Kevin Smith has spent years cultivating great working relationships with actors in his movies, and bringing them back for new movies whenever he can. One of his most loyal collaborators is actor Brian O'Halloran, who starred in Smith’s first film, CLERKS, has appeared in numerous films for him since. Now with JAY AND SILENT BOB REBOOT on the way, O’Halloran has confirmed he will appear in the upcoming flick – and more than once.
While doing an interview at Wizard World in Chicago this weekend, O’Halloran talked about how he is in the new movie, and how Smith has written in several of the characters he has played in the past:
“Yes, I’m definitely going to be a part of that. We’re going to have a couple of very funny bits with the Kevin Smith characters that I’ve portrayed. I’ve portrayed a number of them at this point, so I think we’re going to bring a variety of them back.”
O’Halloran first played Dante Hicks in Smith’s CLERKS (reprising the role for JAY AND SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK and CLERKS 2) and was then in MALLRATS (as Gill Hicks), CHASING AMY (as Jim Hicks) and DOGMA (as Grant Hicks). Chances are the “funny bits” will involve all the “Hicks” characters, perhaps in some odd family reunion scenario. Jason Mewes (Jay of JAY AND SILENT BOB) recently called the REBOOT script "amazing", and revealed that they were trying to get several of the STRIKES BACK actors to return for this new movie. O’Halloran is the first of those actors to confirm his return.
The earlier Smith films are the ones I watched over and over again with my friends, so O'Halloran's pressence in REBOOT will only increase the sense of nostalgia the movie will give off. The movie is shaping up to be a real homecoming for a lot of classic Smith characters, which that alone is reason enough to be excited.
JAY AND SILENT BOB REBOOT arrives 2018.