‘I’m far too sensitive about animal rights’
Steve-O has ruled out ever returning to Wildboyz, the Jackass spin-off show that he co-hosted alongside fellow stunt performer and Party Boy Chris Pontius.
The show, which debuted on MTV in 2003, saw the duo perform risk stunts with wild animals, before learning about them via their guide and show narrator, Manny Puig.
Despite finishing in 2006, Wildboyz has remained a favourite among Jackass fans – with Steve-O regularly discussing it with guests on his Wild Ride podcast.
Speaking exclusively to JOE ahead of the home release of Jackass Forever, it seems the star has hung up his loincloth for good and ruled out ever returning to the show.
“I’m not willing to do another Wildboyz… for multiple reasons,” Steve-O said, adding: “One being I’m far too sensitive about animal rights.”
Steve-O went on to detail more practical reasons why he’s unwilling to – quite literally – put his head in the lion’s mouth, all in the name of entertainment: “[messing] with so much wildlife invariably puts you in situations that I would just not be comfortable with being in.
“Also filming with animals that can kill you – I just wouldn’t be willing to risk my life as much as we did on Wildboyz. Especially when you have to outdo what you did before.
“It would be rolling the dice,” Steve-O reasoned. “We would be risking our life every day and I just don’t want to do that anymore.”
Spanning four seasons, Wildboyz had plenty of fun sticking these former-Jackasses into some increasingly stupid situations where the risk of getting bitten, trampled, stung – or all three – was very real.
The show filmed in a range of locations around the world – including a stint in Russia – and featured cameos from the pair’s Jackass pals Johnny Knoxville and Jason ‘Wee Man’ Acuña.
Throughout 32 episodes, Steve-O and Pontius swam with sharks, scrapped with scorpions, and had some hairy close calls with lions and bears. In his 2011 memoir Professional Idiot, Steve-O suggested that the show “probably could’ve kept going after season 4” – although it looks like this is no longer the case.
Meanwhile, during the same chat, Pontius echoed his co-star’s sensible sentiment: “Wildboyz was a lot more dangerous than we let on,” he chuckled, going on to explain that while he’s “proud” of both Wildboyz and Jackass, he believes the Jackass movies are “more realistic.”
Jackass Forever is in cinemas now.
Jackass Forever is available to download and keep from April 20 and on physical formats from May 2.
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