Johnny Knoxville facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Johnny Knoxville
Knoxville in 2010
Born	Philip John Clapp (1971-03-11) March 11, 1971 (age 54) Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S.
Occupation	Stunt performer actor producer writer
Years active	1992–present
Spouse(s)	Melanie Cates ​ (m. 1995⁠–⁠2008)​ Naomi Nelson ​ (m. 2010⁠–⁠2024)​
Children	3
Relatives	Roger Alan Wade (cousin)

Philip John Clapp (born March 11, 1971), who is known by his professional name Johnny Knoxville, is an American stunt performer, actor, and producer. A stunt performer is someone who does dangerous and exciting physical feats for movies and TV shows.

Knoxville is most famous for being a co-creator and star of the MTV reality show Jackass. The show, which aired from 2000 to 2001, featured a group of friends performing wild stunts and pranks. The popularity of the show led to a successful series of movies.

He has also acted in many movies. Some of his roles include a two-headed alien in Men in Black II (2002), Luke Duke in The Dukes of Hazzard (2005), and a role in Walking Tall (2004). He also voiced the character Leonardo in the 2014 movie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Early Life and Getting Started

Johnny Knoxville was born Philip John Clapp in Knoxville, Tennessee. His father, Philip, was a car and tire salesman, and his mother, Lemoyne, was a Sunday school teacher. He has two older sisters.

His cousin, the singer-songwriter Roger Alan Wade, gave him a copy of the book On the Road by Jack Kerouac. Knoxville said this book made him want to become an actor.

After graduating from high school in 1989, he moved to California with dreams of acting. At first, he appeared in commercials and as an extra in the background of shows. He even worked as a stand-in for actor Keanu Reeves in the movie Bram Stoker's Dracula.

When he wasn't getting the big roles he wanted, he decided to create his own opportunities. He came up with an idea to test self-defense equipment on himself. He pitched this idea to the skateboarding magazine Big Brother. The magazine's editor, Jeff Tremaine, liked the idea. They filmed the stunts, and this became the beginning of his unique career.

Career Highlights

The Jackass Franchise

Knoxville at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con

Knoxville is seen as the leader of the Jackass crew and came up with many of the ideas for the show. Director Jeff Tremaine helped him create a pilot episode using footage from the Big Brother videos and videos from another skater, Bam Margera.

With help from film director Spike Jonze, they showed the idea to different TV networks. MTV decided to make the show, and Jackass was born. The show was a huge hit and led to several movies, including Jackass: The Movie, Jackass Number Two, Jackass 3D, and Jackass Forever.

Before the show started on MTV, the crew was offered a chance to perform their stunts on Saturday Night Live every week, but they turned it down. Knoxville did, however, host an episode of Saturday Night Live in 2005.

Acting in Movies and TV

Knoxville (right) with Jeff Tremaine (left) and Bad Grandpa co-star Jackson Nicoll

Besides Jackass, Knoxville has had a busy acting career. He played a main character in The Dukes of Hazzard and had a memorable role as a two-headed alien in Men in Black II. He also acted alongside Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in the movie Walking Tall.

In the movie The Ringer, he played an office worker who enters the Special Olympics. He also had a small part in Lords of Dogtown and was a guest voice on the animated show King of the Hill.

Knoxville has also lent his voice to animated characters. He was the voice of an extreme sports fan in an episode of SpongeBob SquarePants. He also voiced Leonardo in the 2014 movie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Work as a Producer

Knoxville owns a production company called Dickhouse Productions with his Jackass partners Jeff Tremaine and Spike Jonze. A production company helps create and fund movies and TV shows. Their company produced a documentary about BMX star Mat Hoffman for ESPN.

In 2014, Knoxville started another company called 'Hello Junior'. After the success of the movie Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa, the movie studio Paramount Pictures signed a deal with his new company to create more films.

Professional Wrestling

Knoxville has also been involved with WWE professional wrestling. In 2022, he announced he would be a part of the Royal Rumble match. This started a friendly rivalry, or "feud," with wrestler Sami Zayn.

Zayn eliminated Knoxville from the Royal Rumble match. Knoxville later challenged Zayn for the WWE Intercontinental Championship. This led to a special "Anything Goes" match at WrestleMania 38. With help from his Jackass friends, Knoxville won the match against Zayn.

Personal Life

Knoxville married Melanie Lynn Cates in 1995. Their daughter was born in 1996. After 11 years, the couple separated in 2006.

In 2009, Knoxville and his girlfriend, Naomi Nelson, had a son. They got married in 2010 and had a daughter in 2011. Knoxville filed for divorce in 2022.

Selected Filmography

Movies

Television

See also

In Spanish: Johnny Knoxville para niños