Stunt performer, comedian, television personality, podcaster, and star of the MTV reality comedy series “Jackass,” Steve-O, has revealed how much the first season of the show earned him. He also revealed that, rather shockingly, he was homeless at the time of it being recorded.
“Jackass” season one aired between October 1, 2000, and November 19, 2000. Eight episodes were shown, featuring the likes of Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Chris Pontius, Wee Man, Preston Lacy, Ehren McGehey, Dave England, Brandon DiCamillo, Raab Himself, the late Ryan Dunn, and, of course, Steve-O himself.
In that first season, Steve-O, 52, whose real name is Stephen Glover, subjected himself to some crazy stunts. They included swallowing a live goldfish and regurgitating it (it survived) and messing with alligators in the infamous “Alligatorama” skit.
He disclosed the surprisingly small amount he was paid for appearing in season one in a recent interview with Playboy.
Steve-O Says His ‘Jackass’ Season 1 Pay Was ‘Comical’
GettyIn an interview with Playboy dated June 23, Steve-O told the iconic publication exactly how much (or, more appropriately, how little) he was paid for the first season of “Jackass.”
Steve-O began talking about the topic by saying, “It’s comical how little I was paid for the first season of ‘Jackass.’ I didn’t even get paid per episode. I got paid per bit. After five days of filming, I was all banged up, hungover, had been bitten by a shark, and I pulled out a piece of paper to write down what I felt really needed to be on the show. At the top I wrote ‘Goldfish,’ and I thought, while I’m at it, I might as well put what I expect to be paid. Next to ‘Goldfish,’ I literally wrote $200. Which is hilarious, because I could have totally choked on the goldfish. If it went down backwards somehow, I would have completely torn up my throat.”
The star went on, “But I had so much pride, and I wanted to be considered so gnarly. It was purely pride and ego. I wrote $200. I got bitten by a shark — you can see this little scar right there on my finger — and I charged $500 for that.”
He Was Paid Just $1,500
GettyHe concluded, also revealing that he was homeless at the time, saying, “When it was all said and done, after taxes, I was paid less than $1,500 for the entire first season of ‘Jackass.’ Before the show came out, my sister kicked me out of the house. I was broke, unemployed, and homeless, and a star on this big MTV show. That’s one of the first things I learned about fame: It comes a lot easier than fortune.”
Given how monumentally successful “Jackass” was from the beginning, $1,500 is an incredibly low amount. It’s especially paltry for someone with nowhere to live.
Thankfully, after numerous controversies and troubles, Steve-O now lives a stable life. He also has a new “Jackass” movie release to look forward to.
“Jackass: Best and Last” Releases June 26
Steve-O’s chat with Playboy coincided with the imminent release of the next (and final) “Jackass” movie.
“Jackass: Best and Last” hits theaters on Friday, June 26.
Per IMDb, the new film “Follows the Jackass crew as they perform their final series of dangerous stunts and pranks, marking the end of the franchise.”
As well as Steve-O, it will star Johnny Knoxville, Chris Pontius, Wee Man, Dave England, Ehren McGehey, Preston Lacy, Rachel Wolfson, Jasper Dolphin, Dark Shark, Poopies, and Zach Holmes. Bam Margera will also appear in the film courtesy of some archive footage.
In addition to his “Jackass” success, Steve-O has recently made a great career online. He has a YouTube following of over 7,000,000 and a popular podcast, “Steve-O’s Wild Ride.” On said podcast, the star conducts hilarious and honest conversations with various celebrities and special guests in his mobile studio. Stars he has interview include the likes of Ronda Rousey, Demi Lovato, Shaquille O’Neal, and Sharon Osbourne.
We wish Steve-O all the best regarding the success of “Jackass: Best and Last.” Make sure you head to your local theater to see it.
