Category:
Richest Celebrities › Actors
Net Worth:
$50 Million
Birthdate:
Mar 11, 1971 (53 years old)
Birthplace:
Knoxville
Gender:
Male
Height:
6 ft (1.85 m)
Profession:
Actor, Comedian, Television producer, Screenwriter, Stunt Performer, Film Producer, Voice Actor
Nationality:
United States of America
Johnny Knoxville is an American actor, film producer, screenwriter, comedian, and stunt performer who has a net worth of $50 million. Johnny Knoxville is best known for co-creating and starring in the MTV reality stunt show “Jackass” (2000-2001). The show’s success led to several feature films, including “Jackass: The Movie” (2002), “Jackass Number Two” (2006), and “Jackass 3D” (2010).
Apart from his work on “Jackass,” Knoxville has appeared in various films, such as “Walking Tall” (2004), “The Dukes of Hazzard” (2005), and “The Ringer” (2005). He also co-produced and starred in the film “Bad Grandpa” (2013), which blended “Jackass”-style pranks with a narrative storyline. Throughout his career, Knoxville has been known for his daring stunts and comedic performances, often putting himself in dangerous and humorous situations. He has suffered numerous injuries as a result of his stunts, including concussions, broken bones, and torn ligaments.
In addition to his work in front of the camera, Johnny has served as a producer on several projects, including the MTV series “Nitro Circus” (2009) and the film “The Birth of Big Air” (2010). He continues to be involved in various entertainment projects, cementing his status as a pop culture icon.
Johnny Knoxville was born Philip John Clapp on March 11, 1971, in Knoxville, Tennessee. His father, Philip, was a car and tire salesman, and his mother, Lemoyne, was a Sunday school teacher. Johnny has two older sisters. Knoxville credits his cousin, singer-songwriter Roger Alan Wade, with giving him the acting bug after Wade gave him a copy of Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road.” He graduated from South-Doyle High School in Knoxville in 1989 and subsequently moved to California to pursue an acting career.
Johnny’s earliest acting jobs mainly consisted of commercials and appearances as an extra. Unable to land a major role and get his ‘big break,’ he began pitching his own ideas for articles to magazines to create his own opportunities. His idea to test self-defense equipment on himself caught the eye of the Jeff Tremaine-helmed skateboarding magazine “Big Brother,” and he was offered the opportunity to film stunts for them that appeared in the “Big Brother” video “Number Two.” Knoxville, Tremaine, Sean Cliver, and Dave Carnie produced a pilot using footage from “Big Brother” along with footage from Bam Margera’s CKY videos. Tremaine’s friend, film director Spike Jonze, helped them pitch the series to various networks. A deal was made with MTV, who liked the pilot and made a deal with the entrepreneur, and the show “Jackass” was born. The show has been greatly controversial due to its content, which many perceived to be indecent, inappropriate, and encouraging dangerous behavior.
Although “Jackass” originally only aired for three seasons on MTV, from October 2000 to August 2001, it spawned a wildly successful franchise, which includes four feature films released by Paramount Pictures: “Jackass: The Movie” (2002), “Jackass Number Two” (2006), “Jackass 3D” (2010), and “Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa” (2013). It also inspired several spin-off shows that star various “Jackass’ cast members, such as “Wildboyz” (2003-2006), “Viva La Bam” (2003-2005), “Homewrecker” (2005), “Bam’s Unholy Union” (2007), and “Dr. Steve-O” (2007). Furthermore, the videogame “Jackass: The Game” was released in 2007, in which Knoxville appears as himself. “Jackass Forever” and “Jackass 4.5” were released in 2022.
Knoxville’s starring roles in the “Jackass” franchise helped grow his popularity and land him other acting roles. Some of the films he has been featured in include “Men in Black II” (2002), in which he played a two-headed alien, “Walking Tall” (2002), which starred The Rock, and “Lords of Dogtown” (2005). He has starred in films such as “Daltry Calhoun” (2005), in which he played the lead character, “The Dukes of Hazzard” (2005), in which he starred opposite Seann William Scott, “The Ringer” (2005), “Nature Calls” (2012), “The Last Stand” (2013), “Movie 43” (2013), “Elvis & Nixon” (2016), and “Skiptrace” (2016). Johnny has been nominated for an American Comedy Award as well as several MTV Awards and Teen Choice Awards.
He has also worked on several projects as a voice actor, including voicing Leonardo in the film “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (2014), an appearance as himself on “Family Guy,” and providing the voice of Johnny Krill, an extreme sports enthusiast, in a 2012 episode of the cartoon “SpongeBob SquarePants.” He also voiced the character Bobby Ray in 2023’s “Agent Elvis.”
Outside of acting, Knoxville is a prolific producer. He co-owns the production company Dickhouse Productions with Jeff Tremaine and Spike Jonze. Other projects outside of the “Jackass” franchise that Dickhouse has produced include “The Birth of Big Air” (2010), a documentary for ESPN about Mat Hoffman, and “The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia” (2010). Knoxville formed a new production company, Hello Junior, in May 2014 along with “Jackass” executive producer Derek Freda. Hello Junior went on to sign a two-year exclusive deal with Paramount Pictures. In 2023, Johnny hosted and executive produced the reality series “The Prank Panel.”
Johnny married Melanie Lynn Cates on May 15, 1995, and together they have a daughter, Madison, who was born in 1996. The couple separated in July 2006, with Knoxville filing for divorce in July 2007; their divorce was finalized in July 2009. The actor agreed to pay $6,000 per month in child support. While separated from Cates, Knoxville began dating Naomi Nelson. Together, Knoxville and Nelson welcomed a son in December 2009. They married in September 2010 and welcomed a daughter in October 2011. In June 2022, it was reported that the couple filed for divorce.
Johnny made his in-ring debut in WWE’s 2022 Royal Rumble as the number nine contestant but was eliminated by Zayn. The “Jackass” crew had been involved with WWE promotions since 2008.
In 2002, Johnny paid $750,000 for a home in Los Angeles. He listed this home for sale in June 2009 for $2.3 million, ultimately accepting $1.7 million in March 2011. In 2008, he sold a different Hollywood home for $1.8 million. He has owned another home in the area since 2011, which he bought for $520,000 and has mainly used as a rental property.
