Kevin Smith Survived Heart Surgery by Singing the 'Degrassi' Theme to Himself

"Whatever it takes, I know I can make it through"

BY Josiah HughesPublished Apr 23, 2018

Earlier this year, Kevin Smith had a serious near-death experience when he was hospitalized with a massive heart attack. According to the actor, director and producer, one thing that helped him survive was the theme song from Degrassi.

Smith appeared on the TODAY show for his first post-surgery interview this morning. In the video, available below, Smith said that he was awake for the heart surgery after his massive heart attack, and he got through it by singing the Canadian teen show's iconic theme.

Thanking Dr. Ladenheim for saving his life, Smith added, "[The doctor] was like, 'You were singing a song. Degrassi?' And I was singing the theme song to Degrassi because it's very hopeful. I was like, 'Whatever it takes, I know I can make it through,'" he said. "So they keep you awake and I was terrified the whole time. … I was afraid of dying. That's my biggest fear ever."

"Whatever It Takes" was introduced as the Degrassi: The Next Generation theme song. It was originally performed by the band Jakalope, and can be heard below.

In the interview, Smith also revealed that he's lost 32 pounds since the surgery and plans to lose 25 more through Weight Watchers. Further, he revealed he got high before his appearance.



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