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Johnny Knoxville

Johnny KnoxvilleAKA Philip John Clapp

Born: 11-Mar-1971
Birthplace: Knoxville, TN

Gender: Male
Race or Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Daredevil

Nationality: United States
Executive summary: MTV Jackass

Knoxville wanted to be an actor, and won a scholarship to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Pasadena, but he disliked the place and dropped out after just a few weeks. Instead he ended up happily married, and writing for Larry Flynt's skateboarding magazine, Big Brother. Working on an article about self-defense equipment, Knoxville decided to test out the equipment on himself. He shot himself with pepper spray, a taser, a stun gun, and a .38 -- and filmed it. When MTV saw the film, Jackass was born, consisting of an endless array of stupid pranks and dangerous stunts: foolish bicycle jumps, gross-out eating accomplishments, etc.

"It's fucking ridiculous, because we were just doing skateboard videos for ourselves and we never even thought to do it for television. People approached us, we tried it, and it kinda worked."

The stunts inevitably inspired copycats and drew the ire of concerned parents. In one segment, Knoxville intentionally set himself on fire and used his body as a barbecue. When a particularly stupid 13-year-old tried the same trick at home, it was less funny. (Or much funnier.)

Knoxville eventually quit Jackass, not over the lawsuits, he says, but because the show had gone "as far as we could on television, we couldn't really take it any higher." But the show gave Knoxville enough name recognition to land small movie roles, in films such as Men in Black II and Walking Tall. He also made a few feature films based on the Jackass premise, featuring stunts too boneheaded even for television.

He played the self-described "Prince of Puke" in John Waters' A Dirty Shame.

Father: Phillip Clapp (tire dealer)
Mother: Lemoyne Clapp
Wife: Melanie Clapp (clothing designer, m. 1995, div. 2008, one daughter)
Daughter: Madison Clapp (b. 1996)
Girlfriend: Naomi Nelson (m. 25-Sep-2010, one son)
Son: Rocko Akira Clapp (b. 20-Dec-2009)

    High School: South Young High School, Knoxville, TN (1989)
    Conservatory: American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Pasadena, CA (dropped out)

    Big Brother Writer
    Animal Bite multiple
    Polygraphed Howard Stern Show

    TELEVISION
    Jackass
    Viva La Bam
    MTV

    FILMOGRAPHY AS ACTOR
    Polar (25-Jan-2019)
    Skiptrace (17-Jul-2016)
    Elvis & Nixon (18-Apr-2016)
    Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (3-Aug-2014) [VOICE]
    Bad Grandpa .5 (3-Jun-2014)
    Bad Grandpa (23-Oct-2013)
    The Last Stand (12-Jan-2013)
    Movie 43 (1-Jan-2013)
    Small Apartments (10-Mar-2012)
    Nature Calls (10-Mar-2012)
    Jackass 3.5 (1-Apr-2011) · Himself
    Jackass 3D (13-Oct-2010) · Himself
    Father of Invention (15-Feb-2010) · Troy Coangelo
    Jackass 2.5 (19-Dec-2007) · Himself
    Jackass: Number Two (22-Sep-2006) · Himself
    The Ringer (23-Dec-2005)
    Daltry Calhoun (25-Sep-2005)
    The Dukes of Hazzard (24-Jun-2005)
    Lords of Dogtown (3-Jun-2005) · Topper Burks
    A Dirty Shame (12-Sep-2004) · Ray Ray
    Walking Tall (02-Apr-2004)
    Grand Theft Parsons (6-Nov-2003)
    Jackass: The Movie (21-Oct-2002) · Himself
    Men in Black II (26-Jun-2002) · Scrad
    Deuces Wild (3-May-2002) · Vinnie Fish
    Big Trouble (2-Apr-2002)
    Life Without Dick (5-Feb-2002)
    Don't Try This at Home: The Steve-O Video (2001) · Himself
    Coyote Ugly (31-Jul-2000)
    Desert Blues (1995)

Official Website:
http://www.absolutjackass.net/


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