EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
The ‘Jackass Forever’ guys get deep about how their friendship has positively impacted their life
Over two decades of friendship
Jackass aired its first episode on April 12, 2000, and the world would never be the same. Created by Jeff Tremain, Johnny Knoxville, and Spike Jonze, a group of men put their bodies on the line and their morals to the side as they performed dangerous and hilarious self-injuring stunts and pranks. Bringing families and friends stogether for chaos, they released their first movie Jackass: The Movie in 2002 and twenty years later, their sixth movie, Jackass Forever is in theaters Friday, February 4th. Fans will laugh and maybe even cry as as Knoxville, Steve-O, Jason “Wee Man” Acuña, Preston Lacy, Chris Pontius, Dave England and more get back together with a little less hair to create magical mayhem. But they aren’t alone, because the franchise is introducing a new generation of Jackasses. HOLA! USA had the opportunity to talk to Knoxville, and Tremain, and Steve-O, Wee Man, and Pontius about the upcoming film where they put the danger aside and got a little deep about their friendship and, how the franchise has positively impacted their life.
We’re like beyond friends, we’re family. These guys are my brothers, and we’re stuck together... They’re thick and thin and if I’m ever bad, they never stay mad at me for long. [Pontius]
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The movie was very nostalgic for me. So I’m gonna make you guys get a little deep with me. I would just love to hear each of you share a specific way that the other two men sitting next to you have positively impacted your life.
STEVE-O: I mean, shoot, these guys have just always been there for me, you know? Um, whenever I’ve reached out, they’ve been there for me and, and that’s a big deal. Um, so I can’t point to one specific time, but I’m just gonna say all the time.
CHRIS PONTIUS: I think we all feel we’ve, been together for so long, even before, like skateboarding and we’ve been around the world together, like many times. We’re like beyond friends, we’re family. These guys are my brothers, and we’re stuck together and, it goes beyond friendship and yeah, I hope we are making 10 more movies together down the line. So, I mean, they’re thick and thin and if I’m ever bad, they never stay mad at me for long.
WEE-MAN: That‘s true. I’ll say these two dudes being in my life have made me a better person in different ways. Steve O made me a better person to make sure I didn‘t half-ass footage, cuz he would call it out if it was horrible. And Chris was always there to let me know if something that seemed bad, wouldn’t be that bad as it comes off. But at least it looks way horrible than it is and I‘ve always remembered that. But these two dudes, just like Steve said, they’ve been there for me no matter what. And I‘ll always be there for them, no matter what.
So I loved the film, I even cried. Probably not what you guys were expecting, but it just took me right back to when I was watching you guys with my older brothers in like second grade. So it’s been a very positive journey for me watching you guys. So what was the best part about getting the band back together for Jackass Forever?
JOHNNY KNOXVILLE: Well, I think you maybe answered it. It’s just like getting the band back together and it’s like, we‘ve been friends for the cast and the crew for over 20 years and it’s like, not only that those relationships and endure, they‘ve gotten strong and it’s so much fun.
JEFF TREMAINE: Well, it’s also fun to bring in some new blood and break them in and, and invite them into our hellish world and put them through the steps. But we found like the right group that just fit right in and didn’t try too hard. They just naturally fit in. Yeah. So I love that, it was fun to expand the family a little bit.
Who would you say is most in touch with their own mortality when it comes to stunts now?
JEFF TREMAINE: Luckily the group we assembled, I don’t know if anyone is really in touch with their mortality. Maybe Wee Man.
How would you say that this journey has positively impacted your life?
JOHNNY KNOXVILLE: God, it’s- I have great friends from it. We’ve managed to, you know, have so much success with it. But it’s the friendship endured. That’s the biggest thing, you know? And we love making people laugh.
