Muck Raking: Kevin Smith
This month, Kevin Smith reveals to K. Stoddard Hayes his penchant for fire-walking, roof-climbing and beef vindaloo - the God of War would be proud.
Official Xena Magazine: Issue 12
Birth Name: Kevin Tod Smith.
Nicknames: Everyone who has the last name Smith gets the same nicknames: Smithy, Smitty. But my friends just call me Kev.
Favourite word: Bewdy (New Zealand for “beauty”, an equivalent for please, thank you, or whatever).
Hometown: I was born in Auckland but grew up in Timaru, which is on the South Island.
Current Residence: Auckland.
Croutons or Bacon Bits? Bacon bits.
Favourite Salad Dressing: Vinaigrette.
Shampoo or Conditioner? Don't you guys get two in one over there? That's it, man! Why have two bottles when one'll do?
Have you ever gone skinny dipping? I'm from New Zealand. Everyone goes skinny dipping here! Where I come from in the South Island, the lake district, all the lakes are glacial fed. So that's the real acid test: you've got to go skinny dipping in one of the glacial fed lakes.
Do you make fun of people? In a loving way. I think there's an unwritten contract that if you make fun of people, you must be aware that it's their given right to make fun of you.
Favourite Colour: Blue.
Have you ever been convicted of a crime? Convicted, no. I've had occasion to “help the police with their inquiries,” but never actual conviction.
One pillow or two? I have one and I turn it on its edge so it’s standing on its side. [Cotton or feather?] What I have now is a rubbery synthetic thing.
Any pets? A cat called Buffy due to my kids and my wife's love for Buffy the Vampire Slayer. We had a dog for years called Boss, an English Bulldog. He was great, the kids used to ride on him, he was just so mellow.
Favourite music? The Stooges, Captain Beefheart. I'm a big Tom Jones, Dean Martin fan, Hank Williams senior, The Foo Fighters...
Hobbies? Watching rugby. Because my sporting career was curtailed at a relatively young age, I'm totally hooked on watching football of all sorts.
Which toothpaste do you use? McLean's.
Favourite food? What I pretty much live on is steak, broccoli, fish and chicken breast. But my all time favourite food - and I do it once a week; the only way you can keep a healthy lifestyle is to have one day off every week - is curry. Beef vindaloo, and red wine.
Favourite town to take it easy in? Because I travel a lot, whenever we have a vacation here I generally stay home. This is one place you can plant the stuff you like, you can make the world fit yourself.
Favourite ice cream flavour? Black Forest. Isn't it everyone's?
Favourite non-alcoholic drink? Tomato juice.
Adidas, Nike, Reebok or other? Adidas.
Favourite perfume/cologne? I've never ever had a sense of smell, so I have no idea.
Favourite subject in school? Art. When I left school I went out to try and get a job as a commercial artist, but I got sidetracked. The only time I get to do it now is when my kids make me draw Pokemon.
Favourite sport to watch? Rugby.
What is your most humiliating moment? There are so many to choose from! Probably in 1979, at a disco in Timaru, where they used to have a dance competition. Me and a couple of buddies thought that we'd do this modern interpretive piece. In 1979 I was 16 - that's when you're trying to impress women. I was rolling around on the floor when suddenly I split my pants, and my ass is hanging out! The whole night I was just shuffling around with my ass to the wall. And that's why I think I hate to dance!
What is your craziest or silliest idea? [long pause] Charlie Haskell [a director on Xena] and I have known each other since we were teenagers. We'd have two [party] activities. It was either firewalking, which was getting tanked up and then running through a bonfire, or it was the leaping game. Any party we were at, sooner or later the gauntlet would be thrown down. So you'd start from jumping out of a window, then you'd have to clamber on the roof, and go higher and higher until death prevented you from going any further. It was one of those late teenage, early twenties, “I've got too much testosterone, I want to get rid of some,” sort of activity!