Steve-O earned less than $1,500 for his entire first season on the groundbreaking series that launched his career to international prominence, the 52-year-old stuntman has revealed. In a recent interview, Steve-O disclosed the surprisingly modest compensation he received despite the show’s soaring popularity and strong ratings for the network.The revelation is particularly striking because Steve-O was homeless and unemployed when the series premiered on October 1, 2000. “Before the show came out, my sister kicked me out of the house. I was broke, unemployed, and homeless, and a star on this big show,” he said to Playboy magazine, highlighting the cruel irony of his situation.
The shocking reality of season 1 compensation
Steve-O’s pay was calculated on a per-stunt basis rather than per episode, which he characterised as “comical.” After five days of filming, during which he was bitten by a shark and suffered multiple injuries, he wrote down what he expected to be paid. For the shark bite that left a scar on his finger, he received $500.
