Steve-O earned less than $1,500 throughout his first season of the groundbreaking series that launched his career to international prominence, the 52-year-old stuntman revealed. In a recent interview, Steve-O revealed the surprisingly modest pay he received despite the show’s rising popularity and strong ratings for the network.The revelation was particularly surprising because Steve-O was homeless and unemployed when the series premiered on October 1, 2000. “Before the show aired, my sister kicked me out of the house.
The shocking truth of the season 1 charge
Steve-O’s salary is calculated on a per-stunt basis instead of per episode, which he describes as “comical.” After five days of filming, during which he was bitten by a shark and suffered multiple injuries, he wrote down what he hoped to be paid. For the shark bite that left a scar on his finger, he received $500.
The stunt performer shared that he was homeless, unemployed and struggling financially when Jackass first aired in 2000. image credit (Steve-O Instagram)
“When it was all said and done, after taxes, I was paid less than $1,500 for the entire first season,” he revealed. “After five days of filming, I was sick, hungry, bitten by a shark, and I took 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 can put down what I expect to be paid. Next to my ‘Goldfish,’0.“
The difference between being famous and being rich
His overnight fame was very different from his real financial situation.” That was one of the first things I learned about fame. It comes easier than fortune,” Steve-O reflected on the experience.
Steve-O’s path to ‘Jackass’ and financial desperation
Before becoming a breakthrough star, Steve-O worked as an amateur stuntman, making skateboard trick videos. In 1997, he burned his face while attempting a fire-breathing backflip for the skateboarding publication Big Brother, establishing himself as someone willing to endure significant physical danger for fun.Then he enrolled in Ringling Bros. “Clown College as a strategic move to gain legitimacy.” The only reason I thought of going to Clown College was to further my goal of becoming a famous stuntman. I’ve been homeless for three years, without traction, and I thought, well, if I graduate from Ringling Bros. Clown College, then I was a trained circus professional,” he explained.His background in clown performance, combined with his willingness to perform dangerous stunts, made him an ideal fit for the series’ creators. “The fact that I’m a clown has attracted me to the people who started Jackass. It’s organic,” said Steve-O.
Steve-O’s emotional reflection on the legacy of the franchise
He expressed deep emotion about what the franchise means to him and his cast mates. “I had my own little private screening in the edit bay last week, and I wasn’t moved. Like, wow. What I’m a part of. What a part I’m a part of. It’s crazy,” he reflected upon watching the final episode.Steve-O described the final project as “finding a home for such a messy homeless entity, and a last hurray for everyone to come together and do whatever we have to do.”The closing of the franchise represents the end of an era in entertainment history, one that transformed stunt performers from fringe performers to mainstream celebrities, although the financial realities of early success tell a more complicated story.The movie ‘Jackass: Best and Last’ is set to hit theaters on June 26.