Kevin Smith has announced that he will be retiring from directing after his next film, all the better to focus on his lucrative side-career as a Professional Kevin Smith — a job which encompasses a podcast empire, a Hulu series, a memoir, a role as “Kevin Smith, Podcast Host” on the AMC series Comic Book Men, various Twitter feuds, and a busy lineup of charmingly vulgar media appearances. With regards to the latter, Smith sat down with fellow meta-personality Larry King on Larry King Now and looked back longingly on his film career. Admitting that his 1994 indie breakout Clerks was intended as a “calling-card film,” Smith expressed surprise and gratitude that he managed to make any more movies. “Everything that followed [Clerks] was just beyond expectation,” he said. “It was like hoping for a kiss and getting the most amazing b—job you’ve ever had in your life.” In the video below, you can hear (but not see) King do a spit take.
Smith plans to retire after filming his next movie, the passion-project hockey tale Hit Somebody. No word yet on filming details, so this pre-retirement phase may last awhile.
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