Director Kevin Smith, who portrayed long-haired slacker “Silent Bob” with sidekick Jay (Jason Mewes) in the smashing indie hit Clerks, has signed on to co-star in the Showtime comedy ‘Manchild.’ Based on the popular British show, the new premium cable pilot (written by Michael Traeger, who also co-wrote 1998’s Dead Man on Campus) centers around a group of 40-something male buddies each mired to the throat in a middle-aged crisis quagmire.
According to TV.com, Smith joins British actor James Purefoy, who plays Mark Anthony in the HBO series ‘Rome,’ and is known for his roles in Vanity Fair and A Knight’s Tale. Also joining the cast is John Corbett (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) and Paul Hipp (Face-Off).
Purefoy is set to play a charming, attractive, wealthy, and by default, the leader of the gang, who only dates women under 26 (sure sounds like he has some crisis on his hands!) Meanwhile, Smith portrays a cynical divorcee in full jaded mode over his new-found single status, who detests his ex-wife’s new beau almost as much as he detests himself.
If the pilot is successful enough to translate into a full-fledged series, it will be Smith’s first since the short-lived animated series ‘Clerks’ based on his 1994 classic. Further, if Showtime picks up the show, Smith will certainly become one busy man, as according to IMDB.com he already has an untitled horror project set tentatively for 2008. Smith will also be seen in Catch and Release, a dark comedy premiering next year starring Jennifer Garner. His most recent appearance in cinema was Clerks II, which he also directed and produced.
