WITH US TO TALK ABOUT THE HEALTH SCARE THAT CHANGED HIS LIFE.
FIRST
FIRST, WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM ON
THAT TERRIFYING NIGHT.
KEVIN SMITH IS ON THE MEND AFTER
A MASSIVE HEART ATTACK NEARLY
TOOK HIS LIFE TWO MONTHS AGO.
THE FILMMAKER WHO SHOT TO FAME
WITH HIS 1994 COMEDY, "CLERKS," WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF TAPING A,"
WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF TAPING A SHOWTIME SPECIAL, "SILENT BUT
DEADLY."
DEADLY."
>> YOU WORE A JAY AND SILENT BOB
SHIRT TO YOUR OWN WEDDING.
>> Reporter: BACKSTAGE, SMITH
KNEW SOMETHING WAS REALLY WRONG.
>> I STARTED FEELING PRESSURE ON MY CHEST.TED FEELING PRESSURE ON
MY CHEST.
NOT LIKE, THERES AN ELEPHANT ON
MY CHEST.
I COULDNT CATCH MY BREATH.
>> Reporter: HE WAS RUSHED TO
THE HOSPITAL.
>> I HAD A HEART ATTACK.
A MASSIVE HEART ATTACK AND NEARLY DIED.ART ATTACK AND
NEARLY DIED. >> Reporter: THE 47-YEAR-OLD HAD
SUFFERED WHAT IS KNOWN AS A
WIDOWMAKER.
WIDOWMAKER.
>> THE L.A.D. WAS 100% BLOCKED. PUT A STENT IN, BAM, HERE I AM.
DUDE SAVED MY LIFE.
>> Reporter: POSTING HOURS LATER, HE WROTE, HAD I NOT
CANCELED THE SECOND SHOW TO GO
TO THE HOSPITAL, THE DOC SIDAID WOULD HAVE DIED TONIGHT. SIDAID
WOULD HAVE DIED TONIGHT. SMITH IS MAKING SOME CHANGES,
STARTING WITH HIS HEALTH AND
DIET.
DIET.
>> I AM DOWN 20 POUNDS.
>> Reporter: HES ALSO ENJOYING FAMILY TIME, TAKING VACATIONNG
FAMILY TIME, TAKING VACATION WITH HIS WIFE AND DAUGHTER.
>> ALIVE.
>> ALIVE. AFTER MY HEART ATTACK.
>> Reporter: GRATEFUL TO BE
HERE, KEVIN SMITH IS NOW GETTING
BACK TO DOING WHAT HE TRULY
LOVES.
LOVES.
>> IM ALIVE TO STAND HERE AND TELL YOU THAT I DIDNT DIE.AND
TELL YOU THAT I DIDNT DIE. NOW, ON WITH THE SHOW.
>> WERE VERY HAPPY YOU DIDNT
DIE.
KEVIN SMITH, GOOD MORNING TO
YOU.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> TWO MONTHS AGO, YOURE NEARLY
DEAD.
THIS MORNING, YOU LOOK
FANTASTIC.
>> THE HEART ATTACK WAS THE BEST
THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME.
AND IT MAKES SENSE BECAUSE I HAD
100% BLACKAGE IN THE L.A.D., THE BIG ORTARTERY, THE WIDOWMAKER, O
THE GUY OPENED IT UP, A GUY I
MET THAT DAY, WENT UP MY BODY.
THAT SOUNDS DIRTIER THAN I MEANT
IT.
IT.
BUT HE GOES THROUGH YOUR GROIN TO GET THROUGH YOUR FEMORALOIN
TO GET THROUGH YOUR FEMORAL ARTERY TO GET TO YOUR HEART.
THEY KEEP YOU AWAKE WHILE ITS
GOING ON.
GOING ON. THEY DONT KNOCK YOU OUT.
I WAS TALKING THE WHOLE
OPERATION.
OPERATION.
HE TOLD ME LATER, YOURE VERY
CHATTY.
YOU WANTED TO KNOW EVERYTHING.
YOU WERE SINGING A SONG, DEGRASSY.SINGING A SONG,
DEGRASSY.
I WAS SINGING THE THEME SONG TO
"DEGRASSY."
♪ WHATEVER IT TAKES, I KNOW I CAN MAKE IT THROUGH I KNOW I
CAN MAKE IT THROUGH THEY KEEP YOU AWAKE.
I WAS TERRIFIED THE WHOLE TIME.
I AM AFRAID OF DYING.
IT WAS OKAY.
MY SECOND-BIGGEST FEAR WAS
ANYONE SEEING ME NAKED.
AND IN THE HOSPITAL, YOUR
CHANCES OF DYING AND BEING SEEN
NAKED GO UP HUGE.
I WAS TERRIFIED OF THAT IN THE
OPERATING ROOM.
OPERATING ROOM.
THE DOCTOR SAID, IM GOING TO OPEN THE STENT AND YOU TELL ME
IF YOU FEEL BETTER.
AND THE MOMENT HE DID, I FELT
INSTANTLY BETTER.
INSTANTLY BETTER. NONE OF THE BLOOD WAS GOING
THROUGH.
THROUGH. 100% BLOCKAGE FOR YEARS.
NOW, I FEEL GREAT, MAN.
IT WAS FANTASTIC.
>> DID YOU HAVE ANY IDEA THAT
YOU MIGHT HAVE HEART PROBLEMS?
>> I DID.
>> I DID. BUT IM STUPID.
IN THE HOSPITAL, THE DOCTOR
GOES, IM GOING TO PUT A STENT
IN YOU, WHEN HE TOLD YOU.
I DIDNT KNOW UNTIL I WAS IN THE
OPERATING ROOM THAT I HAD A
HEART ATTACK.
HEART ATTACK.
HE SAID, YOU HAVE A MASSIVE
HEART ATTACK.
IM LIKE, NOBODY TOLD ME. WHATS YOUR PAIN THRESHOLD, ON A
SCALE OF ONE TO TEN.
HE SAID, ARE YOU HIGH?
YEAH, I GOT BLAZED BEFORE MY
SHOW.
SHOW.
HE SAID, YOURE ON FENTANYL, HE TOLD ME WHILE IT WAS GOING ON.
I DIDNT FEEL LIKE I WAS HAVING
A HEART ATTACK.
I DIDNT RECOGNIZE THAT IT WAS
HAPPENING.
HAPPENING.
BUT AS THEY WENT UP AND OPENED UP THAT VEIN, SUDDENLY, IPENED
UP THAT VEIN, SUDDENLY, I
BREATHED AND FELT A WORLD
BETTER.
DID I ANSWER YOUR QUESTION?
>> DOCTORS SAID YOU HAD TO LOSE
SOME WEIGHT.
50 POUNDS SO FAR?
>> NO, I WISH.
MY G.P. AFTERWARDS, I SAW HER. SHE WAS LIKE, ITS BEEN A LONG.
SHE WAS LIKE, ITS BEEN A LONG TIME.
TIME.
I SAW YOU LAST YEAR FOR THE CHECKUP.U LAST YEAR FOR THE
CHECKUP.
SHE SAID, THAT WAS THREE YEARS AGO.SAID, THAT WAS THREE YEARS
AGO.
THATS WHY I WOUND UP ON AN OPERATING TABLE.D UP ON AN
OPERATING TABLE.
I FILLED HER IN ON WHAT HAPPENED.HER IN ON WHAT
HAPPENED.
SHE SAID, YOU HAVE TO LOSE 50 POUNDSID, YOU HAVE TO LOSE 50
POUNDS POUNDS.
POUNDS. THAT WILL MAKE ALL OF THIS
EASIER.
EASIER.
GOING PLANT-BASED MIGHT BE
EASIER.
I LOST 15 POUNDS. I HAVE 18 TO GO..
I HAVE 18 TO GO. IM GOING TO KEEP GOING.
THIS IS THE WEIGHT I WAS WHEN I
MET MY WIFE.
SO, THIS IS A GOOD WEIGHT TO BE
AT AND STUFF.
>> HOW ARE YOU DOING IT?
>> I SCORED BIG-TIME.
HOW AM I DOING IT? >> WHATS WORKING FOR YOU?
>> WHAT WORKED FOR ME INSTANTLY
AFTER THE HEART ATTACK WAS I
READ PENN GILLETTES BOOK, WHERE
HE TALKED ABOUT LOSING 100
POUNDS.
POUNDS.
AND HE DID THIS JUST SIDES. IT WAS AN ALL-POTATO DIET..
IT WAS AN ALL-POTATO DIET. ALL YOU DO IS EAT POTATOES.
I HAVE GONE PLANT-BASED.
BUT IVE NEVER BEEN A VEGETABLE
PERSON.
PERSON.
WHAT I DID WAS, I JOINED WEIGHT WATCHERS.D WAS, I JOINED WEIGHT
WATCHERS.
AND THEY MADE ME AN AMBASSADOR.
SO, ITS ME, OPRAH, AND D.J.
KHALED.
IM IN PRETTY GOOD COMPANY.
WERE TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT AND
STUFF.
I DONT KNOW WHAT THEYRE UP TO.
SO, I GOT ANOTHER 18 POUNDS TO GO FOR THE DOCTOR GOAL.UNDS TO
GO FOR THE DOCTOR GOAL. IM GOING TO TRY TO LOSE 25 MORE
POUNDS ON THE PROGRAM.
AND SO FAR, ITS GOOD.
>> YOU SEEM AWESOME.
YOUR SPIRIT IS LIKE INTACT AND
THEN SOME.
THEN SOME.
>> IM A WAKE AND BAKER.
IM FEELING FANTASTIC. >> I CAN SEE THAT YOU ARE.
>> IVE BEEN UP SINCE 5:00 A.M.
AND IM READY TO EMBRACE THE
DAY.
DAY.
>> OH, KEVIN SMITH. >> CAN I GIVE A SHOUTOUT REAL
QUICK.
QUICK.
MY KID HAS A MOVIE AT TRIBECA. >> YOUR DAUGHTER.E AT TRIBECA.
>> YOUR DAUGHTER.
>> THIS IS THE FIRST MOVIE SHES DONE WITHOUT ME.IRST MOVIE SHES
DONE WITHOUT ME. THATS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.
SHE WAS IN A MOVIE CALLED "ALL
THESE SMALL MOMENTS."
AND WE GET TO SEE IT TOMORROW,
AT THE TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL.
>> THATS GOT TO BE COOL.
>> WHATS HER NAME?
>> HARLEY QUINN SMITH.
AND THIS ROCKED MY WORLD.
SHE CO-STARS WITH MOLLY
RINGWALD.
RINGWALD. AS A BIG JOHN HUGHES KID, I WAS
LIKE, HOW DID YOU WORK WITH
RINGWALD BEFORE ME.
>> CONGRATS ON EVERYTHING.