Steve-O & Chris Pontius Interview: Jackass Forever Home Release

Over the last two decades, the Jackass franchise has grown from an MTV prank show to a series of movies each outdoing the last in their hilarity and hijinks. The newest outing, Jackass Forever, had an impressive theatrical run before landing on Paramount+'s streaming service for leisurely at-home enjoyment. Starting today, however, superfans can obtain the Blu-ray and DVD home release usual - complete with a ton of extras and deleted scenes to boot.

Everyone knows Johnny Knoxville as the fearless leader of the gang, but his tireless crew is always up for a laugh and ready to keep the party going. Screen Rant had the opportunity to speak with two members of that crew, Steve-O and Chris Pontius, about the audience's reception to Jackass Forever, the lessons they wish they had learned back on the first film, and where the franchise is going next.

Screen Rant: Steve-O, are you at Rikers? Where are you?

Steve-O: Well, there you go. Yeah, I'm where I belong.

And Pontius is in orange. So, there's a theme going on here.

Chris Pontius: Yeah, I know.

Congrats on the movie. Last time we talked, it hadn't come out yet, but now you've seen the reception and the joy that it brought people. What does that feel like?

Chris Pontius: I'm so happy that we just got the chance to do it, because we people have been asking us for so many years to make another movie.

The chemistry that this group has together is just so undeniable, and I'm so blown away. I'm especially excited about the new audience; all the young people that have been into it. I just can't believe that it's gone this long, and people will still want it.

I think we're all so proud of this movie, and I love it.

Steve-O: The crazy thing about Jackass is we get older. They just stay the same age, man.

Or you have people like me that grew up with it. I bet people come up to you guys more than any other celebrity, because people feel like they know you.

Steve-O: I think we are very approachable, and what is crazy to me is that the request I get far more than any other is, "Dude, is there any way I can get you to kick me in the nuts?" Everybody wants me to kick him in the nuts!

What's the biggest request that you get, Pontius?

Chris Pontius: Not so much a request, but every once in a while someone just sneaks up on me, strips their clothes off, and Party Boys me. God, it's so uncomfortable. It made me realize how much power Party Boy has because, as nervous as I was the first time I did it, the naked guy is the one that's in complete control on that.

And sometimes the person Party Boying me has been kind of and scary, but it's just funny. I'm just so stoked that it caught on the way it did. Yeah, that's the most frequent thing with me.

You were serving looks in this movie, I gotta say. One thing I noticed that I didn't notice the first time was the credit "Pontiusaurus Puppeteers." What a job, what a gig, what a resume. Badge of honor. What does that entail?

Chris Pontius: The puppeteer to this is like the top puppeteer in Hollywood/ He did the Marshmallow Man on Ghostbusters. He actually sang a rap song to us that had all the movies that he puppeteered in, and he's like the top guy.

They had the top demolitions person, the top miniature experts - all to film this bit around my penis. Yeah, that's definitely my proudest moment. For sure. I love it.

I think this is just the best opener of any movie, not just a Jackass movie.

jackass forever - chris pontius & steve-o

It's streaming on Paramount+ now, and I was like, "I'm gonna go back and watch the first one." Because it's been a minute, and that opening too is just ingrained in my brain, of you guys on the shopping cart going down the hill. If you could go back to the first Jackass and tell yourself something, what would you tell yourself?

Steve-O: I would tell myself to floss my teeth. Because there's this thing when people don't floss - some people can get away with it, and others can't - but there's a bacteria that will be in your mouth. And no matter how much you brush, you're going to have this odor emanating from your mouth.

That was me on the first Jackass maybe, and the second Jackass movie. I figured it out before the third Jackass movie, but I did not need to have so much bacteria stinking up my mouth for all those years.

Halitosis, I think?

Steve-O: I don't know if it's Halitosis, but it's just this gnarly bacteria.

That's real advice. Chris, what would you tell yourself?

Chris Pontius: At the time, I just didn't have the gauge of what a big deal making the first movie was. I would have tried to have been in more bits, I think. Just been in as many bits as possible.

Later on, I figured that out. I think we all figured it out and have just been a little more hungry for footage. I just want to be in as many things as possible, and just try to contribute as much as possible, even if I'm not the center guy of a bit. That's what I would have done differently.

If you could do a stunt that someone else did, out of all the Jackass movies, which one would it be and why?

Chris Pontius: Honestly, the first thing that popped into my mind, strangely, was sticking the car up my butt.

I thought of that too, as soon as I said the question! I don't know why.

Chris Pontius: It was just one of the best bits ever. I'm just jealous of being in that funny of a bit.

Steve-O, you rejected that sketch, didn't you?

Steve-O: I did. I had spoken with my dad and explained that my plan was to do that, and I heard such disappointment in his voice that I backed out of it for that reason.

I know people have been asking you guys, but now that it's out and you've seen the reception, what do you think the likelihood is that we're getting yet another Jackass movie?

Chris Pontius: To be honest, every movie we've been told was the last movie, and the last movie - except for this one. So, I'm never thinking never. I think it's very likely that we'll work together again.

I think we're a family at this point, and we're stuck with each other. Hopefully, it won't be such a big gap in between. In some way, I think we have a future together, for sure.

I think most of us would say yes to starting tomorrow. It's so fun making Jackass movies. It's the funnest thing you can do, I think, if you like having fun.

Jackass Forever Synopsis

Jackass forever Johnny Knoxville Steve-O Machine Gun Kelly

Celebrate the joy of a perfectly executed shot to the groin as Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O and the rest of the gang return for another round of hilarious, wildly absurd and often dangerous displays of stunts and comedy.

Check out our Jackass Forever premiere interviews as well.