OVERLAY REPORT

For the 1994 film *Clerks*, the only actor to receive a major individual performance nomination was **Jeff Anderson**, who played the cynical video store clerk **Randal Graves**. While the film itself was a massive critical success and won several awards for director Kevin Smith, the low-budget, "non-professional" nature of the production meant that individual acting accolades were rare. ### **Jeff Anderson: Independent Spirit Award Nomination** Jeff Anderson was nominated for **Best Debut Performance** at the **10th Independent Spirit Awards** in 1995. This category (now known as Best Breakthrough Performance) was specifically designed to honor outstanding work by new talent in independent cinema. #### **Who he was up against:** Anderson faced a highly competitive field that included future A-list stars and critically acclaimed child actors. He ultimately did not win. * **Sean Nelson (Winner):** Nelson won for his role as the title character in the crime drama ***Fresh***. His performance was widely praised as one of the best child-actor turns of the decade. * **Renée Zellweger:** Nominated for her role as Starlene Cheatham in the road-trip crime film ***Love and a .45***. This was one of the breakout roles that launched her career before *Jerry Maguire*. * **Jeremy Davies:** Nominated for his role as Ray Aibelli in David O. Russell's directorial debut, ***Spanking the Monkey***. Davies would later become well-known for *Saving Private Ryan* and the TV series *Lost*. * **Alicia Witt:** Nominated for her role as Bonnie in the thriller ***Fun***. ### **Other Recognition for the Cast** While the other lead actors—most notably **Brian O'Halloran** (Dante Hicks) and **Jason Mewes** (Jay)—did not receive individual award nominations, the cast as a whole shared in the film's collective prestige: * **Sundance Film Festival (1994):** The film won the **Filmmakers Trophy** and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize. These awards were largely a tribute to Kevin Smith’s writing and the authentic chemistry of the cast. * **Cannes Film Festival (1994):** *Clerks* won the **Award of the Youth** (Prix de la Jeunesse) and the **Mercedes-Benz Award**. These honors highlighted the film’s "voice of a generation" appeal, which was driven by the performances of the leads. * **Kevin Smith:** While Smith acted as **Silent Bob**, his nominations and wins were strictly for filmmaking. At the Independent Spirit Awards, he was nominated for **Best First Feature** and **Best First Screenplay** (losing both to David O. Russell's *Spanking the Monkey*). ### **Summary of Nominations** | Actor | Role | Award | Category | Result | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **Jeff Anderson** | Randal Graves | Independent Spirit Award | Best Debut Performance | Nominated | | **Brian O'Halloran** | Dante Hicks | N/A | N/A | No major noms | | **Jason Mewes** | Jay | N/A | N/A | No major noms | | **Kevin Smith** | Silent Bob | Independent Spirit Award | Best First Feature / Screenplay | Nominated |