In an emotional caption of his on-set selfie, the 'Chasing Amy' director explains the significance of February 25 for him and his relief for the exclusion from the 'In Memoriam' montage at 2019 Oscars.
- Feb 28, 2019
AceShowbiz - Filmmaker Kevin Smith marked the first anniversary of his near-fatal heart attack by kicking off production for his long-awaited "Jay and Silent Bob" sequel.
The "Clerks" director nearly died on February 25, 2018 when he was hospitalised for emergency surgery after falling ill at the end of a comedy gig in Glendale, California.
The massive health scare forced Kevin to reevaluate his diet and embark on a healthy eating and exercise programme, showing off the results of his 51 pound (23 kilogram) weight loss in August.
Monday, February 25 marked the anniversary of Kevin's heart attack, and he spent the day on the set of his much-hyped "Jay and Silent Bob" project.
The significance of the date wasn't lost on the 48-year-old, and he subsequently commemorated the occasion with an on-set selfie as he reunited with co-star Jason Mewes, who plays Jay to his Silent Bob character.
Jason Lee, who portrayed Brodie Bruce in the 2001 cult stoner comedy, also featured in the snap, confirming his movie return.
In the lengthy and emotional caption, Smith reflected on how close he had come to death just one year ago, as he threw himself into his new project.
"Today, I'm living it up on with @jaymewes and Jason Lee on Day 1 of my new flick @jayandsilentbob Reboot...!" he wrote, after reminding fans he "almost died".
Smith then explained how the three pals had gathered to rehearse their lines on Sunday night (February 24Feb19), during the Oscars telecast, which made the actor/filmmaker realise how thankful he was to still be around.
"The Oscars were on in the background during our practice and I couldn't help but feel relief when the 'In Memoriam' montage ended and I wasn't in it," he shared.
"We picked 2/25 as the Reboot start date *intentionally*, to celebrate the fact that I did not become Silent Bob forever 365 days ago. But after a blissful couple hours of making pretend with my friends on the set of my 14th film, I'm starting to think I *did* die in that operating room after all. Because what could be more Heavenly than this?".
The film, simply titled "Jay and Silent Bob Reboot", reunites Smith with Mewes and producer Jordan Monsanto 24 years after the two titular characters made their debuts in 1994 movie "Clerks".
Smith and Mewes went on to reprise their characters for small appearances in Kevin's other films, including 1995's "Mallrats", 1997's "Chasing Amy", and "Dogman" in 1999, before stepping out in their own 2001 project, "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back".
The two co-stars last rekindled their onscreen friendship for 2006's "Clerks II".
