Kevin Smith Says Ben Affleck’s ‘Potty Mouth’ Almost Cost Him Mallrats Roles

Kevin Smith and Ben Affleck  have collaborated on some iconic films, but it almost didn’t happen because of Affleck’s “potty mouth.”

Speaking to PEOPLE exclusively, Smith, 55, says that his bond with Affleck, 53, began when the actor came to audition for his 1995 film Mallrats. Producer James Jacks saw Affleck’s name on the list and said, Smith remembers, “Oh God, Ben Affleck’s coming.”

Smith asked why that was his reaction. “Oh, because he’s got a potty mouth,” Jack said. “He’s always cursing. We had him in Dazed and Confused. There were only a few uses of the word f— in Dazed and Confused, but when Affleck got there, he increased it. Every scene he’s throwing f—- around like crazy.”

Jacks warned, “We don’t want him in this movie. You’ve got enough bad language in the movie.”

The day Affleck came in, Smith remembers, news broke that Affleck and Matt Damon had sold their script for Good Will Hunting for $800,000. “So I just read it that morning and then Ben was coming in for the audition that day,” Smith says. “So when he came in, I said, ‘Hey, man, congrats. What are you doing here?’ . . . And he’s like, ‘I thought Clerks was pimp.’ ” Smith’s first movie, 1994’s Clerks was Smith’s ultra-low budget film that became a cult classic.  

“So he auditioned and much to Jim’s chagrin, he was the guy,” Smith says, remembering Affleck “wore the character very, very well.” In the movie, Affleck plays Shannon, a cruel store manager who terrorizes the people who shop at the mall. 

“Working with him on set over the month and change we made Mallrats out in Minnesota, that’s where I fell in love with Ben Affleck and discovered who he was,” Smith says. “He’s so f—— funny, so smart, so charming. And here he was playing bullies in movies, including my own.”

Smith says that while making Mallrats, Affleck was also balancing working on the Good Will Hunting script. Smith remembers three times Affleck asked for permission to go back to L.A. Smith gave it every time. 

“Then I’d go back to my office later in the day and there would be a thank-you note,” Smith says.  Affleck wrote, “Hey man, I want to thank you for letting me go to Los Angeles and do this and take care of my script. I’m having such a great time on this movie, man. This is great. Thank you, Ben Affleck.” Smith called it “so sweet” and “so polite.” After the movie wrapped, Affleck invited Smith to come hang out with him whenever he was in L.A.

Smith and Affleck reunited multiple times, including in 1997’s Chasing Amy and 1999’s Dogma. Smith says that when he and Affleck hung out after Mallrats, he was already casting him in Chasing Amy in his head. “I was like, ‘God, this dude should be a leading man. I don’t understand why he’s not a leading man,’” he explains. 

It was only after months of working on Chasing Amy that he decided to tell Affleck about it. He remembers calling him and telling him, “‘I just wanted you to know I’ve been working on this script Chasing Amy, and I’m writing the lead for you to play.’ And there’s dead silence. And after a beat, he goes, ‘Finally.’ ” 

Affleck has also appeared in Smith’s movies 2001’s Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, 2019’s Jay & Silent Bob Reboot and 2006’s Clerks 2.