Ever Wonder Why We Don't See Johnny Knoxville Anymore?

#1

Just as we were getting used to seeing Knoxville as an actor and not the guy from the MTV show 'Jackass,' he seemed to just disappear.

Knoxville was born in Tennessee and got his first little taste of fame after being inspired by his singer-songwriter cousin. He moved to California looking for his first big break. He ended up leaving because he only landed a few commercials and work as an extra.

#2

He was desperate to make it big, so he tried a different approach. He wrote and pitched several article ideas to magazines. His idea to test out self-defense equipment for a skateboarding magazine that brought him into the world of daredevil stunts.

#3

It was at this point that Knoxville created 'Jackass' with the help of some friends. His team was offered a spot on 'Saturday Night Live' to perform their stunts but rejected the idea before the show was picked up by MTV.

The show gained a lot of attention, but it was not all positive. People were concerned with the danger that the show promoted. They were especially leary to have their children get inspired by the dangerous stunts performed on the show. Even though the show has a disclosure telling people to not try these acts at home, 'Jackass' has been blamed for a ton of injuries and even some deaths.

#4

Because of that controversy, Knoxville was inspired to find a new career. He turned his focus to acting. But, most of the movies that he was featured in ended up doing horribly at the box office, and he was still stuck with the scars that 'Jackass' left behind on his name.

#5

Those failing movies are what basically phased Knoxville out of the industry. He tried to stay relevant and bolster his acting career by doing voice-overs for 'Spongebob SquarePants,' 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,' and 'Family Guy.'

#6

Another contributing factor to Knoxville's fall from grace was the fact that he became the center of several controversial incidents. The most known incident is when he was stopped at LAX because he had a grenade in his carry-on bag back in 2009. It ended up being a prop, but the bad press just contributed to Knoxville's name getting even more tarnished than it already was.

#7

He also suffered several bodily injuries as a result of his crazy pranks. In 2009, he told Howard Stern that he tore his urethra during a stunt and had to wear a catheter. As painful as that sounds, nothing could compare to the pain he experienced when his close friend and 'Jackass' co-star, Ryan Dunn, died in a fatal car accident.

Dunn, along with 'Jackass' production assistant Zachary Hartwell, was killed when the Porsche 911 they were traveling in hit a tree at a high speed which prompted the car to burst into flames. Come to find out, Dunn was drunk when he was driving. His blood alcohol levels were twice over the legal limit.

#8

Knoxville was devastated. "You'll have to excuse me, I'm just very sad because I lost my brother and my world got about 134 percent less funny," he said in a statement released shortly after the incident. "I don’t know what to say right now so I will close with I love you, Ryan. I have a lot of emotions swirling, but I want you to know I love you so very much."

#9

In 2013, Knoxville starred in his own movie, 'Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa.' He played a very convincing dirty old man. The movie made $151.8 million which is really great considering the movie only had a $15 million budget. It even got nominated for an Oscar in the hair and makeup category.

#10

The success of his movie led him to an exclusive deal with Paramount Pictures, who he will keep producing movies for through his production company. "I am over the damn moon about continuing an amazing partnership with Paramount Pictures," he said. "I have many more movies to make and bones to break. I am glad I will be doing it for Paramount."

We hope that this means we will see more of Johnny Knoxville. Could it be that his career is about to be born-again? I guess only time will tell.