For those of you who don't know, Johnny Knoxville is the host of MTV's totally new show, Jackass (kinda resembles The Tom Green Show). His real name is Philip John (PJ) Clapp and he is originally from Knoxville, Tennessee. He is 29 years old and has a wife, Melanie and a four year old daughter, Madison. He has Madison's name tattooed on the left side of his chest. Originally Johnny came out to California on a scholarship to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Pasedena, California however he never graduated. Eventually he became a journalist for Big Brother Magazine, the Hustler owned Skateboarding Magazine when he pitched editor Jeff Tremaine about his idea of testing out several self defense weapons on himself (such as a stunt gun and even a .38). He was hired as a journalist and asked to do the self defense stunt plus several others (being hit by a car, poo poo platter, etc.) which were included in a trilogy of cult skateboarding movies for Big Brother: "Shit," "Number Two," and "Boob." In the meantime Johnny made appearances in several commercials for companies like Taco Bell, Coors Light, and Mountain Dew. However the Big Brother videos are what got Johnny noticed and gave the creators at MTV the idea for Jackass, which is basically just a highly censored version of the trilogy. The series is co-produced by Johnny, Spike Jonze, and Jeff Tramaine and features other skateboarding pranksters: Bam Margera, Jason 'WeeMan' Acuna, Chris Pontius, Dave England, Steve-O, and Ryan Dunn just to name a few. There is going to be a "Jackass" compilation CD coming out in February which will include songs featured on the show, as well as cast favorites. Plus a 'Too Hot For MTV' video with segments too risky to show on MTV is in produciton. This will probably include the infamous Episode 5, which has only been shown twice on MTV. Suddenly Johnny is being noticed by Hollywood and has been placed on almost all the "Hottest New Actors of 2000" lists. Plus he has recently been nominated for a 3rd Annual TV Guide Award for Breakthrough Star of 2000. The show will air March 7 on FOX, but you can log on to TV Guide to vote for Johnny now. I recently learned that at the age of eight Johnny had the flu, pneumonia and bronchitis all at same time and nearly died and that he also suffers from asthma. Makes you wonder how he stands all that poo, huh? The immediate success of Jackass has also recently spawned many movie deals for Johnny.
Johnny's first movie was Coyote Ugly, which was released to video on January 16. Johnny played the highly coveted role of "College Guy." Johnny has a 'blink and you'll miss it' role. He's standing behind this crazy guy with spikey blonde hair who is yelling at the girls. Johnny is drinking a beer. But hey, everybody's got to start somewhere, and at a bar amid a sea of hot chicks is as good a place as any!
The next movie Johnny worked on is Big Trouble in which he plays Justin Hobert. The movie is about a nuclear device being discovered in a man's suitcase at a Miami airport and should be out early next year. It co-stars Tim Allen, Omar Epps, Janeane Garafalo, Kate Hudson, and Jason Lee.
Another movie Johnny has worked on is the drama, Deuces Wild, which is due out in theaters in March 2001. This movie is about drug wars in 1950s Brooklyn, NY. The movie stars Matt Dillon, Stephen Dorff, and Deborah Harry.
Johnny recently received $1 million to star in The Tree. Apparently he's not as big a Jackass as everybody thinks! In the movie he is set to play a truck driver who is attempting to transfer the Presidential Christmas tree across the nation to Washington, DC. Filming on this movie is supposed to start in February. Way to go, Johnny!
Johnny is currently in LA filming Life Without Dick in which he will play Sarah Jessica Parker's boyfriend. She falls in love with the hitman (Harry Connick Jr.) hired to kill our poor little Johnny.