Happy Birthday! Kevin Smith Turns 46 Years Old

Let's all wish a very happy birthday to Kevin Smith. The filmmaker is turning 46 years old today!

Born in August 1970, Kevin was raised in a Catholic home by his parents, Grace and Donald. With two older siblings, Kevin used his budding comedic skills and knack for storytelling to pursue a career in filmmaking. And that career first began when Kevin turned 21 and went to see Richard Linklater's Slacker.

Inspired by the film's humble origins, Kevin decided he would give filmmaking an honest go. Moving home to New Jersey from college, Kevin began work on his debut gig, Clerks. The film was ultimately screened at Sundance Film Festival, earning the eye of Miramax executives who opted to buy the film. Clerks then went on to Cannes International Film Festival, earning the project prestigious awards which led the film to theaters. Despite its relatively small release, Clerks went on to become a critical success and paved the way for other independent films to break out into mainstream Hollywood.

Kevin is also known for working on other films such as Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Cop Out, Red State, and more. The active comedian is also well-known as a writer, comic enthusiast, and Internet personality. Currently, Kevin hosts several widely popular podcast such as SModcast, Fatman on Batman, and Hollywood Babble-On. He's also the owner of Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash, a local comic book joint in Red Bank, New Jersey. The reality TV show Comic Book Men is filmed at that location, documenting the store's various events and such.

Happy birthday, Kevin! We hope it's absolutely excellent!