Steve-O, the daredevil star of MTV's Jackass, has revealed that he was paid a paltry sum for the show's first season, despite risking his life in dangerous stunts. In a recent interview with Playboy, the 52-year-old performer disclosed that after taxes, he received less than $1,500 for the entire season.
From Homeless to MTV Star
"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," Steve-O told Playboy. He explained that he was not paid per episode but per stunt, a system that left him with minimal earnings despite the show's massive success.
The Goldfish Stunt: A $200 Risk
One of Steve-O's most memorable stunts from the first season was "The Goldfish," in which he swallowed a live goldfish and regurgitated it into a fishbowl. For this act, which could have caused him to choke, he charged just $200. "I could have totally choked on the goldfish. If it went down backwards somehow, I would have completely torn up my throat. But I had so much pride, and I wanted to be considered so gnarly. It was purely pride and ego. I wrote $200," he recalled.
Another stunt involved being bitten by a shark, for which he charged $500. In total, after five days of filming and multiple injuries, Steve-O earned a mere $1,500 before taxes for the entire first season.
From Clown College to Jackass
Before his Jackass fame, Steve-O attended Clown College in an attempt to gain legitimacy as a stuntman. "I was the only guy going to Clown College to seek legitimacy," he joked. His unconventional background and willingness to perform extreme stunts made him a standout on the show, which aired for three seasons from 2000 to 2001.
The End of an Era
The Jackass franchise is set to conclude with its final film, Jackass: Best and Last, releasing in theaters on July 2. Steve-O confirmed it is "100 per cent the end," adding, "That's what this movie is … one last hurrah of all of us getting together and doing whatever we have in us to do."
