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How Johnny Knoxville Achieved a Net Worth of $75 Million

Johnny Knoxville

Actor and comedian Johnny Knoxville is a controversial figure in the entertainment industry. He's based his career on the humorous value of shock. He's joined together with his partners to create some of the most disturbing yet hilarious displays of pranks and stunts that are difficult to watch yet hard to turn away from. He's managed to amass a net worth of $75 million. You may be wondering if he got so rich from his outlandish productions. We looked into his history and career to find out just how he came to become so rich and here is what we learned about him.

Net Worth$75 Million
NamePhilip John Clapp
Age48
BornLos Angeles, California
Birth DateMarch 11, 1971
Source of WealthActor, Producer, Screenwriter, Comedian, Stunt Performer
CountryUnited States

His early years

Johnny Knoxville was born in the city of Knoxville, Tennessee on March 11th in 1971. It's no coincidence that his name is the same as the city of his birth because he's had it legally changed. His birth name is Phillip John Clapp, Jr. He was named after his father but he decided to take on a stage name and he has taken that name to some incredible heights of fame and recognition. It's synonymous for some with hilarity and for others, extreme bad taste. It all depends on the kind of humor you like.

Johnny's parents raised him in a modest home where his mom was a Sunday school teacher and his father, an automobile salesman. They weren't wealthy but they got by well enough. Johnny was influenced by Roger Alan Wade, the singer and songwriter who also happened to be his cousin. Wade was also an actor and Johnny decided to follow in his footsteps. When he first started out in the acting business after high school, Knoxville had it rough and he learned fast that it was a tough business to break into and about the only jobs he could get were parts in commercials.

His first jobs in entertainment

Johnny started out as a writer for a magazine in 1996. He was a writer for Big Brother magazine which focused on skateboarding. His real inspiration that sparked Johnny's creative genius came when he volunteered to be a tester for self defense and safety equipment. he would purposely wipe out and take nasty falls so he could render an honest review. When the owner Jeff Tremaine saw his tenacity, he made a video called Big Brother Number Two and featured Knoxville's stunts on it. The segment achieved great success and this would give Johnny some ideas that would lead to his creation of Jackass and more. he met his team of co-pranksters and stunt men including Dave England, Jason Wee Man Acuna, Chris Pontius, Brandon Bam Margera and the rest of the crew.

Rounding out the team

He also met the famed Steve-O and the team was complete. In 2000, MTV fought with SNL for the rights to the new show that would be called "Jackass" and this is how Johnny Knoxville got his big break. he was the front man for the group of pranksters and for the franchise. When MTV began censoring the series, their final relationship with them culminated in the making of "Jackass: The Movie." From this point

The crew ended the show with Jackass: The Movie," the first of several sequels that they would make in the years to come. The show officially ended in 2002 and it consisted of Knoxville and his crew performing daring and dangerous pranks and stunts, often resulting in pain and laughter and sometimes landing them in the hospital in need of emergency treatment for injuries incurred. Knoxville's ribald sense of humor was well received by most fans of the show but others found it offensive, adding a bit of controversy to the funnyman's material.

To Knoxville's credit

Johnny Knoxville deserves the credit for being the co-creator as well as the star of the show "Jackass" which went on to have multiple sequels. He's a talented writer and producer and the series also opened up other opportunities for Johnny in Hollywood. He's also made appearances as well as co-starred in several films including "The Dukes of Hazzard," "The Ringer," "Men in Black II," "Lords of Dogtown" and more.

Recognition

Johnny Knoxville has received multiple Teen Choice Awards in addition to American Comedy Awards and MTV Movie Awards for both work in television and film. He was the winner of the Guycon Award from Guys Choice Awards. Whether he's the kind of comedian that makes you laugh or shrivel up inside, Johnny Knoxville has proven his mettle and he's one of the most talented and skilled multi-faceted professional in the entertainment business. He didn't earn a net worth of $75 million by being stupid. He's gained his tremendous wealth through his work in multiple aspects of entertainment and by being wise with his money.

Dana Hanson

Written by Dana Hanson

Dana has extensive professional writing experience including technical and report writing, informational articles, persuasive articles, contrast and comparison, grant applications, and advertisement. She also enjoys creative writing, content writing on nearly any topic (particularly business and lifestyle), because as a lifelong learner, she loves to do research and possess a high skill level in this area. Her academic degrees include AA social Sci/BA English/MEd Adult Ed & Community & Human Resource Development and ABD in PhD studies in Indust & Org Psychology.

Read more posts by Dana Hanson

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