Johnny Knoxville revealed the pivotal moment he turned down a guaranteed spot on Saturday Night Live to gamble on a risky MTV pilot with his friends.
In a conversation with Conan O'Brien, Knoxville explained how the choice came at a time of extreme personal pressure for him. After moving to Los Angeles to become an actor and spending years waiting tables, he learned his girlfriend was pregnant.
"I have to do something quick because... that's the most frightened I've ever been," Knoxville recalled, noting that his transition into "participatory journalism," testing self-defense equipment on himself, was born out of a desperate need to support his daughter.
While filming these stunts for Big Brother magazine, Knoxville caught the attention of SNL creator Lorne Michaels. The two met at the legendary Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel, where Michaels offered Knoxville a five-minute weekly segment to air his videos.
Despite having "no gigs" prior to the offer, Knoxville found himself at a crossroads.
"I ended up thinking I would go on there [and] I'm not going to have any creative control whatsoever," Knoxville said on Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend. He faced a choice: become a small part of a massive comedy institution or launch a new project with his friends. Ultimately, Knoxville chose the latter.
"I'd rather bet on us than enter into that," he said, referring to the crew that would eventually become the Jackass cast.
The gamble almost ended before it began. While shooting the Jackass pilot in West Hollywood, Knoxville performed a bit in a prison orange jumpsuit and handcuffs, attempting to get hardware store employees to help him saw through the restraints. The stunt resulted in a massive police response, nearly getting Knoxville shot.
"MTV couldn't shoot in West Hollywood for over 10 years after that because we didn't have a permit," Knoxville admitted.
Though the pilot was initially shut down, Knoxville's decision to prioritize creative control and his loyalty to his friends paid off, leading to a global franchise that arguably outlasted what a brief tenure on SNL might have provided.
