Kevin Smith Remembered

I found out the news about Kevin while watching a "Celebrity Profile" on Saturday afternoon on E!. It was just a blurb on the bottom of the screen. I stared at the screen in disbelief. Then, I just kept repeating; "Oh my God....Oh My God". It's just so hard to believe someone in the prime of life like he was; on the verge of breaking through big, is gone, It just makes me so mad; we almost went to Pasadena 2 years ago and could have met him. I just wonder what the atmosphere at the Pasadena con was like this past weekend. Did things go on as scheduled? Did Renee and Michael Hurst perform"Love Letters" at the Saturday night cabaret as scheduled? How awful for Renee; a friend dying tragically the day after her birthday...

Kevin was good in any situation. The comedies. The dramatic episodes. Bitter Suite. Need I say more? Also I think Kevin just exuded charisma and sexuality; looking good in black leather (as well as the white leather; when he played the 'God of Love" in that alternate universe episode of Hercules). He was so good opposite of both Lucy and Renee. Some of my favorite episodes: "The Reckoning", "Ten Little Warlords", "Bitter Suite", "Quill is Mightier", "Forget Me Not" (I know; Ares isn't truly 'in' this episode, but what he represented and what was revealed near the end of the episode), "Sucesion", "Old Ares had a Farm", "Looking Death in the Eye" and "Twilight of the Gods". Mostly because of his interactions with Xena and Gabrielle.
~ Fran Catrair

I was amazed to read the news this morning (Monday). How sad...I remember seeing Kevin and meeting him; how funny and friendly he was with every fan, even when he was hung over. What did he always say?.. "mate", right? "g'day mate" I think?

I said it before; there was not one episode that he was in that wasn't a good one. He brought up even the most mediocre scripts and made it work. ~ Beverly Gores

The news of Kevin Smith's death came as a shock to Xena fans worldwide. Kevin was a gifted actor and a lovely person. One of my favorite memories of the 2000 Pasadena Xena Convention actually occured the night before the convention. Amiee and I checked into our hotel the night before the convention. We went over to the convention center to help Creation get things set up. While there we were allowed to see Kevin Smith and the other performers rehearse for the cabarets. There wasn't much more than about a dozen of us there. It was our first sight of Kevin and he seemed every bit the god he portays on TV. What brought him down to earth was seeing him looking at crib notes for "Melt Into Me" from the Bitter Suite. ~ Brian Jonas (webmaster)

.....this past weekend has been a real roller coaster experience for me. I feel like I lost a member of the family. I am glad I wasn't alone during this time. We all felt this way, in the audience and backstage. Devestation and shock greeted the news of Kevin's passing...for myself, the last news I had was early last week and I believe the phrase, "not life threatening" was used. Friday afternoon was a time I won't soon forget........the rememberance ceremony on Saturday night was very moving--it was anchored by Michael Hurst, who remembered Kevin with love and humor. Lucy spoke movingly about her friend....so did Ted, Renee (who broke down), Hudson, Steve Sears and Bruce Campbell....we all stood up and gave Kevin a standing ovation at the end.
....to quote Hudson "Remember Kevin and live life fully" sums up everything.....there was joy and celebration of the life that was Kevin Smith....
....there was a couple of thousand Xena fans running amok in Pasadena, too .... a kinder, gentler amok -- we all came together for a family reunion (with a favorite cousin making a showing) and found all of us comforting each other...
~Cheryl Hanson