Jason Mewes: Now a Super Groovy Cartoon

Jason Mewes2Actor Jason Mewes is best known as one half of Jay and Silent Bob, and you’ve seen him in so many great movies like “Clerks”, “Mallrats”, “Dogma”, “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back” just to name a few.  He’s also got a successful podcast, “Jay and Silent Bob Get Old,” which airs weekly. He recently stopped by the SiriusXM studios to talk with Ron Bennington about his new cartoon movie, “Jay and Silent Bob’s Super Groovy Cartoon Movie” which is on tour now.  Excerpts from the interview appear below.

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Ron Bennington:   “Jay and Silent Bob’s Super Groovy Cartoon Movie” tour start[ed] 4-20, at the Center Stage Theater in Atlanta, Georgia.  Jay, good to see you pal.  

Jason Mewes:  Thank you.

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Ron Bennington:  So, how you doing, man?  Everything cool?  

Jason Mewes:  Things are good, man.  I’m really excited about this tour.  We’ve been working on the cartoon for about a year and a half, I believe it’s been.  A year and a half to two years.  And I’m just very excited that it’s over with.  And it’s crazy because I finally…I’ve been watching it throughout to do sound mixes and to do voiceover and animation, but I haven’t watched it from beginning to end yet.  And I can, but I don’t want to.  I’m honestly excited to watch tomorrow.

Ron Bennington:  You want to see it on the big screen and see it with everybody else.  

Jason Mewes:  Exactly.  It will be nice to see it.  For me to see it for the first time, because again, I’ve seen chunks and I know every bit of it because I produced it and put it together, but I know where I laugh and what makes me laugh, but it will be awesome to see it from beginning to end with other people.  See how they react to these jokes that I laugh at and what makes my wife laugh and Kevin laugh, so it’s exciting.

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Jason Mewes Talks About Being Sober

Ron Bennington:  So for awhile, it just felt like you were fucking around and – hey, this will last just a little while.  I noticed in the promo with this, you guys tie in your sobriety with the trailer.  Is that important to you to keep it out there and stay honest about it?  

Jason Mewes:  Yeah, for sure.  I mean it’s a really big help this time around.  I have a few times sober and I feel like the last time – I almost had 5 years and I just wasn’t going to meetings and talking to people and I just wasn’t been accountable to anyone.  I was like – oh, I’ve got almost 5 years sober, I’m great.  Oh, I got kidney stones and they gave me pain killers and I can handle it, but I couldn’t handle it.

Ron Bennington:  That’s the same exact way that I am, man.  I have to be so careful with it.  And I actually got my appendix out a couple years ago and fucking refused every thing because I’m just like – I don’t think, even though it’s been years for me, I don’t know if I can do it.  I don’t know if I can do it.  

Jason Mewes:  Yeah.  And since then, I haven’t had any type of situation happen for me to be like – oh, I’m in so much pain and hopefully I won’t.  But this time I do feel like if something occurred where I’m like – oh my gosh, I’m in so much pain.  I have to take something.  At least, I talk about it so much that I would tell everyone like – hey, here we are.  We get old and I have a thousand and such a days or almost 3 years and I’m in so much pain, I have to take these pain killers, but I’m going to talk to you guys about it every time.  And that’s been a big help.  And I talk to my wife about it and now Kevin.  Yeah, just the whole idea of people knowing and me telling stories and reminding me.  Besides me being accountable, me telling stories and reminding myself that’s the only thing.  That’s why I think I got on such a cloud 9 – things started coming together.  I had 4 years sober.  I met this girl.  We were getting married.  I was working a bunch and things were so good that I almost forgot that if I take those pain killers, I’m going to be shooting toilet water.

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Jason Talks About Dealing with Kevin Smith When He Was Using Drugs  

Ron Bennington:  When you were at your worst, you stayed away from even Kevin, right?  

The Weinstein Co. Presents "Zack & Miri Make A Porno" - Red CarpetJason Mewes:  Yeah well, I mean I would call him, but…the last time around I feel like…well, not the last time around  – because the last time around I tried to avoid him when I was messed up.  But for about a year, I was taking painkillers and would see him – again, not as much as now, but at least once, twice a month, I would go over, say – what’s up?  Or he would be like – hey, let’s do this.  And I would see him and I would be messed up and I would just try to get by him.  I would think to myself – oh, he’s not going to be able to tell.  And a few times, he could still…he talks about it now.  He knew.  He was sort of in denial.  Like one time we were driving to Vegas and I had just taken like 30 Vics.  And I’m in the car on the way there and he’s talking to me and I’m like – Yeah! Yeah, Yeah! That’s a great idea, man!  And then we got to the hotel and he was meeting with someone and he came back to the room.  I was like – oh, you’re having a big important meeting, but really I knew I was just so messed up at that point. It was like…even me, who likes to likes to get messed up, I was like – wow, I could tell I took too many to where I was doing the nodding while being with him.  I was like – whoa, I wish I could take it back.  Like you run in circles, you try to wake up.  But as soon as you chill and get relaxed, you’re like – wake up.  Wake up.  And that’s how I was when I was with him in the hotel, meeting these people.  I said – I’m going to go to the room.  I’m going to get some food.  I’m starving.  Your meeting, it’s important.  But then he said he came back to the room and I don’t know why I do this.  I’m going to have to step away from the mic.  So weird he caught me.  And you can maybe describe it.  (gets up from the mic)  I was standing up and he said i was doing this.  (Bends way over at the waist)

Ron Bennington:  Yeah, it’s that junkie standing.

Jason Mewes:  Then he said I was doing this.  (swinging arms)

Ron Bennington:  Yeah.  

Jason Mewes:  Like swinging in the air.  And he didn’t know what the heck I was doing.  I don’t remember doing that.

Ron Bennington:  You always see that exact thing you’re doing outside Methadone clinics.  And Methadone is another one of those things where people are like – oh, I’m using it to get off drugs, but really it’s just another fucking fun drug to be on.  

Jason Mewes:  Yeah.  And he came in and he was like – wow.  And he still was denying it, like he still had the denial and just because I had so much time…again, not so much time, but I almost had 5 years – that he was like…he really thought I was going to stay off it.  So this time around, when I got sober again, like 3 months in is when the cartoon came about.  And I told him, I said – last time, I sort of got content with working 3 weeks on a movie and then I’d have 3 weeks to do nothing.  And then I’d do 2 weeks here.  And I said – so when I’m not shooting a movie or doing something, I need to keep busy in between there.  And so I said – I want to start producing and directing and doing different stuff, so even if I’m not acting I can be at home on the computer, working on something else or going to meetings to work on producing this or direct it.  Whatever it might be.  And he’s like – well, what do you want to do?  And I told him – I want to start producing.  And he said – well, you need a script.  And he gave me the “Jay and Silent Bob’s Super Groovy Cartoon Movie” script.  He had written it like 4 years prior and it was sitting on the shelf.  And so I started working on that and it’s been awesome.  And I started doing the podcast soon after that.  Like right around that same time.  So, we started doing the podcast.  So when I’m not shooting a movie or going to meetings or auditions to try to get movies, we’re doing the podcast and touring with it.  We were working on the cartoon and now we’re touring with the cartoon.

So it’s been pretty cool.  I’ve been keeping pretty busy and then I’ve been going to meetings.  I’ve been going to these early meetings.  I realize I need to get up and do 8:30 meetings or 9am meetings because if I’m like – oh, if I go to the one at 1:00 or 2:00, then of course by 12:00, 1:00, I’m like – someone will call and go – hey, want to grab some lunch?  And then do you want to go do this?  And then I won’t go to a meeting.

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Jason Talks About Getting Started, Doing Clerks

Ron Bennington:   But you know what’s weird, when you go back and watch “Clerks”, being that you were a roofer and maybe Kevin just thought you were a funny guy, but you weren’t thinking about acting.  And we’re what?  20 years out.  

Jason Mewes:  Almost 20, yeah.

Ron Bennington:  If you look back on that, you seem like the most natural actor in the whole bunch.  

Jason Mewes:  Well, thank you.

Ron Bennington:  There was something so natural.  And I think that’s why people have always liked you right from the beginning.  There’s always been something so real about you.  

CLERKS 2Jason Mewes:  Well, thank you.  Yeah, and I was terrified.  “Clerks”, the first one – I was so terrified.  I remember he gave me this script and he’s like – you have to memorize this.  We’re going to shoot.  And it was fine at first.  I would read through the script and go over stuff with him, but then when I would get in front of the camera – even though it wasn’t even like the studio movies where there’s like a bunch of guys doing cameras here, lights and this and that.  It was just like Kevin, Scott Mosier, Dave Klein and a couple of our friends and couple other actresses or actors.  So it was about 10 people total on set, but I would get so nervous looking around.  It was weird because the things that I say in the movie – the character says, Jay – is things I said for real.  Like when Kevin and I were hanging out, we would be driving down the street and I be like – “What up, bitches??  What up sluts??  You know you’re fucking fat!” Just silly things like that.  I really would say, but when I got in front of the camera and people were staring and waiting for me to say it.

Ron Bennington:  Yeah, right.  

Jason Mewes:  “What up bitches?”  It was so weird.  And Kevin was like what do you mean?  You say this all the time, you can’t say it now? I was like – yeah, but it’s different now.  Like when I’m obnoxious, I’m really entertaining myself and if I get a smile from people, that’s awesome.  But it’s not like me being – alright, there he is.  He’s sitting across from me and I’m going to make him laugh.

Ron Bennington:  Nothing was ever planned.  

Jason Mewes:  Yeah.  It’s weird.  So when it was planned, like – okay, I’ve got to get up and make him laugh.  So, I’m glad that it came off easy.  And to be honest, back then was right when I started drinking.  And not hardcore, but I’m saying I used to have to drink a little bit of brandy to get loose, but I could handle that.  I would drink when I was shooting and that was it. Or I would drink with friends on the weekends down at the beach and party.  But that’s when I can look back and actually be like – drinking and smoking and stuff was alright because I would only smoke….oh, we got a doobie for this party with the girls.  We got little booze, like a couple of shots of brandy, but then it was right about 21, I tried dope for the first time with this girl and then a little bit of coke and oh, it was over then.

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Jason Mews Talks About the Fun of Working on a Kevin Smith Movie

Ron Bennington:  There’s a certain connection that all you guys have.  And that’s why, when I hear Kevin talk about ending this thing, I’m like – no, that can’t happen.  

Jason Mewes:  Well, I know right now he’s writing “Clerks 3” and hopefully things go as planned because I know there’s some politics involved, I believe at the studio.  He has to do this and do that.  And he really hasn’t sat down and talked to Jeff (Anderson) and Brian (O’Halloran), Dante and Randal and said – what do you think about doing another one?  So, we’ll see what happens, but I hope so because it’s a blast.  I mean the cartoon is definitely a blast, but I tell Kevin, I’m like – I’ve done a good handful of movies now in Canada and here and there.  And it’s always a blast being on set and being a part of these projects and shooting a movie is just a blast most of the time.  Don’t get me wrong, sometimes it can be…and I can’t imagine…I’ve never done stuff like…when you see these movies where you see these people are, whatever, fighting polar bears and hanging from strings for and hour and doing this.  It’s actually hard work.  And they’re long days.  But with Kevin, I don’t know, there’s something about all of Kevin’s movies.  One of course, is him and I are close, but we’ve almost had the same script supervisor on every one of Kevin’s movies.  The same transportation guys and a DP and the producer – so it’s almost like you don’t see everyone for like 2 or 3 years and all of sudden you spend 2, 3 months with the same people and it’s really awesome.  And it’s, always to me, not to mention to me, it’s always like – I always flashback to “Mallrats”.  Like “Mallrats”…and it sounds so corny, and I told Kevin this the other day like – those 2 months were the most like amazing…just like when I think back, it’s almost like…I can’t even explain really and give it detail.  But it’s just…it was so fun because it was like the first time I ever went and stayed in a hotel for 2 months, ordering room service.  And then you got per diem and everyone would leave after shooting and at the pool or at the bar and hang out and talk about the day and what’s going and you would hear stories.  And I got to meet Stan Lee which was amazing.  And it was just so much fun and dressing up in costumes and having props and we never had that before.  It was just such a blast that I’m just saying like – I feel like each time we do a movie together, one of these movies, the View Askew movies that it’s almost that same vibe.

Ron Bennington:  Going back to it, yeah.  

Jason Mewes:  It’s always a new movie for him, but it’s almost that same.

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super groovy cartoon movieRon Bennington:   First of all, let me just say before I let you go.  Again, I’m so happy that you’re doing good, man.

Jason Mewes:  Thank you.

Ron Bennington:  Above all, I want you to do that because everybody loves you, man.  And your health and you keeping it together and the bonus is to see you doing great work back with Kevin again.  I think it’s terrific.  You get the chance…one thing about these guys, when you go to this tour – you guys are willing to meet everybody. Kevin is great about that.    

Jason Mewes:  Yeah.

Ron Bennington:  Thanks so much my man.  It’s great to talk to you and I’ll see you next time coming through.  

Jason Mewes:  Thank you very much.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=la017NRDjyM]

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 For more information, go to seesmod.com/groovymovie and @JayMewes on Twitter.

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You can hear this interview in its entirety exclusively on SiriusXM satellite radio.  Not yet a subscriber?  Click here for a free trial subscription.

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You can learn more about Ron Bennington’s two interview shows, Unmasked and Ron Bennington Interviews atRonBenningtonInterviews.com.