Here's why Jackass star Steve-O's voice sounds so raspy. Jackass debuted on MTV back in 2000 with the series following Johnny Knoxville and performers such as Steve-O, Jason "Wee Man" Acuña and Bam Margera as they performed any number of death-defying or just plain gross stunts. The series was controversial among politicians and parents fearful of younger viewers recreating the insanity onscreen - which arguably just made Jackass an even bigger success. Due to censorship issues with MTV, the series ended after three seasons.
That did little to stop the franchise, as it soon made an unlikely leap to the big screen with 2002's Jackass: The Movie. This spin-off was a huge success, and has spawned three direct Jackass movie sequels - including 2022's acclaimed Jackass Forever - and several offshoots like Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa, which attempted to add an actual storyline in between crazy stunts. Despite the controversy that dogged the series when it launched, Jackass has proven surprisingly robust and popular, which is likely down to the warmth and friendship between the main cast.
One of Jackass' most popular cast members is Steve-O, known for truly wince-inducing stunts such as putting a leech on his eyeball or the infamous porta-potty slingshot stunt from Jackass 3D. One of the most distinctive things about Steve-O is his voice, which is intensely gravely and raspy. Steve-O himself once believed his voice sounded that way due to his lifestyle, which included heavy drinking and drug use, in addition to stunts like chewing glass. However, in a video posted on his YouTube channel, Steve-O (who actually has refused certain stunts) explained that after becoming concerned about his voice's continued deterioration he went to visit a throat specialist and learned his voice is raspy because he uses his throat muscles to speak instead of his vocal cords.
This Steve-O video also shows that he has started practicing speaking with his vocal cords, including a brief clip of what he sounds like when speaking this way. Fans of Jackass or Steve-O's Wild Ride! podcast likely assumed, just as he did, his voice was owed to stunts like chewing and swallowing glass, rather than the fact he wasn't even using his vocal cords.
While Steve-O is working on retraining his voice, he also admitted he doesn't really want his voice to change, as it's a big part of his identity. That said, at least he - and his fans - now know why his voice is so raspy. While it seems Jackass Forever might be the end of the line for the crew, Knoxville has said he's still open to the possibility of another outing.