Steve-O revealed that he earned less than $1,500 after taxes for the entire first season of Jackass, despite becoming an overnight star. Image Credit (Steve-O Instagram)
The 52-year-old comedian revealed he earned less than $1,500 for his entire first season of the groundbreaking series that launched his career to global fame.
In a recent interview, Steve-O revealed the surprisingly modest compensation he received despite the show’s growing popularity and the network’s strong ratings.This revelation was especially striking because Steve-O was homeless and unemployed when the series premiered on October 1, 2000. “Before the show came out, my sister kicked me out of the house. I was broke, unemployed, homeless, and the star of this big show,” he told Playboy, highlighting the cruel irony of his situation.
The shocking truth to make up for the first season
Steve-O’s pay was calculated on a per-stunt basis rather than per episode, which he described as “comedic”. After five days of filming, during which he was bitten by a shark and sustained multiple injuries, he wrote down what he expected to be paid. For a shark bite that left a scar on his finger, he received $500.
The difference between being famous and being rich
His overnight fame contrasted sharply with his real financial situation. “That’s one of the first things I learned about fame: it comes a lot easier than fortune,” Steve-O said of his experience.
Steve-O’s road to “Jackass” and financial despair
Before becoming a superstar, Steve-O worked as an amateur stuntman, creating videos of skateboard tricks. In 1997, he burned his face while attempting a fiery backflip for skateboarding magazine Big Brother, proving himself as someone willing to take great physical risks for entertainment.He then attended Ringling Bros. College. Clown College as a strategic move to gain legitimacy.
The only reason I thought about going to Clown College was to further my goal of becoming a famous and crazy businessman. “I was homeless for three years, and I wasn’t getting any traction, and I thought, ‘Well, if I can graduate from Ringling Brothers Clown College, I’m a trained circus professional,'” he explained.His background as a clown, combined with his aptitude for performing dangerous stunts, made him a perfect fit for the series’ creators.
“The fact that I was a clown made me love the people who started Jackass. It was organic,” Steve-O said.
Steve-O in the final chapter of “Jackass”
Now, more than two decades later, Steve-O and his fellow cast members are preparing to close the chapter on the franchise that made them household names. The fifth and final installment, titled “Jackass: Best and Last”, will consist of previously unreleased footage that was not allowed to be shown in previous installments.Steve-O confirmed the finality of this project, stating that the outcome of the franchise is “one hundred percent” final. “Jackass 5 is a collection of footage that never made it to the final cuts 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 the franchise’s legacy
He expressed his deep feelings about what the franchise means to him and his teammates.
“I did a little special in the editing area last week, and I was so impressed. Like, wow. What I was a part of. And what I’m a part of. It’s crazy,” he said as he watched the final installment.Steve-O described the final project as “finding a home for such chaotic content that never had a home, and a final hello for all of us to come together and do whatever we need to do.”The franchise’s closure marked the end of an era in entertainment history, one that transformed stunt performers from fringe performers into mainstream celebrities, even as the financial realities of that early success told a more complex story.“Jackass: Best and Last” is scheduled to hit theaters on June 26.