Stuntman Steve-O, 52, has revealed that he earned less than $1,500 for the entire first season of the groundbreaking series that launched his career to international prominence. In a recent interview, Steve-O revealed that despite the show’s soaring popularity and high network ratings, he was paid surprisingly little.This reveal is especially notable because when the show premiered on October 1, 2000, Steve-O was homeless and unemployed. “My sister kicked me out of the house before the show aired. I was broke, unemployed, homeless, but the star of this show,” he told Playboy magazine, emphasizing the cruel irony of his situation.
The shocking reality of compensation in Season 1
Steve-O was paid per stunt rather than per episode, which he described as “hilarious.” Five days into filming, he was bitten by a shark and suffered multiple injuries, and he wrote down his estimated paycheck. He was awarded $500 for the scars on his fingers caused by the shark bite.
The stuntman said he was homeless, unemployed and struggling financially when “Jackass” first premiered in 2000. Image source (Steve-O Instagram)
“At the end of the day, after taxes, my salary for the entire first season was less than $1,500,” he revealed. “Five days into filming, feeling sick, hungover, and bitten by a shark, I took out a piece of paper and wrote down what I felt really needed to be on the show. At the top, I wrote ‘goldfish,’ and I thought, while I was at it, I might as well write down what I expected to be paid. Next to ‘goldfish,’ I wrote $200.“
The difference between being famous and being rich
His overnight success contrasted sharply with his financial reality. “That’s the first thing I learned about fame: It’s much easier to come by than wealth,” Steve-O reflects on the experience.
Steve-O’s “Fool’s Road” and Financial Despair
Before becoming a breakout star, Steve-O worked as an amateur stuntman making skateboard stunt videos. In 1997, he burned his face while attempting a fire-breathing backflip for skateboard publication Big Brother, establishing himself as someone willing to take significant physical risks for entertainment.He then enrolled in the Ringling Brothers Clown Academy as a strategic move to gain legitimacy. The only reason I even thought of going to clown college was to further my goal of becoming a crazy famous stuntman. I had been homeless for three years and had zero traction, and I thought, well, if I can graduate from Ringling Bros. Clown College, then I’m a trained circus professional,” he explained.His background as a clown, combined with his willingness to perform dangerous stunts, made him an ideal choice as the creator of the series. “The fact that I’m a clown endeared me to the founders of Jackass. It was organic,” Steve-O said.
As Jackass: Best and Last prepares for release, Steve-O reflects on the series’ legacy and the unforgettable journey that shaped his career. Image source (Steve-O Instagram)
Steve-O talks the final chapter of “Jackass”
Now, more than two decades later, Steve-O and his cast are preparing to close the chapter on the franchise that made them household names. The fifth and final installment, titled “Jackass: The Best and Last,” will contain previously unreleased footage that was not allowed to be played in earlier releases.Steve-O confirmed the project’s final outcome, saying the series’ conclusion is “one hundred percent” certain. “Jackass 5 is a compilation of footage that never made it into the final cut of the previous installments because it wasn’t allowed to be shown before. I don’t really know why it’s allowed now, but it’s here,” he explained.
Steve O’s emotional reflection on team legacy
He expressed deep emotion about what the franchise means to him and his cast. “I had my own little private screening in the editing room last week and I was so moved. Like, wow. I’m a part of this. I’m a part of this. It’s crazy,” he recalled while watching the final installment.Steve-O describes the final project as “a last hurray for all of us to come together and do what we can to find a home for this mess of content that never was.”The end of the series represents the end of an era in entertainment history that transformed stunt performers from fringe performers into mainstream celebrities, though the financial realities of early success tell a more complicated story.The movie “Jackass: The Best and the Last” is scheduled to be released on June 26.
