How Kevin Smith netted one of America's biggest stars for his next film (and revitalized his career in the process).

After letting the cat out of the bag last Friday, Kevin Smith was able to recount the epic story of how he got Seth Rogen, one of today's biggest comedy actors to appear in Zack and Miri Make a Porno.

Apparently, the ordeal - which had just begun before Smith filmed Clerks 2 - had driven Smith into bouts of depression and stress-eating. According to Smith, he had written the role of Zack specifically for Rogen, and told him so just after the actor had completed filming on Knocked-Up. Rogen responded that he would be glad to do the picture, saying he was a huge fan of Smith's work. But after Knocked-Up was released, Rogen became a HUGE star, who could not only appear in any movie he wanted, but write it as well after Superbad did so well. Of course, everyone knows huge stars don't appear in Kevin Smith's films, lest their names start with 'A' and end with 'ffleck'.

And while Smith sweated on the deal for several months, gaining 30 pounds in the process, Rogen actually came through. Funny thing is, among the projects Rogen was considering next was a big-screen adaptation of The Green Hornet, a film Smith himself was supposed to adapt before ultimately walking away from the film to do something else.

Here's my favorite part of the post:

I owe a great deal of thanks to many people, before we roll a frame of film.

Thanks, Jen – for putting up with five months of me laying on the bed, in a near-fetal position, moaning “If Seth Rogen doesn’t do this flick, I’m gonna make a real porno.”

Thanks, [Rogen's agents] Marsha and Blair – for not insisting that your client aim higher.

Thanks, Mos, Carla, and Phil – for never losing faith and staying on top of this from day one.

Thanks, Harvey and Bob – for stepping up and giving us 25mil to make this flick.

Thanks, Elizabeth [Banks] – for being Miri.

Thanks, Seth – for reminding me that sometimes in this business, people say what they mean and mean what they say. You could’ve done anything you wanted, and you wanted to do this flick; I’ll be forever grateful for that.

Smith plans to start shooting Zack and Miri Make a Porno on January 16th.

To read of Smith's epic struggle, entitled, "The Man Who Would Be Zack," click here!