The character of Jay from Kevin Smith's View Askewniverse literally is Jason Mewes. So the story goes, from Smith's first meetings with the young Mewes, he thought that somebody needed to put this guy in a movie. Fast-forward a little while later and we find Smith making a movie by the name of Clerks. Enter Mewes... a stoner with a quick-mind, a penchant for metal, and the capability to come out with the most random things at the most inappropriate times, the Jay character from Smith's films is simply a case of taking Mewes' real-life personality and throwing it up on the screen for all to see. Yes, Mewes has had some issues over the years, but Smith has always been there for him to lean on, much like how Silent Bob is always there for Jay no matter what he says or does. He's his hetero life-mate, yo. Much like Mewes the actor has often tried to his hand at other roles in other movies, they all had the distinct smell of Jay-lite, and it's under Smith's scripts and direction that his charm is fully utilised. Exception To The Rule: The Jay character is a staple of Kevin Smith movies, but in 2008's Zack and Miri Makes a Porno Smith cast Mewes as Lester Cockenstuff. A quiet, unassuming character with a love of the Dutch rudder, Lester is far from the over-the-top, lady-hunting, vulgarity-spewing Jay.
