Sharing a workplace with Kevin Smith earned Jason Mewes a spot in the pop culture fabric of the late 1990s and into the 21st century with a string of appearances as motormouthed drug dealer Jay in the writer-director’s interwoven comedies. Mewes’ first appearance as Jay came with Smith’s feature debut, “Clerks” (1994), which established the character’s penchant for manic, stream-of-consciousness monologues, as well as his relationship with non-verbal sidekick, Silent Bob. The worldwide success of “Clerks” in the indie film market led to more appearances by Mewes as Jay in Smith’s films, such
