Johnny Knoxville

In one of the more non-traditional paths to stardom, Johnny Knoxville established a screen career by subjecting himself to humiliating, painful, and often dangerous stunts and pranks as creator and star of the MTV franchise "Jackass" (MTV, 2000-02). But it was Knoxville's comic energy and breezy slacker persona - rather than his sadomasochistic tendencies - that led to a film career. After he became a favorite with the teen crowd, he was cast in the lead in popular mainstream features like "The Dukes of Hazzard" (2005) and more offbeat indie fare like John Waters' "A Dirty Shame" (2004). His big screen spin-offs of "Jackass" continued to be solid performers at the box office, and with his fan base of rowdy teen boy imitators, swooning young ladies, and a peculiar bit of hip cache among sophisticates, Knoxville was hard to categorize but possessed undeniable appeal as a Hollywood personality.