BACK TO HIS ROOTS
Daredevil comedian Steve-O comes back to NM — where it all started
Steve-O and Albuquerque have a long history.
Long before he became famous for his daredevil antics on the MTV series “Jackass,” he was a resident of Albuquerque.
In fact, he was enrolled at the University of New Mexico for about a year.
During that time, one could often find Steve-O skateboarding around town.
“Albuquerque is where I paid my dues,” he says in a recent phone interview. “That’s where it all came together. In Albuquerque, I had been pursuing skateboarding, and I wasn’t that great to be a pro. Then I found a group of friends who helped me do my own things. It turned into me being a fire breather and an acrobatic, doing flips all over the place. I just took off from there, and I haven’t stopped.”
Steve-O, born Stephen Glover, will return to the Land of Enchantment to perform four shows of comedy at The Stage at Santa Ana Star.
His journey has been an epic one. After realizing college wasn’t for him, he enrolled in Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College to help him further his goal of becoming a professional stuntman.
After graduating from clown college, determined to make it in Hollywood, he began to pitch his home movies to producers.
Eventually, his videos made it into the hands of “Jackass” creator Jeff Tremaine, who worked with Johnny Knoxville to create a stunt-based reality show.
MTV aired the first season of “Jackass” in 2000.
In 2001, Steve-O launched his own “Steve-O Don’t Try This at Home Tour,” establishing himself as an accomplished stage performer at venues throughout the U.S. and a dozen other countries.
By 2002, Steve-O and Chris Pontius, were given a spinoff show called “Wildboys,” which aired for four seasons.
Though his career took off on TV, Steve-O says comedy was always constant in his life.
In his current show, he incorporates a little bit of everything.
“My show is like no other,” he says confidently. “My approach to comedy isn’t one where I am trying to copy somebody. The components to my stand-up are reckless. My shamelessness gives me such an advantage. I have a fan base that’s interested in what I’m going to say. It’s only part of the battle to keep their interest. I just challenge myself with each show.”