Kevin Smith
The convenience store clerk who filmed his friends arguing about Death Star contractors, creating a slacker-generation touchstone and a DIY filmmaking blueprint.
Born 1970 (age 56)·American filmmaker and actor·Birthday: August 2·Generation X
Biography
Kevin Smith never went to film school; he went to the Quick Stop Groceries in Leonardo, New Jersey, where he worked and shot his first movie, 'Clerks,' for a famously meager sum maxed out on credit cards. Shot in black and white on the store's actual off-hours, the film's talky, profane, and deeply authentic portrait of dead-end jobs and Gen-X angst became an overnight sensation at Sundance. It launched the 'View Askewniverse,' a interconnected series of films starring his recurring silent avatar, Silent Bob, and the motormouth Jay. Smith built a career on his unique voice—a blend of Catholic guilt, pop culture obsession, and stoner humor—connecting directly with fans through decades of sold-out Q&A tours. He evolved from indie wunderkind to podcasting pioneer and comic book writer, always maintaining the perspective of the fan who somehow got behind the camera.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Kevin was born in 1970, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Kevin Was Born
The biggest hits of 1970
#1 Movie
Love Story
Best Picture
Patton
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Kevin's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1970Born
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1975Started school
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1983Became a teenager
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Could drive
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1988Could vote
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Turned 21
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2000Turned 30
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 40
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 50
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 56 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Wrote, directed, edited, and starred in 'Clerks' (1994), which won the Filmmakers Trophy at the Sundance Film Festival and launched his career.
- Created the interconnected 'View Askewniverse,' a series of films including 'Mallrats,' 'Chasing Amy,' and 'Dogma,' centered on characters Jay and Silent Bob.
- Pioneered long-form, conversational podcasting with 'SModcast,' building a vast audio network years before the medium's mainstream boom.
- Wrote acclaimed runs on major comic books such as 'Daredevil' and 'Green Arrow' for Marvel and DC Comics.
Did You Know?
He sold his extensive comic book collection to finance the production of 'Clerks.'
The iconic 'I'm not even supposed to be here today!' line from 'Clerks' was based on his own life.
He owns a comic book store called Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash in Red Bank, New Jersey.
He turned down an offer to direct a Superman film in the early 2000s.
“I'm a big believer that you should do what you love, even if it's a stupid idea to everybody else.”
