This Fishy ‘Jackass’ Stunt Cemented Steve-O’s Fame: ‘It Came Out Swimming’
Samantha Bergeson
Steve-O is finally detailing how his famous fishy stunt came to be, ahead of “Jackass Forever” hitting theaters February 4. Thanks to four new episodes of MTV’s “Ridiculousness,” featuring the original Jackass team, fans are learning the truth about their favorite pranks.
Steve-O shot to fame with his “The Goldfish” talent, showcasing a puke-tastic party trick in “Jackass the Series.” “This was an idea that I saved for a special occasion,” Steve-O said in an exclusive sneak peek. “I thought it was going to be a real banger.”
The goldfish survived Steve-O swallowing it and then throwing it back up again. Some could even say the goldfish thrived: “It came out swimming,” Steve-O remembers with a laugh.
He adds, “I’ll never forget after this, [creator Johnny] Knoxville said, ‘Well Steve-O, if you’re not already famous, you’re gonna be now.'”
Plus, as Knoxville previously pointed out in a May 2021 interview with GQ, the Jackass crew’s fame had to be rooted in DIY sketches due to budget constraints (for reference, the 2002 film cost $5 million, and grossed upwards of $80 million).
Now, it’s Steve-O and Knoxville’s ages that determine their bandwidth for stunts.
“Filming ‘Jackass’ at this age is much the same as it ever was, with two big differences,” Steve-O explained. “Our bones break significantly easier. And it takes less to knock us completely unconscious. Plus longer to wake up.”
Knoxville added, “You can only take so many chances before something irreversible happens. I feel like I’ve been extremely lucky to take the chances I’ve taken and still be walking around.”
As the Jackass crew looks to the fourth film installment, Steve-O teased, “Every movie that we ever made was the fucking last one. And not just the last one, but declared as the last one.”
MTV’s “Jackass Forever” weekend bash starts January 28 with a “Ridiculousness” marathon featuring Jackass cast members including creator Knoxville, Steve-O, Wee Man, Chris Pontius, Dave England, “Danger” Ehren, Preston Lacy, Sean “Poopies” McInerney, Jasper Dolphin, Zach Holmes, Rachel Wolfson, Eric Manaka, and Compston “Darkshark” Wilson.
The three consecutive days of Jackass-erie continue with back-to-back screenings of the first three “Jackass” movies, “Jackass,” “Jackass Number 2,” and “Jackass 3D” on January 29, and encore presentations of “Ridiculousness x Jackass” on January 30.
