Not many actors, comedians, or stunt actors manage to change other people’s lives along with others. These types of people have gone through so much in life that now they have a whole new perspective, they have a whole new take on how to live. Stephen Glover, also known as Steve-O is one of those amazing personalities.
Steve-O was born on 13 June 1974 and is one of the most amazing and charismatic TV personalities to date. Apart from being a huge television personality, he’s a talented comedian, entertainer, and stunt performer. Most of you would know of him from his work in the series “Jackass”. The question that lies now is, how did he get so famous?
While growing up, Steve-O was always a big fan of skateboarding, although he wasn’t that good at it. He used to film himself while doing some stunts on the skateboard. It is then he knew that he had a knack for making stunt-related videos. When he graduated from college, he went straight to the University of Miami, and he continued his passion for making crazy videos.
Steve-O knew that he was failing his classes but all he wanted to do was become a famous stuntman and make his mark on the world. So he did that, he used to rappel off from 12-story buildings, and make similar crazy videos. One day he was caught making videos in his dorm and that is when he got expelled and thus became homeless.
It is while being homeless that he got seriously injured but that did not stop him from developing legitimate skills. Afterward, he went to a skateboard convention and stumbled onto a booth of XYZ clothing which was owned by none other than Danny Way, the legendary skateboarder. After seeing his videos, they decided to sponsor him and that is where his path to fame started.
Talking about a career point of view, he worked in many television series like Jackass (Including the Movie and all the sequels), he released his own DVD full of his stunts which are called Don’t Try This At Home. He also starred on MTV’s the WildBoyz, this is where he refined his skills.
Fun Fact: Steve-O also participated in the reality show-Love Island.
The Untold Truth Of Steve-O
You might think you know Steve-O but the reality is far from that. Yeah, we know that he created MTV’s Jackass, he even injured himself many times doing that but there are some hidden truths that we will uncover today in front of you.
Heartbreak Kickstarted His Career
You know this feeling, your girlfriend broke up with you, although this is extremely heartbreaking, it also gave you the motivation to start the gym and become the best version of yourself. The same happened to Steve but in a different kind of way.
His journey to stardom started way before Jackass, as he used to film himself doing skateboard tricks, it was then he discovered his passion for stunts and filming.
He got the idea to film more elaborate stunts when he went to college at the University of Miami. Although he improvised his stunts and filming techniques, he also got dumped by his girlfriend.
I spent more time partying and jumping off the diving boards at the pool than going to class, which was why I got dumped by my girlfriend
Going through heartbreak, he went back to filming but his techniques improved. He used to jump from apartment roofs to shallow pools, and other dangerous stunts. Steve-O was amazed by the level of applause and reactions he got from his viewers which motivated him to become a performer and drop out of college.
Steve-O Went To Clown College, And Graduated
Steve-O didn’t only go to the University of Miami but also attended the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College. He wasn’t the only one though, he had 32 classmates, all of them graduated but only 10 lucky ones were offered to join the circus. Sadly, Steve-O wasn’t amongst the selected ones but that didn’t make him give up on clowning.
He even landed a temporary gig with some clowns on a cruise ship but he had to leave due to a “Clown Mutiny”.
Steve-O The Rapper
We know some amazing rappers, Eminem, 50 Cent, and Future, but Steve-O? Yes, you read that right! For almost all of our lives, we have known Steve-O as an amazing stuntman and stand-up comedian but him being a rapper also shocked us.
In 2011, he recorded and released a hip-hop album, titled “The Dumbest Asshole In Hip Hop”. The CD even came with some bonus Steve-O content and a poster of the album which was quite hilarious. The album contained tracks such as “Crack Cocaine” and “Poppin’ Off”, they were not a hit at all.
Brilliant and Motivational Steve-O Quotes and Sayings
There is a lot that we can learn from Steve-O, especially the fact that once you have your intentions set on something, there is nothing in this world that can stop you from achieving that goal. Here are some amazing words from him, use them for inspiration!
What brings you closer to God is being in service to others. I think any religion or spiritual way of life will indicate that service to others will lead to a connection with a higher power.
I got into being vegan because I was simply looking to benefit from being more compassionate. I have since come to learn that it is an animal-based diet that is responsible for the overwhelming majority of cases of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, multiple sclerosis, and all kinds of other problems.
I don’t care if people think I’m boring.
I think people will be surprised to find that I’m not as much of an idiot as they think I am. I’m not a real moron.
I never contemplated any kind of existence or identity after my career. I never thought at some point the entertainment industry is going to be through with me. And when it first occurred to me that my career was going to cease to be ascendant, then I freaked out.
There really is no ethical difference between eating a cat or a chicken, a dog, or a pig.
When I first became involved with PETA, it was on an ‘issue-by-issue’ basis – they interviewed me in my old apartment about animal abuse in the circus as I sat on a leather sofa.
When I first became recognizable from appearing on television, I abused my notoriety as much as I possibly could, at the expense of both my health and personal relationships.
I guess I just always imagined that I was going to die, like, somehow on top. I was going to, like, go out in some sort of blaze of glory. I never thought about sort of fading into obscurity. And I’ve worked so hard at having a life, an identity, in obscurity and finding peace with that.
When I was a kid, I loved a heavy metal band called Motley Crue. I was thirteen when they came to my city, and I called every hotel in the Yellow Pages asking for a room by the name of their manager in hopes of meeting the band. After two or three hours of calling hotels, I got through, and the manager’s brother answered the phone.
At this point, I’ve really failed at a lot of things. It’s nice to be able to say that, in a way. I’ve failed at music. I’ve failed at dancing. And acting – there have been times when I went out and read lines to audition for acting parts. I believe that if anybody wrangled together those audition tapes, it would be pretty hysterically funny.
I don’t go around lecturing people and telling them they shouldn’t eat meat. I just don’t think that’s terribly effective. I just try to tell people how I have personally benefitted from the vegan lifestyle.
I’m a proud vegan, whistle-blower, and an animal rights activist.
I keep my iPod on shuffle most of the time, but I’m most into Cirque du Soleil soundtracks.
My first call is always to my dad. It’s really rad. What had initially driven my dad and me apart – all my stunts and antics – has brought us together, closer than we’ve ever been. My dad’s been a huge part of my team.
Being a vegan just helps me build up my self-esteem. I feel good about it every time I eat a meal.
My main focus in sobriety has been to replace fear with faith or love.
Almost as soon as I went vegan, people started telling me that my skin looked great and that I appeared younger, slimmer, and healthier. I’m convinced that of all the changes I’ve made to my lifestyle, it’s the adoption of a vegan diet that has been best for me – physically, mentally, and certainly spiritually.
The first thought that I had about really trying to get sober was, ‘Man, I could do a lot of good in the world. I can lead by example and just be this heroic recovery guy.’ And that’s just a bad reason to get sober. You can’t get sober for anybody’s benefit, let alone the world at large. You really got to do it for yourself.
I felt like it was inevitable that I was going to fail in life and die young. So I was frantically scrambling to document my stunts and pack my message into a bottle. I thought maybe I could be discovered after I’d died, like Van Gogh.
There are definitely some parallels between me and Joaquin Phoenix, I think. The line gets so blurry. My rap career wasn’t a hoax, but it was absolutely intended to be a joke. The problem was that I really was on a quest to somehow be a Caucasian Ol’ Dirty Bastard.
I started out making skateboard videos. Soon, it dawned on me I just wasn’t that great at skateboarding. So I put down the skateboard and just kept going with the camera.
I’m definitely a ham for the paparazzi.
I came to San Antonio, and it’s known for the River Walk. So I was just doing some sightseeing, I looked at the bridge and I thought, ‘Man if I do a flip off this bridge, that would be super-cool.’ I don’t recommend anybody jump off that bridge.
I have been really enjoying making a project out of seeking out an extremely healthy diet of raw, organic, vegan foods – and I plan on continuing to do so.
The psychiatric ward was a really creepy place and, hindsight being 20/20, the creepiest thing about it was that I truly belonged there.
I wouldn’t have really committed myself to any kind of spiritual lifestyle, I don’t think if I had not endured great suffering. I think that’s the case with a lot of people.
I think it’s important for me to show the world that sobriety hasn’t made me soft. I’m on a mission to prove I’m still a nutcase.
For me to make a living acting silly for as long as I can get away with it, I think the most viable way to make that happen is to evolve into more traditional comedy. I’ve really been putting in the work.
Abuse yourself all you want – just leave animals out of it. Don’t wear fur.
It’s commonly said that if slaughterhouses had clear glass walls, nobody would eat meat. I think people go out of their way to remain ignorant about how factory farm animals are treated.
Rather than wait to be discovered, discover yourself. Whatever it is that you intend to do later, start doing it now, get good at it, and show people what you are.
I don’t think I’m a gay icon. I have no ax to grind. I mean, I’m clearly not homophobic! I’m not pro or con.
I have a tough stomach, and I’ve put myself through a lot. But when I first found out what happens to animals on modern factory farms and in today’s slaughterhouses, I wanted to throw up – I literally couldn’t believe it.
Initially, my decision to stop eating meat was motivated by fear of spiritual consequences, but right away I found that not eating meat made me feel good about myself. It increased my self-esteem, which I found so rewarding, I wanted to do more.
Watch: 10 Things Steve-O Can’t Live Without
Now that you know a lot about Steve-O, it is time to know more fun things about the brilliant stuntman. Watch this hilarious video to find out the 10 things that Steve-O can’t live without!
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Featured Image Via Instagram/steveo
