10 Best Performances In Non-View Askewniverse Kevin Smith Films, Ranked
With the Jay and Silent Bob Reboot hitting theaters roadshow-style in 2019, and Clerks III soon on the way, the casual movie-lover may let cult filmmaker Smith's few non-"View Askewniverse" movies fall by the wayside.
But Smith die-hards won't soon forget them, thanks to the following ten standout performances. Honorable mention paid to Ben Affleck - whose uniformly-panned Gigli undoubtedly denied critics the chance to view his actually-heartwarming turn in Smith's Jersey Girl with objective eyes at the time. And to Sean William Scott (Cop Out), who clearly enjoyed working with Smith more than, say, Bruce Willis did.
10 Tracy Morgan (Cop Out)
First revealing such on Marc Maron's WTF Podcast in 2011, and re-iterating the same in conjunction with Cop Out hitting Netflix in 2020, Smith claims he only survived the production - plagued by creative differences with Bruce Willis - thanks to Morgan's relentless high-spirited nature and cooperation. As Detective Paul Hodges, Morgan delivers a knee-slapping performance highlighted by paranoia that his wife (Rashida Jones) is having an affair.
9 George Carlin (Jersey Girl)
In the underrated Jersey Girl, the late standup comedian helped Smith fulfill the second leg of his two-pronged childhood dream: have an on-screen lightsaber duel with Luke Skywalker (realized in the climactic fight of Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back), and cast George Carlin as his father.
As Bart Trinké, the recovering alcoholic father and sage council for Ben Affleck's Ollie, through which Smith semi-autobiographically reflected on his becoming a dad at the height of his early-formed celebrity, Carlin nailed tear-producing beats even his superfans did not know he could access.
8 Elizabeth Banks (Zack And Miri Make A Porno)
Though scheduling conflicts axed Rosario Dawson's ability to reunite with Smith on a second-straight film following their unexpected but never-the-less acclaimed Clerks II collaboration, her Zack and Miri replacement more than sufficed.
Elizabeth Banks achieved slept-upon greatness in a role many considered the strongest woman lead Smith had written since Chasing Amy's Alyssa Jones (Joey Lauren Adams). Sporting her on-brand comedic chops, further range was demonstrated by the genuine love in the actress' eyes shown during and after the explicitly indescribable scene otherwise known for its needle-drops, beard-less Seth Rogen as a "deliveryman," and a film crew discussing their LOST theories.
7 Justin Long (Tusk)
Before starting a podcast of his own ("Life is Short"), the Accepted actor teamed up with a pioneer of the platform to star as one. A professional so driven to gain a click-securing interview with an eclectic recluse (Michael Parks) that he's completely blind-sighted when said recluse (brace for it) turns him into a Walrus.
All-time high-concept loglines aside, Long rode the depth of the human psyche to its absolute extremes in a role that required him to fall from charismatically in-control to surgically and mentally-tethered whilst in a constant state of terror.
6 Michael Parks (Tusk)
In Tusk, Long is only outshined by his madman captor, Howard Howe - played by the late Michael Parks (Twin Peaks, From Dusk till Dawn). A personal favorite performer of the director, Smith has fawned over Michael Parks for years on 'SModcast' as someone he longed to work with. For a film that secured an expected cult following, the seasoned character actor knew its story could only resonate if he played his over-the-top, borderline ridiculous character with unwavering seriousness.
5 Craig Robinson (Zack And Miri Make A Porno)
A nearly always-applicable rule of thumb in a Smith film: they are only as good as their second banana.
Smith's second-to-none right-hand man-crafting is on full display with Zack and Miri's Delaney (Craig Robinson). Just after becoming known for supporting roles in The Office and Pineapple Express, and just prior to blowing up even further with Hot Tub Time Machine, Robinson solidified himself as a funnyman with staying power as Zack's (Seth Rogen) fellow barista-in-arms turned producer.
4 Raquel Castro (Jersey Girl)
An understated consequence of a film negatively harmed by a tabloid frenzy brought on by its romantically-linked star power: a lack of attention paid to its real star.
With a production marred by the fear of paparazzi interference and press leaks due to co-stars Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez's engagement and subsequent break-up, the reduction of the latter's role was her on-screen daughter's gain. For Gertie Trinké, played by then-unknown Raquel Castro, stole the show to the tune of a 2005 Young Artist Award victory for best actress - age ten or younger.
3 Seth Rogen (Zack And Miri Make A Porno)
In spite of Smith's ultimately untrue worst fears that due to box-office underperformance he had "killed Seth Rogen's career," the actor's leading effort in Zack and Miri is arguably featured in his "Mount Rushmore" of best performances.
From the time he regrettably allows heat-warmers to infiltrate an undesirable area, to the time he "was just delivering cream" and so forth, Rogen does not miss out on a single comedic opportunity throughout the flick. Be it a sight gag, or just Rogen being Rogen.
2 Michael Parks (Red State)
In Smith's definitive first comedic-departure, he bravely tackled satirizing religion in style-subverting, horror-filled ways where the still even-more controversial Dogma was limited. An independent release fronted by a Westboro Baptist Church-inspired pastor, Abin Cooper (Parks). While likely not regretting the auction in which he sold the film's rights to himself rather than a distributor with wide release intentions, even on a stubborn day Smith would agree that had the film been seen by more eyes, Parks would have more seriously contended for an Oscar nomination.
1 Justin Long (Zack And Miri Make A Porno)
Hailed by millennial internet-users across the board as one of the best cameos of all-time, such does not even best describe Justin Long's extended guest turn as the husband of the titular reunion attendees' former high school classmate.
As the blunt, overly-flirtatious adult film actor Brandon St. Randy, Long endeared himself to the View Askew faithful as yet another running slew of brief but iconic side characters. "Smithheads" whose wish for St. Randy to interact with shared universe members was granted in Reboot when he seemingly and inexplicably appears as Jay and Silent Bob's lawyer.
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