JOHNNY KNOXVILLE
Birth Name: Philip John Clapp
Date of Birth: March 11, 1971
Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, Johnny stared death in the face at an early
age when he suffered from a bout of flu, pneumonia and bronchitis
simultaneously. The experience led him to work on a number of
life threatening stunts, which would later inspire him to create a series
that displayed his invincibility. After graduating from high school at age
18, he moved to California to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts
in Pasadena on a scholarship.
But his education there was to be shortlived, and he dropped out just weeks
after beginning his course. His interests focussed on his future wife,
Melanie, a clothing designer. Following the wedding, and the birth of their
daughter, Madison, Knoxville supported his family by working on commercials.
He also worked as a freelance writer for a skateboarding magazine called
Big Brother.
While writing an article about self-defence equipment, Knoxville decided to
test out the equipment himself and his editor agreed to film the extreme
tests. From that footage, Knoxville's series Jackass was born.
The show became a hit, giving him enough exposure to land roles in feature
films like Coyote Ugly (2000), Deuces Wild (2002), and Big
Trouble (2002). Although his roles in the big budget films remained
minor, he was given the chance to become household name when his series
turned into a feature film in 2002, entitled Jackass: The Movie (2002). He has since gone on to play supporting roles in films such as Walking Tall and A Dirty Shame (both 2004), followed by starring roles in The Dukes of Hazzard and Daltry Calhoun (both 2005) .
Filmography:
Hawaiian Dick (2007)
Killshot (2006)
Jackass: Number Two (2006)
Daltry Calhoun (2005)
The Ringer (2005)
The Dukes of Hazzard (2005)
Lords of Dogtown (2005)
A Dirty Shame (2004)
Walking Tall (2004)
Jackass: The Movie (2002)
Men in Black 2 (2002)
Deuces Wild (2002)
Big Trouble (2002)
Don't Try This at Home (2001) (V)
Life Without Dick (2001)
The Ringer (2001)
The Tree (2001)
Coyote Ugly (2000)
Desert Blues (1995)