Actor-director Kevin Smith says he had a “massive” heart attack after performing at a Los Angeles comedy show Sunday night.
The Clerks director shared a photo of himself in the hospital.
“After the first show this evening, I had a massive heart attack,” Smith tweeted. “The Doctor who saved my life told me I had 100% blockage of my LAD artery (aka ‘the Widow-Maker’). If I hadn’t canceled show 2 to go to the hospital, I would’ve died tonight. But for now, I’m still above ground!”
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The 47-year-old director was scheduled to appear at an early and late show Sunday at Glendale, Calif.,’s Alex Theatre.
Smith said that after completing the first of two Kevin Smith Live! shows at the Alex Theatre, he threw up, then “started sweating buckets and my chest felt heavy.”
In a follow-up Facebook post, Smith said that he “was trying to do a killer standup special this evening but I might’ve gone too far.”
“After the first show, I felt kinda nauseous. I threw up a little but it didn’t seem to help. Then I started sweating buckets and my chest felt heavy. Turns out I had a massive heart attack,” Smith wrote.
“But this is what I learned about myself during this crisis: death was always the thing I was most terrified of in life. When the time came, I never imagined I’d ever be able to die with dignity – I assumed I’d die screaming, like my Dad (who lost his life to a massive heart attack). But even as they cut into my groin to slip a stent into the lethal Widow-Maker, I was filled with a sense of calm.”
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Smith said that he’s likely facing some lifestyle changes following the heart attack, writing, “Maybe it’s time to go Vegan.”
He also became reflective on his life and career. “I was bummed we weren’t gonna get to make #jayandsilentbobreboot before I shuffled loose the mortal coil,” he joked.
WATCH: Filmmaker Kevin Smith recovering after ‘massive heart attack.’
“The point of this post is to tell you that I faced my greatest fear tonight… and it wasn’t as bad as I’ve always imagined it’d be,” the director wrote. “I don’t want my life to end but if it ends, I can’t complain. It was such a gift.”
—With a file from the Associated Press
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