Jeffrey Allan Anderson (born April 21, 1970) is an American film and television actor, director, and screenwriter best known for starring as Randal Graves in Clerks , Clerks II , and Clerks III . In between, he has appeared in other Kevin Smith -directed films and has written, directed, and starred in Now You Know .
36-519: The View Askewniverse is a fictional universe created by writer/director Kevin Smith , featured in several films, comics and a television series; it is named for Smith's production company, View Askew Productions . The characters Jay and Silent Bob appear in almost all the View Askewniverse media, and characters from one story often reappear or are referred to in others. Smith often casts
72-549: A Dogma followup's been swimming around in my head for some time now. Over a decade later, there has apparently been no further discussion. But in October 2017, Smith revealed that he no longer desired to make any new religious films. Near the same time as the cancellation, just weeks before the Weinstein scandal broke to the public, Harvey Weinstein pitched to Smith about doing a sequel. Not much came from this pitch, but it
108-487: A " retirement community in the mountains" where he is "the youngest person there by 20 years." He also said he remarried in 2009, to an actress named Barbara Jacques he met while house sitting for Kevin Smith. In April 2017, Anderson declined to reprise his role as Randal for Clerks III ; the reasons have not been made public. An $ 8 million budget had been obtained, locations were being scouted in Philadelphia and
144-593: A bigger budget, because the entire third act would be the Apocalypse . Scary thing is this: the film would have to touch on Islam . And unlike the Catholic League , when those cats don't like what you do, they issue a death warrant on your ass. And now that I've got a family, I'm not as free to stir the shit-pot as I was when I was single, back when I made Dogma . I mean, now I've gotta think about more than my own safety and well-being. But regardless – yeah,
180-515: A commentary on Episode 6 that it would go theatrical (with the hopes to win an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature ), but later made plans to go direct-to-video . The basic plot involved Dante and Randal making a movie about their lives at the Quick Stop, a reference to the production of the original film. In an interview, Kevin Smith expanded on the delays surrounding the film. He stated that when Harvey and Bob Weinstein left Miramax, owned at
216-401: A crew was being assembled, and the start of production was less than two months away. Due to Anderson's decision, production on the film was halted indefinitely, with Smith saying he would not recast the role. On October 1, 2019, Smith announced on Instagram that Clerks III was happening and that Anderson agreed to reprise his role as Randal. "It'll be a movie that concludes a saga. It'll be
252-665: A fictional universe may be a remote alien planet or galaxy with little apparent relationship to the real world (as in Star Wars ); in fantasy, it may be a greatly fictionalized or invented version of Earth's distant past or future (as in The Lord of the Rings ). In a 1970 article in CAPA-alpha , comics historian Don Markstein defined the fictional universe as meant to clarify the concept of fictional continuities. According to
288-473: A heart attack, making a movie at the store. The plot was initially conceived for a film adaptation of Clerks: The Animated Series titled Clerks: Sell Out . Principal photography began on August 2, 2021, in Red Bank, New Jersey . Filming wrapped on August 31, 2021. The film was released on September 13, 2022, by Lionsgate and Fathom Events . On March 12, 2015, Kevin Smith confirmed that Mallrats 2
324-435: A movie about how you're never too old to completely change your life. It'll be a movie about how a decades-spanning friendship finally confronts the future. It'll be a movie that brings us back to the beginning — a return to the cradle of civilization in the great state of #newjersey. It'll be a movie that stars Jeff and Brian O'Halloran , with me and Jay in supporting roles. And it'll be a movie called CLERKS III!" Clerks III
360-430: A new film set in the View Askewniverse starring the trio from Amy that was not a sequel. Smith said "it was kind of porn -bent." Affleck and Adams were interested in doing the project, but plans eventually fell through. Smith's efforts to develop a project about pornography led to the 2008 film, Zack and Miri Make a Porno . Smith abandoned Name in favor of Dogma . In late November 2005, Smith responded to talk of
396-413: A point-and-click adventure game published by Daedalic Entertainment. Jason Mewes reprises his role as Jay. The main character of the game is named Randal Hicks (a name combining both Randal Graves and Dante Hicks, the protagonists of Clerks ), and is voiced by Jeff Anderson, the actor for Randal Graves in the View Askewniverse films. However, the character and plot of the game bear no relation to Clerks or
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#1732780743429432-471: A possible sequel to Dogma on the ViewAskew.com message boards: So weird you should ask this, because ever since 9/11 , I have been thinking about a sequel of sorts. I mean, the worst terrorist attack on American soil was religiously bent. In the wake of said attack, the leader of the "Free World" outed himself as pretty damned Christian . In the last election , rather than a quagmire war abroad ,
468-440: Is called into work at the Quick Stop convenience store on his day off until the boss can relieve him at noon. As Dante serves a succession of customers, he repeatedly complains that he is "not even supposed to be here today". Randal works at RST Video next door, although he spends almost the entire day relaxing at the Quick Stop. Dante learns he will be working all day, and decides to close the store for brief periods to play hockey on
504-613: Is centered on the towns of Leonardo , Highlands , and Red Bank , all located in Monmouth County , central New Jersey . Chasing Amy also takes place partly in New York City , while Dogma , Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back , and Jay and Silent Bob Reboot involve road trips . The first film in the series of the View Askewniverse, Clerks follows a day in the lives of two store clerks, Dante Hicks ( Brian O'Halloran ) and Randal Graves ( Jeff Anderson ). Dante
540-608: The Ring of Fire series , actively court canonical stimulus from fans, but gate and control the changes through a formalized process and the final say of the editor and universe creator . Jeff Anderson Born in Connecticut and raised in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey , Anderson attended Henry Hudson Regional High School , with his friend, aspiring writer Kevin Smith ; they graduated in 1988. While Anderson
576-512: The View Askewniverse. Following Clerks, Smith wrote a film called Busing for Hollywood Pictures , a now-defunct Disney studio. It was described as " Clerks in a restaurant." The film was announced around 1994 and was intended to be part of the View Askewniverse. The film was not made, but the film was featured at the end of Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back as a poster parodying the Clerks poster. A follow-up to Chasing Amy , Smith wrote
612-457: The backers of Chronic Blunt Punch for free on Steam in 2020. It is available to purchase digitally on Steam, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4. Limited Run Games released a physical edition, with pre-orders becoming available for purchase on April 20, 2021. An NES port was also released shortly after its launch on modern platforms. Jay and Silent Bob appear as cameo characters in Randal's Monday ,
648-492: The big issue was whether or not gay marriage was moral. Back when I made Dogma , I always maintained that another movie about religion wouldn't be forthcoming, as Dogma was the product of 28 years of religious and spiritual meditation, and I'd kinda shot my wad on the subject. Now? I think I might have more to say. And, yes, the Last Scion would be at the epicenter of it. And she'd have to be played by Alanis. And we'd need
684-463: The criteria he imagined: Fictional universes are sometimes shared by multiple prose authors, with each author's works in that universe being granted approximately equal canonical status. For example, Larry Niven 's fictional universe Known Space has an approximately 135-year period in which Niven allows other authors to write stories about the Man-Kzin Wars . Other fictional universes, like
720-611: The fact that Sell Out might not get made, Smith's new script for the long-awaited Clerks III will follow the original plot from the animated film. Fictional universe A fictional universe , also known as an imagined universe or a constructed universe , is the internally consistent fictional setting used in a narrative or a work of art . This concept is most commonly associated with works of fantasy and science fiction , and can be found in various forms such as novels , comics , films , television shows , video games , and other creative works. In science fiction,
756-565: The fast food industry. The animated film depicts the events within the Bluntman and Chronic comic written by the protagonists of Chasing Amy , which was to be adapted into a movie in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back . Kevin Smith adapted the script from the Bluntman and Chronic comics story he had originally written as a companion piece to the film Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back . After losing
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#1732780743429792-428: The film would not be made, when Jeff Anderson dropped out of the project. By September 2019, Smith announced that he had scrapped the previous draft, and had begun working a whole new script for the project. The filmmaker confirmed that many of the creatives from the previous films would return, including Jason Mewes, Jeff Anderson and Brian O'Halloran. The new Clerks III would follow Dante and Randal, after surviving
828-495: The legal rights to their names over a film reboot of Bluntman and Chronic , Jay and Silent Bob travel across the United States to try to prevent the reboot from being made. Following the release of Clerks II , Smith reported that, for several years after, a script was finished but production was delayed in favor of other projects. By February 2017, he announced via his social media page that development had stopped, and
864-401: The roof and to attend a memorial service for his ex-girlfriend. An old flame now engaged surprises him with a visit. The two had been talking on the phone for months and after seeing each other again they are keen to reunite and leave their current relationships. Two young men, Brodie Bruce and T.S. Quint, hang out at a mall after being dumped by their girlfriends, while also trying to avoid
900-415: The same actors for multiple characters in the universe, sometimes even in the same film; Smith himself portrays the character of Silent Bob. Smith's recurring characters, settings, and motifs first appeared in his debut film, Clerks . Since then, the main canon has consisted of nine feature films, in addition to several short films, comic books, and a short-lived animated TV series. The View Askewniverse
936-653: The same characters. Two other actors have appeared in every film, as different characters: Walt Flanagan and Brian O'Halloran , with O'Halloran always appearing as a member of the Hicks family (most notably Dante). The more notable recurring actors include: A beat 'em up video game titled Jay and Silent Bob: Chronic Blunt Punch was funded in April 2016, and has yet to be released. The game began production after being successfully crowdfunded on Fig. Another beat 'em up video game titled Jay and Silent Bob: Mall Brawl released to
972-400: The thirteenth Apostle have to stop them. Jay and Silent Bob embark on a road-trip to Hollywood to try to stop production of a Bluntman and Chronic movie. Within the film, the Bluntman and Chronic movie was to be based on the comic made by the protagonists of Chasing Amy . Roughly ten years after Clerks , after an accident destroys the Quick Stop, Dante and Randal are now employed in
1008-560: The time by The Walt Disney Company , the split was not completely amicable. The rights to the Clerks television series were still owned by Disney, who as a result were reluctant to work with The Weinstein Company , throwing the future of Clerks: Sell Out into question. At the 2007 Cornell Q&A, Smith said due to the Miramax/Weinstein argument "you will see a Jay and Silent Bob cartoon before Clerks: Sell Out ." Despite
1044-529: The wrath of Shannon Hamilton. The film occurs one day before the events of Clerks . A heterosexual man, Holden McNeil, falls in love with a lesbian woman, Alyssa Jones, causing conflict with his homophobic best friend, Banky Edwards, with whom he has created a comic book called Bluntman and Chronic based upon their friends Jay and Silent Bob . The world ends if two angels enter a church in New Jersey and Jesus ' last scion, Jay and Silent Bob, and
1080-541: Was being written and was slated to begin shooting in May 2016. In April 2015, Smith announced that Mallrats 2 would be his next film, instead of Clerks III as originally intended, and would begin production the following year. In January 2020, Smith announced that development on Mallrats 2 has started up again, under a new title Twilight of the Mallrats . In 2018, STX Entertainment announced that their Surreal division
1116-573: Was initially reluctant to reprise his role as Randal, but changed his mind after reading Kevin Smith's screenplay for Clerks II , and in 2006 appeared in the sequel. In 2008, Anderson appeared in Smith's romantic comedy Zack and Miri Make a Porno as Deacon, the cameraman and film editor for the porno made by leading actors Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks . On September 14, 2010, Anderson made his first appearance on Smith's SModcast filling in for Scott Mosier on SModcast #134. In his podcast, Anderson stated he had moved out of Los Angeles and into
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1152-408: Was just a mere idea for Weinstein. According to Smith in an interview with Business Insider , he recalls: I said, 'Hey, how are you?' And he goes, 'You know, we have Dogma , I just realized, and we got to get it out there again.' I said, 'We do! People online are always asking where they can get it. And he then goes, 'You know, that movie had a big cast, we might even be able to do a sequel.' And I
1188-481: Was like, 'Yeah man, right on. I might think about that.' And he was like, 'We'll talk.' And a week later The New York Times story breaks. I felt sick to my stomach. Smith believes that he only got the call because, as he believes, "It was him looking to see who was a friend still because his life was about to shift completely." For several years following the cancellation of Clerks: The Animated Series , Smith announced plans to make an animated film. He revealed in
1224-744: Was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Debut Performance. In 2002, Anderson wrote, directed, and starred in Now You Know . The writing process lasted only three months. Anderson received a nomination for Best Male Performance at the Chicago Film Festival for his role in Love 101 , and has been seen in Peter Bergstrom 's Something Cool . Anderson also started his own production company in Hollywood. Anderson
1260-407: Was working at AT&T , Smith was working on his debut movie Clerks . As a joke, Anderson auditioned for the role of "Jay," and based on this audition, Smith later offered Anderson a lead role as video store employee Randal Graves , a foul-mouthed apathetic slacker , who patronized, angered, and mocked his customers while avoiding any real work opportunities. For his role in Clerks , Anderson
1296-407: Was working with Kevin Smith on a VR series that would star Jay and Silent Bob. Smith often casts the same actors for multiple characters in the universe, sometimes even in the same film. This is most notable in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back , in which several actors play multiple characters from earlier View Askewniverse films. Smith and Jason Mewes are the only actors to appear in every film as
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