Johnny Knoxville Says He’s Done With Dangerous Head Stunts After Years of Injuries

Johnny Knoxville, the longtime face of the Jackass franchise, says his days of taking serious blows to the head are officially over.

The 54-year-old stunt performer and actor said in a new interview with Syndicate X Library that he can no longer risk another concussion after decades of extreme physical punishment.

“I can’t do anything where I can get another concussion,” Knoxville said. “I’m way over my limit for concussions. I don’t care about anything else — I just can’t get hit in the head anymore.”

A Career Built on Risk

Knoxville rose to fame in 2000 when Jackass premiered on MTV, featuring dangerous and often painful stunts performed for laughs. The series ran for three seasons and quickly evolved into a major film franchise, beginning with Jackass: The Movie and continuing through multiple box-office hits.

Over the years, Knoxville’s injuries have been severe. He estimates he has suffered between 50 and 100 concussions, along with an orbital blowout fracture, broken bones, a herniated disc, torn ligaments, and other serious trauma.

Near-Fatal Injury on Jackass Forever

Knoxville’s latest major injury occurred while filming Jackass Forever. During a stunt involving a bull, he was thrown into the air and landed on his head, causing a brain hemorrhage and concussion, as well as a broken wrist and rib.

Speaking on the Inside of You podcast in 2024, Knoxville said the incident deeply affected his children.

“I can imagine how it scared my kids,” he said, adding that he reassured them: “Dad’s not gonna do that anymore.”

Uninsurable — But Not Unstoppable

In a 2023 interview with Vanity Fair, Knoxville revealed that the Jackass cast became so risky to insure that they lost medical coverage altogether at one point.

“At the end of the Jackass TV show, I think we lost all our insurance,” he said. “We were uninsurable.”

Despite stepping back from dangerous stunts, Knoxville is not done with the franchise.

Jackass 5 Is Still Happening

Earlier this month, Knoxville confirmed that Jackass 5 is officially in development and set for theatrical release on June 26.

The film will feature new material along with never-before-seen archival footage. Former cast member Bam Margera is expected to appear in a limited cameo through previously recorded footage after reaching an agreement with Paramount Pictures. He will not film new scenes.

While Knoxville may no longer be willing to risk his brain for laughs, he remains committed to keeping Jackass alive — just without the life-threatening head trauma that defined much of his career.