Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith 鈥� widely known as stoner icons Jay and Silent Bob 鈥� are bringing their popular (and very raunchy) live podcast to Boulder Friday.
Their road show Jay and Silent Bob Get Old has been taking the actors all over the country, sharing whatever鈥檚 on their minds and mingling with fans of the .
The show, usually known as the , is being billed as POTcast for the Boulder stop. , the 鈥淛ay鈥� to Smith鈥檚 鈥淪ilent Bob,鈥� says that鈥檚 very much by design in light of Colorado鈥檚 landmark passing of Amendment 64.
I spoke with Mewes about being typecast as a stoner, and about how doing the show has helped him hang onto sobriety.
Colorado was one of two states to legalize marijuana in the last election. Did you and Kevin (Smith) have the show scheduled in Boulder before the vote?
鈥淲e were already looking into going out to Colorado. We had been talking about it because I鈥檇 done a Q and A there years ago, I think it was in Boulder. So I told Kevin it was a blast and that we should check it out, bring the podcast there. But after they legalized [pot] and made it official, we definitely made a point to make it definitely happen.鈥�
Do you ever feel typecast as a stoner type? Just curious if you鈥檙e looking for different roles to play other than the stoner icon鈥�
鈥淵eah, for years, that was the only role I was getting offered. The cool thing is, now, and now people are seeing I could play someone else, you know, the romantic guy, or the crazy guy, or whatever鈥� I feel like when I go into meetings or auditions, they don鈥檛 just expect me to come in for the stoner, slapsticky funny guy.
But definitely for years I felt like it was tough for people to see past the long hair and the stoner persona鈥� For a few years it was like that but not anymore. I鈥檝e done a bunch of different characters now. I played Vinnie, a mobster in a movie 鈥楾he Last Godfather鈥� with Harvey Keitel.
I think the audience, though, -- even after all these years, and even after listening to the podcast for two hours and me talking about being sober and not doing anything, they鈥檒l think I鈥檓 just talking about [not doing] the heavy drugs.. (laughs). And afterwards they鈥檒l still offer me鈥攜ou know, like 鈥淗ey man, you wanna come smoke out with us?鈥� People still assume I smoke.鈥�
You鈥檝e been pretty open about dealing with substance abuse, and getting sober. You talk about it a lot during the podcast. Is that helpful for you?
鈥淒efinitely, it鈥檚 been very helpful. We started the podcast for that reason. Kevin had been doing SModcast for years. He asked me why I had relapsed after I almost had five years sober, and I explained to him that I feel I wasn鈥檛 talking about it enough, I wasn鈥檛 really accountable to anybody. And Kevin was like, 鈥榃ell, there you go, this will be the podcast. And you can talk about it, the 20 years of us working together, and you sneaking off to do drugs, when you were sober, when you weren鈥檛 sober鈥︹�� And it鈥檚 been a big help for me.
Just me telling stories 鈥� even though I can laugh about it now, it reminds me that, it鈥檚 funny now talking about it, but I don鈥檛 ever want to be in a spot again where I don鈥檛 have electricity鈥� and I鈥檓 using candles so I can see in my apartment, and my apartment catches on fire鈥� Even if I have 931 days [sober] today, I don鈥檛 want to forget how bad it got. And talking about it all the time reminds me.鈥�
A lot of people are looking forward to Potcast on Friday. Do you think you鈥檒l get grilled on your favorite strains, or the coolest names, now that marijuana is legal here?
鈥淚 don鈥檛 have any favorite strains from experience, but . I know they have OG Alien... out here (in California) they have Skywalker... I鈥檒l definitely be able to sit and chitchat with them about the different names.鈥�
Maybe they鈥檒l name one after you guys...
鈥淵ou know what? That would be awesome鈥� (laughs) I don鈥檛 know what it would be, Jay and Bob? Or would it be The Schnoot? That would be great.鈥�
POTcast With Jay and Silent Bob takes place at Friday, Feb. 1.
