Steve-O

A London native who attended high school in England before seeking higher education at the University of Miami, Steve-O quickly learned that college was not for him and soon set his sights on making a living in stuntwork. A trip to Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Clown College followed when the determined performer failed to find his footing as a professional risk-taker, and in the years that followed, Steve-O would find steady work in both the circus and on Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. Of course, Steve-O's video camera was always rolling to capture whatever mayhem might occur both at sea and on terra firma, with a constant stream of videos sent to anyone who would watch them, eventually catching the attention of ~Big Brother Magazine editor Jeff Tremaine. With Jackass looming on the horizon, Steve-O's persistence was finally about to pay off.

An instant hit when it premiered on MTV in 2000, Jackass proved just the career catalyst Steve-O had been searching for. Though some of his stunts would ultimately be rejected by producers for fear of being too dangerous, an undaunted Steve-O stunned fans by producing Don't Try This at Home, a special release featuring all the stunts that were too hot for television. A trip to the silver screen in 2002's Jackass: The Movie showcased even more outrageous insanity, with additional appearances in such late-night talk shows as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Howard Stern Show, and Jimmy Kimmel Live providing even more exposure. A year after Jackass went off the air in 2002, Steve-O could be seen taking his strange antics into nature for the Jackass-meets-National Geographic television series Wildboyz (also starring Jackass veteran Chris Pontius), and in 2006 his career in front of the camera seemed to be cemented with appearances in the Darby Crash biopic What We Do Is Secret, the inevitable Jackass: Number Two, and as Jesus Christ himself in TV: The Movie. Steve-O next starred in yet another reality series to showcase his stunts in 2007, employing his antics under the premise of helping people with their problems in Dr. Steve-O. Then in 2008, Steve-O surprised fans and critics alike with a change of pace, joining the cast of ABC's Dancing with the Stars. ~ Jason Buchanan