Johnny Knoxville is a multifaceted American entertainer, popularly known as the co-creator and star of Jackass, a reality television show that aired on MTV from October 1, 2000 to February 3, 2002. Alongside his Jackass co-stars, he also starred in the Donkey series of films which appeared in 2003, 2006, 2010 and 2013 and appeared in numerous television series and shows in addition to many films.
The actor, known professionally by his stage name Johnny Knoxville, was born Philip John Clapp on March 11, 1971 in Knoxville, Tennessee.
He attended South-Doyle High School, graduating in 1989. According to him, he got the acting bug after coming across a copy of the novel On the Road, written by Jack Kerouac, which was presented to him by his cousin, singer-songwriter Roger Alan Wade.
Consequently, after graduating from high school, he moved to California to pursue an acting career. Initially appearing primarily in television commercials, he also appeared in several screens as an extra. Unfortunately, the big break he so desperately wanted never came, so he decided to open up opportunities for himself by writing and pitching article ideas for various magazines.
Eventually, Johnny Knoxville was able to pique the interest of Jeff Tremaine’s skateboarding magazine Big Brother and follow his idea of testing self-defense gear on himself. The stunts were filmed and included in the “Number Two” video by Big Brother.
Knoxville is credited with being the brains behind many of the ideas in the show Donkeys as well as the group’s de facto leader. Jeff Tremaine, Sean Cliver, Spoezy and Dave Carnie also took part in the show alongside him. It was the latter who made a pilot out of footage from Big Brother and CKY videos.
With the help of Spike Jonze, a film director who was also a friend of Tremaine’s, they set up a series on various networks. MTV went for the idea and the reality television show Jackass came to be. The show aired for three seasons between October 1, 2000 and February 3, 2002.
Before the Ass Johnny Knoxville and his group were asked to perform for their stunts on Saturday Night Live each week, but they turned it down. However, in 2005, Knoxville hosted an episode of the show. He also represented Donkey in the Gumball 3000 alongside co-stars Steve-O, Chris Pontius among others.
acting career
As an actor, Johnny Knoxville has appeared in several films, but he is most popular for playing the role of Luke Duke in the 2005 film The Dukes of Hazzard, an adaptation of the television series of the same name.
A year after the reality show Jackass Knoxville stopped airing and along with his co-stars came back to film the first installment of the Jackass film series Jackass: The Movie. This was later followed by the release of the second and third installments, Jackass Number Two (2006) and Jackass 3D (2010, marking the 10th anniversary of the franchise).
Three years after the release of the third installment, which marked the 10th anniversary of the franchise, the fourth Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa was also released and it was the first in the film series to have a storyline. In it, Johnny Knoxville starred as the Donkey character Irving Zisman.
He has also featured in other films such as Men in Black II (2002) where he played the role of a two-headed alien named Scrad/Charlie. He was also in the 2004 film A Dirty Disgraceand in the same year he had a supporting role for The Rock in Walking Tall.
In 2005, Johnny Knoxville starred in Daltry Calhoun and The Alarm Clock, playing the title character in the former. In the latter film, he played the role of Steve Barker, an office worker who pretends to have a disability. As a result, he enters the Special Olympics to raise money and pay for his caretaker’s practice. He also starred in Lords of Dogtown that same year as Topper Burks.
The actor has appeared in many other films such as Coyote Ugly, Early Father of Invention, Nature Calls, Fun Greatness, The Last Stand, Movie 43, Small Apartments, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Elvis & Nixon, Skiptrace, Half Magic, Rosy, Above Suspicion , and Polar.
Aside from films, the actor has also appeared in several television series and shows including The Dudesons in America, which he co-produced. He also appeared in 10 episodes of the now canceled Nitro Circus and was the creator and executive producer of the show which aired on MTV. He’s also appeared on SexTV, King of the Hill, Adventures in Hollyhood, Jackassworld.com: 24-hour Takeover, Dancing With the Stars, Ridiculousness, Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory, and Drunken History among others.
In addition to his other involvements in the Jackass franchise, Johnny Knoxville also co-owns a production company called Dickhouse Productions with Jeff Tremaine and Spike Jonze. Along with Donkey’s executive producer, Derek Fred, Johnny made an official announcement in May 2014 about the formation of a new production company, Hello Junior.
Wealth (income and earnings)
Johnny Knoxville has been in the entertainment industry for many years and has amassed a net worth of $75 million, according to a reliable online source. He’s rumored to pay at least $5 million for every film he’s in. Because he has a healthy bank account, he lives comfortably in a $1.8 million home in Dayton Beach.
Family – wife and children
The son of Philip and Lemoyne Clapp, Johnny’s father, who died in 2018, was a tire/car salesman while his mother, who died in 2017, was a Sunday school teacher.
On May 15, 1995, Johnny tied the knot with Melanie Lynn Clapp and their union was blessed with a daughter named Madison who was born on May 15, 1995. Unfortunately, their marriage hit the rocks, resulting in a separation in July 2006 and a subsequent divorce in March 2008, which was finalized in July the following year with the couple sharing custody of their daughter.
Johnny Knoxville had moved on before his divorce from his first wife was over. He entered into a relationship with another lady named Naomi Nelson and announced on August 18, 2009 that they had a baby on the way. Naomi Nelson gave birth to a baby boy, Rocko Akira Clapp, on December 20, 2009 in Los Angeles.
On September 24, 2010, the duo married and the following year, on October 6, 2011, they welcomed their second child, daughter Arlo Lemoyne Yoko Clapp.
Height
The talented entertainer is quite tall. He stands 1.85 m tall and weighs 77 kg. The stunt performer also wears size 11 (US-44 EU) shoes.