amy »), writer and star of the AMC reality series « Comic Book Men », was reportedly shooting « Kevin Smith Live! », his new standup special, in Glendale, California.
After the first show this evening, I had a massive heart attack. The Doctor who saved my life told me I had 100% blockage of my LAD artery (aka « the Widow-Maker »). If I hadn’t canceled show 2 to go to the hospital, I would’ve died tonight. But for now, I’m still above ground! pic.twitter.com/M5gSnW9E5h
Smith, whose feature directing career has spanned his breakthrough 1994 hit « Clerks » to 2016’s « Yoga Hosers, » had posted on Facebook hours earlier about his show taping.
Smith, who shoots « Comic Book Men » in his native Red Bank, N. J., recently appeared in the 2017 film « Disaster Artist, » and had directed recent episodes of CW’s « The Flash » and « Supergirl. »
Smith’s screenplay for his 1997 film « Chasing Amy, » starring Ben Affleck and Jason Lee as comic-book creators, received a Spirit Award. Smith himself has written comics for such characters as Daredevil, Green Hornet and Batman, and he famously financed his indie Sundance hit « Clerks » partly by selling his cherished comics collection.
As a performer, Smith debuted his Silent Bob character in « Clerks » as a mute comic foil to fellow slacker Jay, played by Jason Mewes. In 2013, Smith staged a reunion tour with Mewes, anchored by their podcast and a new « Jay and Silent Bob Super Groovy Cartoon Movie. »
Smith told The Washington Post’s Comic Riffs in 2013 that the film was « a benchmark of his sobriety » in referring to his longtime friend Mewes, who had battled addictions to heroin and OxyContin.
Fans and fellow celebrities, including Chris Pratt, tweeted their concern and wishes to Smith early Monday:
« Praying for you. I will continue to. You inspired me with Clerks when I was a senior HS. I’m tagging my Lb/rb football coach who showed me the movie cause he believed in me and knew I’d be inspired, » Pratt wrote on Twitter.
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(c) 2018, The Washington Post. Michael Cavna wrote this story.
