Who Died from ‘Jackass’?

Who died from Jackass? More than you’d think.

They Jackass casts pulls off dangerous stunts, but that’s not how most people from the show died. Several people on and associated with the MTV show and films died.

In addition to the original series, they’ve made six films thus far. Across the years, they’ve shown stunts with over 100 regular cast members and guest stars, including superfan Brad Pitt, among others. And a few guest stars died.

Death of Ryan Dunn & Zachary Hartwell from Jackass

Zachary Hartwell was a newlywed and Iraq veteran. He married Rachel Peazzoni Hartwell, and Ryan’s girlfriend was even a bridesmaid at their wedding.

Zachary crewed on the second Jackass movie. He and Ryan Dunn were out celebrating a new documentary project they’d planned together. The ride home, though, proved fatal.

West Goshen Township police reported Ryan Dunn’s car was going 132-140 mph when the Porsche hit the guard rail, crashed down into the woods, and the vehicle caught fire. The incident report presumed both men died on impact.

The police said Ryan’s blood-alcohol level was .196%, more than double the legal limit in PA but found “no drugs” in his system. They died June 20, 2011, in that auto accident.

The local chief of police, Michael Carroll, said it’s the “worst” car crash he’s seen. He’d “never seen a car destroyed in an automobile accident the way this car was”.

Ryan’s best friend, Bam Margera, said the notification of the crash was “the worst phone call I’ve ever gotten in my life”. Jackass star Johnny Knoxville said the “sadness is overwhelming” and called him a brother.

Initially, Zac’s dad said they wouldn’t sue because his son made the same mistakes as Ryan. But the following year, Hartwell’s wife and family sued Dunn’s estate for wrongful death.

And they sued the bar accusing them of overserving. MTV aired a one-hour tribute to Ryan Dunn on November 8, 2011. Dunn was 34 when he passed, and Hartwell was 30.

Who Died That Appeared on Jackass? Johnny Knoxville’s Mother & Father

Of all the people involved in the MTV series, a significant loss are the series co-creator’s parents. Lemoyne Clapp was the mother of PJ Clapp, aka Johnny Knoxville.

Johnny’s mother appeared in the intro saying “Welcome to Jackass” on Season 3, Episode 3, Office Chairs. It aired on December 17, 2001. She also got a “special thanks” on the episode.

She passed away 16 years later. Lemoyne Houck Clapp was born October 6, 1938, and she passed November 5, 2017, at age 79. Her husband, Johnny’s father, died a year later.

Johnny likely inherited his love of pranks from his father, Phil. His obituary said he loved to prank his employees at his tire company. He sent Ex-Lax milkshakes, VD clinic joke letters, and staged a mock gunfight at an office party.

Phil Clapp was born on January 31, 1935, and died on October 31, 2018. He was credited as a writer on the first Jackass movie. And he got thanks on an episode of the main series.

Johnny’s parents were proud of his antics and success, as they often said. And both their obituaries are chock-full of personality and read like they each had a wild streak. Those were big losses to the MTV series.

Who Died from Jackass?

The most notable obituary from the cast of the MTV franchise is that of star Ryan Dunn. He was among the original TV series cast. Ryan was also a noted actor and stuntman.

Ryan Dunn was also in the first three Jackass movies before he passed. He was Bam Margera’s longtime best friend and part of the skateboard crew CKY (Camp Kill Yourself).

Ryan had his own show, Homewrecker, and 14 acting credits for various shorts, TV series, and feature films. A friend of Ryan Dunn’s who partied with him on the night he died revealed what happened.

Thaddeus Kalinoski was out with Ryan at Barnaby’s Bar in Westchester, Pennsylvania. He said Ryan was downing whiskey shots plus beer. Over the years, Ryan Dunn accumulated more than 20 traffic offenses, including a DUI.

He tweeted the above photo the night of his death from the bar. Drinking with him was his close friend and Jackass production assistant, Zachary Hartwell. They hung out at the bar from about 9 pm to 2 am.

Then, Ryan got into his Porsche 911 GT3 with his pal Zachary to drive home. They never made it to Hartwell’s house. The crash occurred near Zac Hartwell’s home and was so loud, that his wife heard the clamor.

 

Which Jackass Guest Stars Passed Away?

In addition to Johnny Knoxville’s parents, Ryan Dunn and a production assistant, three guest stars from the franchise passed away.

Rip Taylor

The King of Confetti, Rip Taylor, was wild and hilarious. He appeared in the first three Jackass movies. Older readers will recognize Rip from 70s game shows like The Match Game, and Hollywood Squares.

You might not know this about the mustached wild man. He was a Korean war vet and served as a Congressional page. He began performing standup while serving in the military abroad.

His big break was a shot on The Ed Sullivan Show where he was the “crying comedian”. Younger readers will know Rip as the guy who triggered the end sequence of three Jackass movies.

He was born on January 13, 1931. After Rip Taylor died on October 6, 2019, Johnny Knoxville said the family of the MTV show “lost one of its own”. He added, “Confetti and kisses to you buddy, you will be missed.”

Rip Taylor died at Cedars Sinai Hospital after suffering a seizure at age 88.

Jackass 3D Actor Died

Stevie Lee Richardson

Jackass 3D star Stevie Lee Richardson passed away suddenly and “unexpectedly” at age 54. Stevie wrestled as “Puppet the Psycho Dwarf”. He was born with achondroplasia dwarfism but never let it limit his life. He wrestled on NWA: Total Nonstop Action.

Stevie created the reality series Half Pint Brawlers airing on Spike TV in 2010. He landed a role in the third Jackass film for a bar brawl scene. In that, Stevie fought Jason “Wee Man” Acuna.

Not only a wrestler, he was a motivational speaker who talked about growing up different. He credits his family for being loving and supportive. Stevie said that’s why he was “not afraid” to start relationships, work for himself, and live the life he wanted.

Stevie Lee passed at home on September 9, 2020. His family said, “he is a legend in the art of Midget Wrestling” and was “beloved by many [that] adored him.” Stevie Lee Richardson’s survived by his wife and two children.

Willie Garson

Most people recognize the talented Willie Garson as Stanford Blatch from Sex and the City. But he also had a role in Jackass Number Two. Garson and Johnny Knoxville were friends and he joked that the actor would tell him his house “was a pigsty”.

Willie did a stunt called Stun Gun Hot Potato where he, Johnny, Ryan Dunn, and Dave England tossed around an active and firing taser. Johnny Knoxville said of the four of them — Willie was the “toughest guy” in that stunt “by a mile”.

The beloved character actor lost his battle with pancreatic cancer on September 21, 2021, at age 57. Knoxville called Garson “a bright light” and wonderful person.” He said that “time spent with Willie was time spent laughing.”

Bam Margera’s Trouble — Uncle Vincent Margera Died

Another cast member that passed was related to Bam Margera. In the movie Jackass Forever, you may note that founding member Bam wasn’t featured. That’s because he was fired from the film for allegedly violating a sobriety contract.

Due to his past addiction struggles, producers required Bam Margera to sign a “wellness agreement” and submit to drug tests. He had to submit to three breathalyzer tests a day, two urine tests each week, and hair follicle tests.

Paramount Pictures hired a physician to oversee Bam taking his prescribed medications. Despite the precautions, he was fired. Margera admitted he’d tested positive for Adderall. A year after the firing he sued Paramount, MTV, Spike Jonze, and Knoxville, among others.

However — Bam’s not the death we’re reporting. That’s his Uncle Vincent Margera — known as “Don Vito.” He appeared on the original Jackass TV show. Also, Don Vito showed up on his nephew’s shows, Viva La Bam and Bam’s Unholy Union.

But his reality TV career ended with a conviction for molesting two teenage girls. As part of the ruling, he was barred from portraying himself as a reality character and was ordered to register as a sex offender.

Vincent was the older brother of Bam’s mom, April Margera, who’s often seen on the show and movies. She said her brother suffered from “kidney and liver issues.” Vincent Margera passed at age 59 at Chester County Hospital in PA.

Dead Jackass Fans Too?

In addition to a cast member, crew member and some guest stars dying, other deaths are associated with Jackass. Those are fans who try and replicate stunts seen on the show and movies — despite warnings not to do so.

In the first movie, skateboarder Ehren McGhehey was spun on a merry-go-round until he vomited. Unfortunately, two people perished trying to do their own versions of it.

Roberta “Bobbi” MacKinnon was on the playground device as her friends in Marysville, Washington, tied a rope to it and a pickup truck. Bobbi was thrown 75 feet and killed. Her grandmother said the audience watching the MTV show “doesn’t pay attention” to warnings.

Overseas, German daredevils, the Bavarian Dumbasses, also tried the stunt. They duct-taped Tobias to the merry-go-round. This happened in the Bavarian town of Oberviehbach. They were known for filming pranks.

A BMW pulled a rope tied to it and Tobias was flung into the street where he hit head first and died from a broken neck. The German police dismantled the playground equipment and took it as part of the investigation into his death.

A local who witnessed it said he “was lying there covered in blood — his neck was broken.” Other fans have been injured across the years trying to replicate the pranks seen on the MTV show.

To date, none of the cast and professionals in the Jackass show or movies have died while filming a stunt.