
Actor, producer, and television host Johnny Knoxville feels harder than a turnbuckle about being Conan O’Brien’s friend. Johnny sits down with Conan to discuss how he began producing stunt videos as a means to support his family, hare-brained ideas from the upcoming fifth Jackass film, and how hosting Fear Factor instilled in him a strange new kind of empathy. Plus, Conan grills Sona and David Hopping about their least favorite tasks as his assistants. For Conan videos, tour dates and more visit TeamCoco.com. Got a question for Conan? Call our voicemail: (669) 587-2847.
Loading summary
Conan O'Brien
With the US Bank Smartly Visa Signature Card, you earn an unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase. No quarterly activations, no categories to Track, just unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase. Okay, I'm telling you right now, someone out there just laid down some money for something, right? And they didn't get 2% cash back.
Sona Movsesian
Idiots.
Johnny Knoxville
Fools.
Sona Movsesian
Yeah. Fools.
Conan O'Brien
Fools.
Sona Movsesian
Yeah.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah. Visit usbank.com smartlycard to learn more. The creditor and issuer of this card is U.S. bank National association pursuant to a license from Visa USA Inc. Some restrictions may apply. The best B2B marketing gets wasted on the wrong people. Man, this tears me up. So when you want to reach the right professionals, use LinkedIn ads. LinkedIn has grown to a network of over 1 billion professionals, including 130 million decision makers. Hmm, I wonder if I'm one of those. That's why LinkedIn has the biggest B2B ROAs of all online ad networks. Spend $250 on your first campaign on LinkedIn ads and get a free $250 credit for the next one. Pretty good deal. Just go to LinkedIn.comconan that's LinkedIn.comconan Terms and conditions apply.
Johnny Knoxville
Hello, my name is Johnny Knoxv. I feel harder than a turnbuckle about being Conan o' Brien's friend.
Conan O'Brien
You know what? I think you just may have had the best one ever.
Johnny Knoxville
Would you prefer harder than a folding chair? Because I can switch.
Conan O'Brien
I like turnbuckle. It's got a nice. It's really poetic. And I want that on my gravestone. Harder than a turnbuckle and soon
Johnny Knoxville
fall
Sona Movsesian
is here Hear the yell Back to
Conan O'Brien
school Ring the bell Brand new shoes
Sona Movsesian
Walking loose Climb the fence Books and pens I can tell that we are
Conan O'Brien
gonna be friends
Johnny Knoxville
Yes, I can tell
Conan O'Brien
that we are gonna be friends hey there. Welcome to Conan o' Brien Needs a Friend. Joined by Sonamusian. And Matt Gourley, still out on a parental leave, has a brand new baby. Very excited for him and for his wife Amanda. He's got two girls now, which is just lovely. And David hopping, filling in for him. David, good to have you here again.
David Hopping
Thank you. Happy to be here.
Conan O'Brien
Nice to see you. David. You love your reality television. You just love it. Yeah, expl. Because David loves the show Traitors. And so I checked out the new season of Traitors because someone I knew was a contestant on the show and I thought, I just want to see what this is like. And I've seen it before, but I don't know what the strategy is on A show like that. I was watching Traitors and I thought, isn't it? They all act like, oh, I'm going to really practice my wiles and my expertise and I'm going to win the game. And I think it's not like chess.
Johnny Knoxville
Yeah.
Conan O'Brien
It looks like people are just doing stuff, but I don't really see a strategy. And then they get voted off or not. Yeah, that feels kind of random. Am I wrong?
David Hopping
You're supposed. They're supposed to, like, really be, like, paying attention to people. Like, to slip up. Like, if Sona's a traitor, I'm, like, really watching to see if she messes up and gives me any clue that she's the person going and meeting at night to, like, kill people in the castle.
Conan O'Brien
Well, here's why I watch. I watch because Alan Cummings saying the word murder, that is what keeps me coming back. And he says it. I mean, he must know it's working for him because his outfits are fantastic. They're just wonderful. But. And he's just chewing scenery left and right in the most delicious way. But he manages to say murder maybe every other sentence.
Johnny Knoxville
Yeah.
Conan O'Brien
You know, and it's so. That's fun. And then people are doing stuff, like they're running around and you've got a. Put this cantaloupe on top of that gravestone. Oh, no, not on that gravestone. And it doesn't seem to. I try to figure out what it's all about, and I don't know.
Sona Movsesian
I don't watch it.
Conan O'Brien
What are you. What reality shows are you obsessed with Sona?
Sona Movsesian
You know what? I'm not watching reality right now. I'm watching. I. I'm. I'm in the. I. I just like. I like horny shows. That's what I do. I'm sorry, and you knew that about me.
Conan O'Brien
Heated rivalry.
Sona Movsesian
Well, yeah. Now I'm watching the new season of Tell Me Lies. David and I talked about that.
Conan O'Brien
I don't know what that is.
Sona Movsesian
Of course you don't.
Johnny Knoxville
How is it?
Conan O'Brien
Horny?
Sona Movsesian
No, it's. It's horny. There's. There's like sexy people sexing and so I like it.
Conan O'Brien
Is it full nudity?
Sona Movsesian
No. Like, do you see things?
Conan O'Brien
No, no, but just like.
Sona Movsesian
Yeah, it is, actually.
Conan O'Brien
It's like soft core, kind of.
Sona Movsesian
Not soft core. No, not so it's like, with, you know, there's stuff. There's. You could see it, but you can't see it.
Johnny Knoxville
Yeah.
Conan O'Brien
You see the occasional. But maybe a half boob.
Adam
Yeah.
Sona Movsesian
Oh, my God, you're getting really into
Conan O'Brien
like can you draw what you see? Oh my God. You just draw it for.
Sona Movsesian
You can watch it. You're an adult man. If you want to watch it, you can.
Conan O'Brien
Sometimes my pries stops by. Avert your gaze, Father McNulty.
Sona Movsesian
Oh my God.
Conan O'Brien
So reality shows.
Johnny Knoxville
Yeah.
Conan O'Brien
What is your. What's your go to reality show? Is, is it Traders or no Big?
David Hopping
I would say Big Brother than Traders, which I know Blay watches and Adam,
Conan O'Brien
you're a big brother. I've never love Big Brother.
Adam
I like Traders too.
David Hopping
Yeah.
Adam
Here's what I love about Big Brother, which is it's in a house. The idea is it's people who are sequestered in a house and they don't get to see another person, period. Like none of the producers, they see all the camera people are behind one way mirrors and it's watching 18 people slowly lose their mind over the course of a season because the house is very big and it's made for 18 people. But people get voted out every week. So when it gets down like to like six people in a house full of four, 18 people and they haven't talked to anyone else for like months, it is insane.
Conan O'Brien
Would you agree with that assessment, Adam?
Adam
I would, I also there's something really comforting about it. It's on three nights a week during the summer when like a lot of the big sports are off season.
Johnny Knoxville
Yeah.
Adam
And it's. It would be considered boring at times. It's people sitting around whispering, like on couches, whispering about strategy. But there's just something kind of passive and enjoyable.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah. It's better than talking to your loved ones or reading a really good moving book. No judgment. Yeah.
Adam
They also have a thing called Big Brother After Dark and they have all these camera feeds where you could just when they're not on the show, you could just watch unfiltered. And I used to put those on and work out when they were working out in the house. Yeah. Like I had a friend. Cause I live alone.
Conan O'Brien
Can I just say, first of all, it's just for voyeurs, I think. And in my day you had to go out and do your own peeping. And I think that's one of the things we've lost in America is you had to go into someone else's yard and you had to hang around near the shrubs and then peek in through their windows and hope that someone was undressing and. But that's the kind of stuff that I thought really was the fiber of this country, the backbone. Yeah. I peeped all through my teens, my twenties, my thirties, I leered, I ogled, I peered occasionally. And those were things that. Those taught me valuable life skills. And now people were just, oh, I don't have to do that. I don't have to even leave my house. I left my house wandering at night to try and find houses that were brightly lit, where people were possibly undressing. Maybe on the first floor, or if it's on the second floor. I had to go up a drainpipe. This is stuff that taught me to be resilient.
Adam
You really had to put the work in.
Conan O'Brien
I got my arm and hand strength from climbing up the sides of houses. And then policemen would show up and they'd say, hey, we've got a peeper. And then I had to haul ass. I had to scurry down, and I had to run. And that old cherry top would come after her. Wee oo, wee oo, wee oo. And they would say, peeper, peeper, stand still. And I had to run. I had to really run and run and run. And then I'd get home and my mother would say, how'd the peep and go? My mother would say, how'd the. Now, how do we have the peep and go tonight? Oh, no. And I'd say, meh, I got chased by the fuzz. And she'd say, ah, have a fried ham. And so, you know, I'd chow down. And that's just how things were in my mind.
David Hopping
So now we can just put on Paramount.
Conan O'Brien
Plus, you ever do any peeping there, Eduardo? Back in my day, yeah.
Johnny Knoxville
No. No.
Conan O'Brien
Never, never, never.
Sona Movsesian
No, don't play along with this.
Conan O'Brien
Anyone here want to join me on this? People, you're the only peeper.
David Hopping
You're the only peeper.
Conan O'Brien
I'd peep to the right, I'd peep to the left. I was really good. I used to not be able to go to the left, but then I learned how.
Sona Movsesian
Oh, good goals.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah.
Johnny Knoxville
Anywho, happy for you.
Conan O'Brien
I'm a good peeper. I just love seeing Peeper. Now today's guest co creative.
Sona Movsesian
Oh, God.
Conan O'Brien
And stars in the MTV series Jackass. This guy would appreciate my peeping past. I know he would. Now you can see him hosting the Fox series Fear Factor, House of Fear. And he just announced that a fifth Jackass movie is on the way. That's good news. Later this year. We're thrilled he's here. Johnny Knoxville, welcome. I've always been an admirer of yours, and you, you are a have a special place in my heart because in another lifetime. You were on an episode of the late night show that we then decided to turn into Claymation. And so. And it was an episode where I think you were the first guest and you were great. And so it all happens in Claymation later on. And then I think Richard Lewis comes out and starts talking about Shaq's penis.
Johnny Knoxville
Just goes off the rails. It was wonderful.
Conan O'Brien
It was wonderful. And he goes off the rails. And at one point, I stand. This is in the real show. I stand and I say, walk with me, Johnny. Because he's going on this long. He says he saw Shaq's penis and he's describing it. And I walk with you, and I put my arm around your shoulder, and you and I walk to the fake window and look out at the fake window while Richard Lewis is still talking about Shaq's penis. And then this all happened in Claymation, which made me so happy because I'm like, walk with me, Johnny. And it's not good Claymation.
Johnny Knoxville
And David Bowie's there, and I think he was on the couch. I don't know if Richard Lewis starts going off in front of him.
Conan O'Brien
I don't remember. It's all a blur.
Johnny Knoxville
Yeah, I. Because that's the first time. It's the first time, I think maybe the only time I met David Bowie. And it was like, this is one of the best nights. Because after we filmed, you're like, wow, that was good.
Conan O'Brien
We wanted to do a claymation episode, but we wanted a really great episode that would be visual and funny to see in Claymation. And then that was the episode we decided, oh, it's not gonna get better than that. And then it was so much fun. But there were so many times, the weirdest times I'll, like, be brushing my teeth and I'll hear, walk with me, Johnny. You and I go into the window to look out. So weird. But you've always been. You're always an amazing guest and a true. True to your oeuvre, your work, a real showman. You know, it's just. And so I wanted to start with. I don't do this with every guest. But you have such a fascinating career arc. Do you know what I mean? Just absolutely fascinating.
Johnny Knoxville
Why'd you do quotations when you said career, Conan?
Conan O'Brien
Son of a. I'm including myself in there, too. No, I've. No one sets out to have a career the way that you have. And it's. I just think there's so much that's brilliant about it. Well, thank you. And then you're so effing likable, you know, and you've. So you ride that all along, too. That is kind of your, I think, your secret sauce. But how does one even begin to become a Johnny Knoxville?
Johnny Knoxville
Well, you don't go to college, that's for sure. And you get on the 10 West.
Conan O'Brien
Okay, step one, if you're listening, don't go to college, then get on the 10 West.
Adam
Yeah.
Conan O'Brien
And you're.
Johnny Knoxville
You're fast. Faster and disaster.
Adam
That's.
Johnny Knoxville
That's how you do it.
Conan O'Brien
And you started making these videos on your own. Right? This is. We're going back to what, in the late 90s?
Adam
Yes.
Johnny Knoxville
What happened was, honestly, I moved out to Los Angeles to become an actor just two months or maybe a month after high school. Didn't do a lot, you know, Right. For five, six years. And then my then girlfriend got pregnant and I'm like, oh, I have to do something quick because I. That's the most frightened I've ever been because I had a little girl on the way and I'm waiting tables and I'm like, I got to do something quick. So I was living next to Anne Tuan Fuqua in this duplex, and he set me up with this casting agent who got me a commercial agent. And I started writing for magazines and like, my version of participatory journalism, like Hunter S. Thompson, type of. Yeah. I was like, how about if I. My one of my first articles was, how about if I test self defense equipment on myself? I was, I was just. That was my best guess at how to support a family. And it was all out of fear of how to support. How to support a little girl. Honestly, I think you describe that leap
Conan O'Brien
as if it's an honest, natural progression, you know, well, a kid's on the way and I better, you know, start to get serious here. It's time to test almost defensive.
Johnny Knoxville
Time to shoot myself in the chest while wearing a bulletproof vest. That'll provide security.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah. So you start doing it and then you start making videos.
Johnny Knoxville
Well, when the only magazine, like a few magazines around town wanted that article, but none of them, they wanted treated as a negative pickup. Come see us after you're done and then we'll. The only magazine who would help me, like, buy the stun gun, the taser gun. I bought the bulletproof vest with money my mom gave me for Christmas that year, was the editor of Big Brother magazine, Jeff Tremaine, who is now the director of Jackass. And he had a skateboarding magazine owned by Larry Flint that That's. And right before I was writing, I said, how about if I write the article? And Jeff goes, why don't you film it at the same time? And they. For our skate video. I'm like, okay. And that's what happened. And of course, I went to the. He's like, I'll have Dimitri go with you to film it. Who's now the director of photography of Jackass. Right. And I pull up that morning, and I'm like, get in. And he goes, here's the camera. This is play. This is pause. It's got film in it. I'm like, you're not shooting it? He's like, no. Cause there's a gun involved. He didn't want.
Conan O'Brien
Didn't want to be there.
Johnny Knoxville
Nobody wanted to be there.
Conan O'Brien
No one wants to be there. Yeah.
Johnny Knoxville
So that's why the camera works so shaky with that.
Conan O'Brien
So you start making these things, and then you get a chance to make a show for mtv. And I didn't know this. At the same moment that you have this deal to make a show, and you're about to make the show out of nowhere, you get this offer from Lorne Michaels at Saturday Night Live.
Johnny Knoxville
Yeah. And I never heard that nothing was happening in my life, like, two or three months before. You know, I mean, the wonderful things with the family and the kid, but professionally, nothing. And then it's like, I have a TV show. We're about to shoot the pilot for mtv, and then, like you said, Lorne Michaels comes calling, and we go meet at the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel, where Fear and Loathing beat did begin. And it was a lot, you know, because I had no gigs before this. And he's offering me a spot, like five minutes on Saturday Night Live each week.
Conan O'Brien
Not to do characters and things like that.
Johnny Knoxville
No, to do what I do, like, make a video each week. And it was a. I had to. I really seriously considered it, but I ended up thinking I would go on there. I'm not gonna have any creative control whatsoever. And I'm about to do this other thing with me and my friends, and I'd rather. Where I have all the control, and I'd rather bet on us than enter into that. And would probably. I'd been lucky to be on Saturday Night Live, but I chose that.
Conan O'Brien
No, I mean, obviously. You sure. You certainly didn't make the wrong move there. And you got to be the master of your own universe by doing Jackass, as opposed to being a small piece of a show where you have very less. Sometimes we're not going to air your piece tonight. It didn't make it. Or, you know, we're going to hold on to that or so. So that was the right thing to do.
Johnny Knoxville
Well, I didn't think so. When the pilot, while we're shooting the pilot, it got shut down and I'm. Oh, man, we're canceled. It's. This is not even making it to the air now.
Conan O'Brien
Why was it shut down?
Johnny Knoxville
We were filming a bit in West Hollywood at this hardware store which I think is a restaurant now. Laurel Hardware.
Conan O'Brien
It's both. You can get hardware and food. Great, great. I have the steak chart and the rake. I'll have the rake as well.
Johnny Knoxville
And I walked in, my face was all dirty in a prison orange jumpsuit, and I was handcuffed. And I was trying to get them to help me. Saw the handcuffs all. They cleared out the place. Everyone was scared. And I realized at one point I'm out there on the saw section sawing, and there's no. Not even my cameraman are around like,
Conan O'Brien
well, shit, I love that you're. You're doing. You're committing to the bit and there's no camera.
Johnny Knoxville
At one point, I'm sawing and it goes right on my wrist. And it was very close to like. So then I heard the cops coming. I'm like, well, I better get outside because that's where the cameras are. And I run outside and right as like three or four carloads of cops are pulling up and the first lady on the scene, she gets out of her car, tells me, get on the ground. And I abide by what she's saying, but she didn't put her car in park. And it runs right into a telephone pole in front of me. And I'm on the ground, you can hear me go, oh, no. Cause now they're mad. MTV couldn't shoot in West Hollywood for over 10 years after that because we didn't have a permit. We didn't know you permitted to shoot these things.
Conan O'Brien
You didn't have a permit.
Johnny Knoxville
We didn't know what a permit was.
Conan O'Brien
That's so fantastic. You know, you are giving credence to this idea that I've had for a long time, which is that if a camera's going, I will do things that I won't do otherwise. And so in a jackass kind of way, I have always. If there's a camera rolling, I'll say, and there's a potential for people to be laughing.
Johnny Knoxville
Yes.
Conan O'Brien
And for it to be recorded, I will do things that otherwise I'D say, oh, no, I'd rather not. I eat bugs. I mean, we'll talk about Fear Factor, but all the stuff you guys do in Fear Factor, I lose common sense if I think there's a potential that people would see it and laugh. But you're talking about situations where you're invoking, the police are coming, people have guns, and they can very justifiably let you say, a guy in an orange jumpsuit came running out of the hardware store and I discharged my weapon. And then it's like, oh, that's too bad for that guy making a pilot.
Johnny Knoxville
Well, that's what the lady told me afterwards, the female policeman, she goes, if you would have just moved a few inches while you were on the ground, like I was going to get away, I would have just put a bullet in your ear. And I'm like, well, I'm glad I kind of just laid there.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah, yeah.
Johnny Knoxville
And I said, is this the weirdest call you ever had? And they said, no. One time a guy was on PCP at the top of a palm tree buck naked and slid all the way down. Yeah.
Conan O'Brien
Shit.
Johnny Knoxville
Which we tried to convince one of the cast guys to do, but no one was up for it.
Conan O'Brien
That is either extremely painful or an erotic thrill. No, no. Okay.
Johnny Knoxville
But the laughter thing you're talking about, I don't know how to write to make, like, wow, what would America think? Funny. That would make me freeze. And. But so with Jackass, if I only know how to make my friends laugh, and if they're laughing, probably we're good. But if they're not laughing, we're probably shooting again.
Conan O'Brien
Man. Tax time, tax season. It's stressful.
Sona Movsesian
Yeah, it is.
Conan O'Brien
And the old way of doing taxes was such a pain. That gave you a shoebox with your receipts. Yep. You're scared, you're nervous, you're like, when did I buy this? You know the April 15th tax deadline will be here before you know it. It's coming fast. Doing taxes used to mean sitting in a waiting room, handing over a pile of papers, and then staring across a desk for hours while someone berates you.
Sona Movsesian
Yeah.
Conan O'Brien
You've run your life terribly. I'm sorry, dad. Or finally what? Or finally finding an expert. My dad always did my taxes. Or finally finding an expert. But their only appointments are weeks out and right in the middle of your work. This year brings a major upgrade. Intuit TurboTax now has in person locations nationwide. You can walk into a tech enabled TurboTax location near you and meet face to face with a Real tax expert and have your tax documents Uploaded to your TurboTax app on the spot. Hey, we're always hearing about the future. It's here. Just like that, you're done. Your new TurboTax expert stays back and works tirelessly to get you every dollar you deserve while you get real time notifications. As you go about your day, head to turbotax.com to find a store location near you and get matched with a TurboTax expert with real time updates in the iOS app. You know, there are days that the travel perks that you get with T Mobile really come in handy. But then there are days that you just want to embrace couch life. And you love you some couch life.
Sona Movsesian
Loves me some couch life.
Conan O'Brien
And without ever leaving the house, T Mobile still has you covered. Find plans including Netflix plus deals on DoorDash. The more benefits you use, the more value you get. I mean, why go anywhere when you can get your favorite takeout, binge a show and brag to all your friends? You won't believe what I'm not doing tonight. That's a brag. When you get to hang out on your couch and live life at its most supreme.
Sona Movsesian
It's so comfortable.
Adam
I have T Mobile. It's great. And I always like to watch those survival shows. And I like to get meat. So like a steak and then like a survival show.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah. And then the monster's eating the person you like. The meat monster.
Adam
Exactly.
Conan O'Brien
You're a sick guy. Check it out@t mobile.com Magenta Status Wow. Receive Netflix standard with ads while you maintain a qualifying line in good standing. See dashpass details in the tealife app. I'm under the gun all the time. Would you say so Sona? Yeah. Constant, constant, constant.
Sona Movsesian
Yeah.
Conan O'Brien
Everyone wants a piece of their conesy woansy. So when you're crunched for time and you want something wholesome, someone's gonna give you some energy.
Adam
Yeah.
Conan O'Brien
Nutrigrain delivers nutrition and great taste. No trade offs required. Nutri Nutrigrain's made with 10 grams of whole grains, 10 vitamins and minerals, and no high fructose corn syrup. It's the hardworking snack that fits into real life. Portable con. Portable. It's a portable snack. Perfect grab and go option for busy days. Nutrigrain has flavors people generally love. Hey, you got your strawberry, apple, cinnamon, blueberry flavors that are familiar and new. Nutrigrain Crunchy brings you the go to snacking option. This is what you want to do. Like here at Team Cocoa, we're slammed all the time. Grab that Nutrigrain bar, take a chomperoo, and you're ready to go.
Adam
Apple cinnamon flavor is my favorite.
Conan O'Brien
No one asked, okay?
Adam
Okay.
Conan O'Brien
Find nutritious and always delicious Nutri Grain bars at your favorite store. Why don't you go shovel some papers, buddy boy? Or online retailer today and look for new Nutri Grain Crunchy bars in a store near you. There's Jackass itself, then. And it's not always you doing the stunts. Obviously, you get your friends so that you could, it seems to me, like, distribute the pain and injury.
Johnny Knoxville
Yes.
Conan O'Brien
So that it's, you know, and it's a huge sensation. And then Jackass, the movie, I remembered seeing that and just being. Cause I remember thinking, how do they do this now? Cause, you know, the TV show has so many sort of iconic moments. How do you do a movie? And I thought you guys made great decisions when you made that movie.
Johnny Knoxville
Oh, thank you.
Conan O'Brien
You know, and I don't know what. Because you upped the ante a little bit, but you also have, like, production and. You know what I mean? It's not just the show. It's sort of on steroids and more presentational. I don't. What was the thinking behind the movie?
Johnny Knoxville
Well, the thinking behind the movie was we did. They called it three seasons of Jackass, but it was 24 episodes and over a series of nine, 10 months. And we had, unfortunately, a couple of copycat incidences. And it was an election year, and Joseph Lieberman came down on Hollywood. That was his big platform. And me personally in MTV because of that.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah.
Johnny Knoxville
So it became impossible to do Jackass. Right. We had all these safety OSHA guys on the set. You can't jump off anything more than four feet. And. And I felt like, this doesn't feel right. What we do is really silly. Right. But it. It means something to me. So I'm like, I think this is the end. And so I gave an interview to my hometown newspaper and said, I quit.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah.
Johnny Knoxville
And everyone was kind of surprised because I just. Just went rogue. So there was a lot of heat back and forth. MTV was upset because I was under contract. Yada, yada, yada. A lot of back and forth. Finally, idea for a movie was floated, and Jeff and Spike came to me and said, well, how about if we just do a movie instead? I'm like, like, the idiot I am. I'm like, like, who's gonna play us? And they're like, no, no, you idiot.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah. Yeah. Yes.
Johnny Knoxville
Is it a love.
Conan O'Brien
Is it a love story?
Johnny Knoxville
A naughty version of the TV show. I'm like, okay, got it. You know, so that I was a little confused, as I often am, but
Conan O'Brien
I felt like there was a time when south park made a movie and I thought, well, this traditionally when TV shows make a movie, for many years it was the rule that it's a bad idea. You know what I mean? Justin and Kelly, okay, Almost always a bad idea.
Sona Movsesian
That's the first one that popped into your head.
Conan O'Brien
Justin Guarini was just here.
Johnny Knoxville
I'm not the butcher sky to come along the block.
Conan O'Brien
Well, anyway, great poll, by the way. But you know, I remember like south park made a movie and it turned out like, oh, yes, excellent. And then you guys made a movie and it felt like this time when people were making the right call and it was actually translating. Oh, thank you. I'm curious. You know, I think about. There was whatever 30 years or 28 years there where I was doing a show and always saying yes to things. Cause I thought it would be funny. And I got tossed by a water buffalo once and fell onto, up into the air and fell onto hard concrete and it wow. I jumped on a water buffalo when that was not what I was supposed to do. And all my common sense went away. And I think about that all the time now. I'm thinking about your life where you have a montage playing in your head of things you did where probably halfway through you thought, this is a terrible idea, but I'm gonna do it anyway. Way.
Johnny Knoxville
Well, it's like, this is a terrible idea. I'm so glad I'm doing it. We're about to get footage and by the way, I've always wanted to get hit by a water buffalo. So I'm envious. I'm sitting there like, oh,
Conan O'Brien
I'm, I'm glad that you look up to me that way. So are there things that stand out to you now that you are this silver haired, wise, you know, patrician? Are there things that stand out to you now where you go like, oh my God, that was a terrible idea.
Johnny Knoxville
I, I don't know.
Conan O'Brien
Do you have any regrets at all? Like, I wish I hadn't done that one.
Johnny Knoxville
Well, yeah, I mean, we, we're, we've been going back, looking through some old bits and you're like, oh, that, that. But not like anything for my physical safety, just because, you know, they all can't be hits. So then, then I'm like, oh man, we just. Even watching the, the first movie, it's, it's almost first Jackass movie. It's so tame into what it became and which. But I don't regret any of that. It's just what it was. And, like, watching myself do pranks and. And I just. I watch it and just go, why did I do that? Course of action? Why couldn't I have pivoted into the.
Conan O'Brien
Well, we all do that.
Johnny Knoxville
I just like to beat myself up a little.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah, we all do that. We all look at past work we've done and have regrets. But for you, it might be, why did I light myself on fire?
Johnny Knoxville
I mean, the tube is out of the tube Conan. I can't do anything about it now, so I'm all right with everything.
Conan O'Brien
That's good. Are you in pain? Do you walk around in constant pain?
Johnny Knoxville
Sometimes, But I'm not. It's not even a joke. I'm not really in touch with my body, so I can just kind of deal with whatever. Yeah.
Conan O'Brien
It's funny you say that, because my least favorite question is, if I go to a doctor or something and they say, now, how does it feel? And I go, I don't know. I just want to get to the grave, you know? Like, I hate when they're telling me, you know, or whatever, you get a massage, and they're like, now, how does this feel? I'm like, I don't know. Leave me alone. I'm trying to get through life. You know what I mean? I have that kind of feeling. And so when you said that, I was electrified.
Johnny Knoxville
Yeah. Yeah. It's like I just. I don't know. I did this to myself. So what am I gonna do?
Conan O'Brien
Yeah.
Johnny Knoxville
I'm not gonna complain to anyone. It's just. That's what it is.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah, that's true. I hadn't thought of that. Most people that walk around like, oh, man, my hip. What happened? Oh, you know, just all those years of working at the plant, and for you it's. Well, I strapped myself to a rocket and had it fired into a concrete wall. You know, like Wile E. Coyote.
Adam
Yeah.
Conan O'Brien
And it's hard to be like, oh, man, that's tough.
Johnny Knoxville
Yeah. What happened? I know exactly what happened.
Conan O'Brien
We have footage. We have six cameras.
Johnny Knoxville
I can it.
Conan O'Brien
Wow. Yeah. I mean, it's incredible. It's so interesting to me, too, that you've referenced Hunter S. Thompson a couple of times. Someone I had the honor of getting to interview, I think, twice. And your interest early on in writing. Do you know what I mean? Those are things that I feel very connected to. And Hunter S. Thompson was someone who put his entire. Himself and his body and his sanity, he poured it all into his work. And it's fascinating to me that in a way, you are in that vein. Do you know what I mean? You're saying, okay, here's my body and I'm gonna put all of it into what I do, and it's gonna go through this grinder, but that is my work.
Johnny Knoxville
Yeah, that was my best guess, you know, honestly. And I love Hunter. You know, I, like, two books, kind of change my life early on. Like on the Road by Jack Garrett. We're in a bar with my cousin and he hands me the book. And I just. I didn't know people lived like that. And it was. You know, I'm a small town in Tennessee. Everyone lives there, stays there.
David Hopping
And.
Johnny Knoxville
And then I read Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas when I was 19 and. And I felt like I didn't know anyone could write like this and be so free. And after that, I was useless, you know, it's like my path was set, I guess.
Conan O'Brien
That's so funny. Those are time in your life. I think I had just moved out to LA22, and I'm just only reading, you know, Fear and Loathing books. And it just spoke to me. Not that I, in my life matched that in any way, but it takes you over in a way that, you know, at my age now, I don't know that it would. I'd like it, but it wouldn't. It wouldn't inhabit me the same way.
Johnny Knoxville
And like, in actuality, if you're living like that, or your friends living like that, it's so fucking exhausting to be around. You know, I've had some friends who just. I mean, Steve O, he was off the rails, just doing the worst drugs you can get your hands on. Pcp. Those nitrous canisters, there would be. It would be a sea of nitrous canisters at his feet. And it was exhausting. I mean, he'll tell you it was exhausting, but I mean, now he's like, he's doing great. He's been sober for well over. We put him away in 2008, so 17 years or so.
Conan O'Brien
That's incredible. Good for him.
Johnny Knoxville
Yeah. So, I mean, and people ask me, well, would you say something about bravery? I'm like, that's bravery. Like, he has to face that dragon every morning. And he does, and he's doing great. And I'm really proud of him.
Conan O'Brien
It is the most impressive thing I see people do is. And it's just amazing that you can Give yourself another chapter like that where it's like, Steve O. Can I get you anything?
Johnny Knoxville
Maybe.
Conan O'Brien
Do you have hibiscus tea?
Johnny Knoxville
It takes you four seconds to stand in front of a bull.
Adam
But he's.
Johnny Knoxville
He has to do something like this every year. Face bulls all day long.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah, yeah. Do you ever get. When you're with all those guys and you guys together, are together. Do you ever have the thing of guys. Keep it down. You know? You know, it's. It's. It. You know what I mean? We're not that anymore. Keep it down. I. I don't want to make too much noise tonight or I gotta get to bed. It's 9:15.
Johnny Knoxville
I don't even. I wouldn't even know how to go about trying to quiet them down. You know, it's just.
Conan O'Brien
You can try tranquilizer.
Johnny Knoxville
Yeah. I think everyone becomes worse in those situations if someone tries to.
Conan O'Brien
Yes.
Johnny Knoxville
Yeah, I don't think I ever do that. Well, here we go. When the cameras are off, especially early on, it was way worse than when the cameras are on.
Conan O'Brien
Is that true?
Johnny Knoxville
Oh, it was, yeah. Very. They're very excitable.
Conan O'Brien
It's like you're talking about gremlins or don't get them wet, you know?
Johnny Knoxville
Yeah, don't get them wet with whiskey. Cause they're very excitable.
Conan O'Brien
It's funny you brought up. Safety coordinators are people that are there to make sure that everyone's behaving properly. Yeah. The times that I've been on a set where I had to do the most tame thing, literally the most tame thing, like go through the ceiling of the show, the office, and land on a desk that's just like three feet below me on Dwight Schrute's desk. And just. It's just like a little drop down at the time I'm doing it. I'm 40 and I'm just throwing myself around all the time because I'm a big kid and someone's there like, let's talk. This is. Let's walk through this. Now we're going to hold your body in six different places and slowly. Yeah, You gotta buy me dinner first. And then they're gonna. Slowly. And then we've made the desk out of a special foam. And I'm like, guys, I grew up in a big family and all we did was toss each other off of staircases. And that is my way of. You know, most times I have a comedy idea, the first thing I want to do is pretend to punch somebody. And then I'm thrown through a Glass window. I like that kind of stuff. It's fun. And I think I am not body aware in the way that I'm going to do something still at some point because I just think I'm having fun and I'm being funny and I'm goofing around and I'm gonna Forget that I'm 85 years old.
Johnny Knoxville
Are you guys picking. Are you auditioning for the new Jackass movie?
Conan O'Brien
Well, I have to say I am.
Johnny Knoxville
My name's Conan o'.
Conan O'Brien
Brien. You know what? I would, I would do it, but
Johnny Knoxville
it's just him falling out of bed.
Conan O'Brien
No, I think I would do it.
Adam
Yeah. Yes.
Conan O'Brien
A big stunt for me is behaving myself in a crowded theater. No, I, I swear to God, there is a wish fulfillment with me. That's why I'm. I get so excited and I used to. I'm obviously a big fan of yours and the stuff that you guys were doing and there was. There's always been part of me. It's funny to me. It's the yin and the yang. I am very cerebral and cautious and all of those things. And then there's the flip side of it where I kind of like it, where I'm not in control. It's a relief from the other guy.
Johnny Knoxville
Yeah, yeah, I'm. I'm cautious with my kids. Right. I'm like, oh, but that's so funny. I was never. I was like a. Hell, I'm a total helicopter parent when they were little. Like, I'm the guy underneath the.
Conan O'Brien
That's hilarious.
Johnny Knoxville
The monkey bars, trying to like make sure they don't fall.
Conan O'Brien
Just you lecturing at 19 year olds. Now listen, I want you to have your head. Heads trapped on right tonight and you have like a. You have an andiron sticking through your skull.
Johnny Knoxville
A bicycle?
Conan O'Brien
Are you kidding me? A bicycle? No way. You're gonna wear seven helmets. I love all of that. That's fantastic.
Johnny Knoxville
I know.
Sona Movsesian
I do too.
Conan O'Brien
Well, I wanna tell you, we had. They let me watch the new Fear Factor. They gave us a link to it and I was really enjoying it. And I have to say, getting you as the host was a stroke of genius on somebody's part.
Johnny Knoxville
Yes, I'm very happy. I had a lot of fun, but I mean, it's not too much of a pivot from what Jackass was. Except I can't go at these people like I do my.
Conan O'Brien
You're dealing with civilians here.
Johnny Knoxville
Yes.
Conan O'Brien
And these people have pride, a sense of self esteem. They want to live in society. They can use Tools to make other tools. They hunt and gather, walk on their hind legs. They wish to procreate. Yeah. So they. No, it's fun because I also love that you get to be around it. And it's really fun that they're doing all of this stuff and you're there wearing one of these fantastic polo sweaters.
Johnny Knoxville
Oh, thank you. My wife was my costumer, Emily, so thank you.
Conan O'Brien
But you're always there, like, ah, enjoy. And you become the Ricardo Montalban on Fantasy Island. You know, it's like, you don't have to break a sweat. And you're like, all of you get into the giant meat grinder and you're there. You know what I mean?
David Hopping
You've earned it.
Conan O'Brien
And it feels like you've really earned the right to be that guy.
Johnny Knoxville
Guy. Yeah, it's fun. Like, you know, I. When people display fear in an entertaining manner, I'm. I'm here for it. And I thought I was going. I first got the gig. I'm like, oh, man, I'm really going to make their life hell. And I got excited, and that's never good. But then as I got closer, I'm like, well, these kind. These are.
Conan O'Brien
These.
Johnny Knoxville
They're different, you know, and there's money at stake and they're trying. These people actually do have phobias.
Conan O'Brien
Yep.
Johnny Knoxville
So I was like, maybe I'm. I just felt more natural to kind of help them through it.
Sona Movsesian
Right.
Johnny Knoxville
Which gave them hell. But mostly I liked. I enjoyed both things.
Conan O'Brien
It sounds to me like you've started to develop empathy. I did.
Johnny Knoxville
I even teared up a couple of times in the show. It's like. Cause you see these reality shows and people who are the cry. I'm like, everyone's fine. What are you crying about? You just met this person.
Conan O'Brien
I can't feel my legs.
Johnny Knoxville
And you're crying days ago. But then a few people left the show. I'm like, I don't know, I. I spent too much time around my mother. I'm.
Conan O'Brien
That's very nice. Well, I'm curious if. Do you ever get asked to, like, come back and speak at your high school or something? And it's. You know what I mean? Because it's a strange thing to get because you've been extremely successful and iconic, and now we'd like you to speak to these young people.
Producer/Announcer
Like an anti valedictorian.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah, exactly. Do as I did. Here's what I find.
Johnny Knoxville
Cautionary tales through college.
Conan O'Brien
Don't go to college. Fire a nail gun into your anus.
Johnny Knoxville
Hey, that's not half bad.
Adam
That's good.
Conan O'Brien
Oh, I could be a writer. If you guys won't let me me be in the new Jackass movie, I will be a writer. Has anyone ever fired hot lava into their urethra? Lava from Mount Aetna. You guys are like Conan. No, it wouldn't work. It would evaporate the tissue around it. Okay, I'll keep working on it.
Johnny Knoxville
Oh, yeah.
Conan O'Brien
I come in with really giant glasses. I'll keep working.
Johnny Knoxville
Conan. I'm just spitballing here, but no, I have never been invited to speak before.
Conan O'Brien
I love that.
Johnny Knoxville
High school, college or.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah.
Johnny Knoxville
You know, and I don't blame them.
Conan O'Brien
No, no, no. Well, I think you'd be a great. They should. They should. They're missing out on a great speech. So I also was telling you I'm obsessed with the new Fear Factor house because there's reality shows always take place in a house. It's always a similar looking house. I don't care. This house is a house that's absolutely stunning. And it looks like the richest man in the world lives there and he's got taste. It's like, beautiful. This house is. Where is it?
Johnny Knoxville
It's in West Vancouver. It is a beautiful place.
Conan O'Brien
They have all these shots of it and I just keep thinking about, I want to be on the show as a contestant because I really want to try this lava thing.
Johnny Knoxville
You can't do that on your own.
Conan O'Brien
I know and trust me, I have. Is getting the lava hot. Um, it's a problem. But I also, I just. I love that house.
Producer/Announcer
Well, they do celebrity Jeopardy. What about some celebrity Fear Factor at some point, you know?
Johnny Knoxville
Yeah, I love that.
Adam
Yeah.
Conan O'Brien
Dame Judi Dench getting shot out of a cannon.
Johnny Knoxville
And you know, I, I was trying to convince the. The show traders. I'm like, we should have a jackass traitors. Because all the things that you need to possess to be good in that show, none of us have. And we'll be physically attacking each other. We can be pranking.
Conan O'Brien
I love that that you go into a show where there's strategy and psychology, but you just start firing nail guns.
Johnny Knoxville
No one's gonna wanna walk down to breakfast and open the door. You know, you don't want. No one's gonna wanna touch the door handle.
Conan O'Brien
It's the Alan Cumming watching. Alan Cumming say murder is the whole. I watched that show just for. His costumes are fantastic.
Johnny Knoxville
Oh, yes.
Conan O'Brien
And then. But no, you Fear Factor coming into other shows and I think, you know, like Password, you know, just, just like it?
Johnny Knoxville
Yeah, yeah.
Conan O'Brien
No jeopardy.
Adam
Yeah.
Conan O'Brien
You know, just shows where it's very intelligent. Shows where people have to kind of use their. Their streets, their knowledge. But you guys are just smashing everything.
Johnny Knoxville
You could really amp it up for the celebrity fear factor too, because these people know what they're getting into and they're in the business. So just hand me a pen and a piece of paper and. Yeah, I can. That would be fun. Just writing bits.
Conan O'Brien
Okay, I will. I'll produce this with you.
Johnny Knoxville
Yes, yes. Yeah.
Conan O'Brien
I'll take very little money. And by very little, I mean 80%.
Johnny Knoxville
Yes.
Conan O'Brien
That'll be. My biggest stunt, is doing a Fear factor show with you and getting most of the money. That'll be a pain unlike anything you've ever felt before.
Johnny Knoxville
Well, that may come at a price. No, I don't target. I can only target the jackass guys.
Conan O'Brien
There's a trust, obviously. There's such a trust and there's real friendship there.
Johnny Knoxville
I've had.
David Hopping
I've.
Johnny Knoxville
In a couple times, I've targeted a friend that was not part of. A civilian will say. And it just hurt his feelings. And I'm like, I'm never going to do that again.
Conan O'Brien
Isn't that the worst?
Johnny Knoxville
Yeah, yeah, that was.
Conan O'Brien
It is interesting you bring that up because they always say it's always, you know, it's funny until someone gets hurt. And I always think it's actually when someone's feelings get hurt. Yeah. I just. The bottom falls out for me, unless the person is pure evil and deserves to have a hurt feeling. But other than that, the times I've done. Anytime I've done something and it got back to me, oh, no. Someone heard that joke and they were sad. I'm like, oh, man, that's the worst.
Johnny Knoxville
It sucks the air out of the room. And then you feel. I just like I'm a monster. And it was. I was doing things that. Not even like one tenth of what I do to the guys, but still, I was like, okay, I'm not going to. To target anyone else. Just I can, you know, save it for my fellas. And now. Rachel Wolfson.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah. When is the next movie coming out?
Johnny Knoxville
June 26th.
Conan O'Brien
Okay. Yeah. And are you doing any stunts in the new one or do they cut to a dummy?
Johnny Knoxville
Well, I mean, they always cut to a dummy. I can do stunts. I just can't do anything where I get another concussion because I. I've.
Conan O'Brien
How many have you had?
Johnny Knoxville
16.
Conan O'Brien
So do you know who I am right now?
Johnny Knoxville
Yes, Andy. I don't care about a broken Arm or ankle, but it just. I can't have any more concussions. Yeah, yeah.
Conan O'Brien
I think that's a wise course of action.
Johnny Knoxville
And I feel like I did my thing. I don't feel like I'm missing anything. So that's good.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah, I mean, if I saw you in the shower, I wouldn't be horrified. There's nothing.
Johnny Knoxville
Well, I think you probably would be.
Conan O'Brien
My God,
Johnny Knoxville
I didn't know it could be so small.
Conan O'Brien
There's just like a big piece of torso missing and you don't even notice it any. You keep like little knickknacks in there. You keep Hummel figurines and a little alarm clock in there.
Johnny Knoxville
Pull my arm off to get my back.
Conan O'Brien
Hey, Conan. Hey, thanks a lot. Hey, this thing's great.
Johnny Knoxville
Great.
Conan O'Brien
I love it. So what is your now commitment to the Fear Factor show? You just. You're waiting to see?
Johnny Knoxville
Yeah, I guess it comes out tomorrow. 14th. Yeah, the new year.
Conan O'Brien
It's really fun.
Johnny Knoxville
Thank you. And yeah, I'm hoping I had so much fun. I'm hoping they pick it up so it seemed to do good on the sneak preview on Sunday.
Conan O'Brien
The only thing that there's a lot of stuff that doesn't that I don't worry about. But insects creep me out, you know, And I don't think I have a phobia about it, but I just always. A hairy spider to me is like the worst thing in the world. Like a tarantula, an arachnid that has hair creeps me out. And the idea of. But then again, if I was on camera and there was a studio audience there and people were laughing and I knew they'd really laugh if I went for it. I'd pick one up and start licking it as it stung my tongue and filled me with a heart paralyzing venom. And I'd look to Cameron and go, daddy likes his gum, gum juice. And then I would die.
Johnny Knoxville
You know, the thing about those hairy spiders is the hair gets in your eyes and it feels like asbestos.
Conan O'Brien
I think you're talking from experience.
Johnny Knoxville
No, you just can't get it and it just itches. It can't get. Can't get it off of you.
Conan O'Brien
That's funny. I can bring up anything to you and you're like, here's the thing about a rhino horn in your ass that you don't know is there's a. The horn is kind of waxy and then you can't get the wax out of your ass. Like anything I bring up, you're gonna go, you know, it's funny.
Johnny Knoxville
Bull's horns are very dirty, and that's when people get gored. Before penicillin, that was kind of it for them, but now they have penicillin, you can get. Get gourd pretty much all you want.
Conan O'Brien
Do you ever. What?
Johnny Knoxville
There's one matador, I don't. I can't remember his name. He's been gored like 63 times.
Conan O'Brien
It's crazy when he gets a drink at a bar. All the oldest bit in the world, but I love it. I'm fine. Gl.
Johnny Knoxville
He's my favorite matador, hands down.
Conan O'Brien
But, you know, it's funny. I think of a. A germaphobic matador as a really funny idea. He's like, he's. He doesn't mind getting gored, but he keeps trying to use a wet wipe on the horn. His cape is a big wet wipe. Yeah, it's like. It's kind of less cool. Diego, I don't care.
Johnny Knoxville
You gotta wipe the bull's horns and hoofs before he gets in the ring with them.
Conan O'Brien
Well, this has been a blast. It's been really fun. Thank you. And I really enjoy you on the new Fear Factor. And I just love talking to you.
Johnny Knoxville
Thank you.
Conan O'Brien
You are just an infinitely charming fellow. And congrats on the new movie coming out and that you're thriving. It's just really. And that you're. Well, you're happy you're here, you're able to move about.
Johnny Knoxville
Oh, yes.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah.
Johnny Knoxville
After I finished the last Jackass, I was just.
Conan O'Brien
I was so happy.
Johnny Knoxville
Like, I'm still walking and I'm good.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah.
Johnny Knoxville
So. But thank you. You've always been so kind to.
Conan O'Brien
Oh, my God. You kidding? I just, I. I'm a big fan. And thanks so much for doing it. I really appreciate it.
Johnny Knoxville
Oh, one last. You were talking about all these safety guys. When you're shooting something, you got to get really shady safety guys. Our safety guys are the shadiest. Just a little tip before I go.
Conan O'Brien
There's no union.
Johnny Knoxville
Oh, no. But like our. Our alligator expert, Manny, who dives in swamps at night with the miner's light and pulls alligators up from the bottom. Jesus, he's a wonderful man. He is Tarzan. But he's our safety guy when we work with alligators. And so, you know, you filmed those safety meetings before, and they're like, okay, Manny, tell us what. What's the plan here? He goes, well, Steve O. Will be in there with an alligator, and if the alligator bites him, hopefully he will let go
Conan O'Brien
all Right, let's shoot. So that's good.
Johnny Knoxville
Yeah.
Conan O'Brien
You need a very shady safety guy who probably wasn't a safety guy a month ago.
Johnny Knoxville
You need a pretty good safety guy.
Conan O'Brien
On ebay, every find has a story. Like if you're looking for a vintage band tee, the one you wore everywhere until you lost it or your brother Neil burned it. Oh, now you're on ebay. And there it is. The things you love have a way of finding their way back to you, especially on ebay. From rare collectibles and vintage cars to designer fashion, it's all there. You can find it if it's out there, and it can be back in your loving arms.
Johnny Knoxville
Shop.
Conan O'Brien
Ebay for millions of finds, each with a story. Ebay, Things people love. A simple yeah, I'll come by is perfect for bringing a pack of Miller Lite. And when things go from low key to legendary, everyone knows it's miller time. For 50 years, beer lovers have trusted Merrill Lite for a taste they can depend on. Made with simple ingredients like malted barley, it delivers rich, balanced toffee note flavors and the iconic golden color. You gotta have that golden color.
Sona Movsesian
Yep.
Conan O'Brien
The original light beer since 1975. You know, when I get together with my gang, my posse, my squad.
Sona Movsesian
Your homies.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah, my homies. We like to crack open a Miller Light.
Sona Movsesian
Yeah.
Conan O'Brien
We toast each other, we bump chests. We have a good time. And you know what? It's a reliable, reliable experience.
Sona Movsesian
You guys will not stop high fiving each other and cracking open Miller Lights.
Conan O'Brien
I high five more than most people that have ever lived. My hands are raw by the end of a day. And that's what I think when I look around at my buddies and we've all got a Miller Lite. Every decision was correct. All my good friends and the right beer.
Sona Movsesian
Yeah.
Conan O'Brien
Cheers to legendary moments with Miller Lite. Great taste. 96 calories. Go to millerlight.com conan to find delivery options near you. Or you can pick up some mirror lights pretty much anywhere they sell beer. It's Miller time. Celebrate responsibly. Miller Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 96 calories and 3.2 carbs for 12 ounces. Okay. I am sitting here with sonam of session.
Sona Movsesian
Yeah.
Conan O'Brien
And normally now I'd say Matt Gorley, but he is out on maternity leave. Paternity.
Sona Movsesian
He's a guy. He's a man.
Conan O'Brien
I don't. I'm gonna stick with what I said.
Sona Movsesian
Oh, you're gonna. You're gonna double down on it?
Conan O'Brien
Yeah. He's on maternity leave.
Sona Movsesian
Trust me.
Conan O'Brien
He got his knickers in a twist. He's out. He had a beautiful baby girl, Nell, and very happy for him. Filling in for him is David Hopping. Now, this is a rare occasion where both of my assistants are sitting here with me. You've got Sona, assistant since 2009. Yeah. And David Hopping. When did you really take over as my full time assistant?
David Hopping
2021.
Sona Movsesian
2021.
David Hopping
When I was boys.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah, that's right. Okay, so you've both assisted me and I thought this is a great time to ask you guys some pretty blunt questions. Oh, and you have to be honest. No, seriously, you have to be honest. Okay.
Sona Movsesian
You mean we don't have to try to protect your feelings? No, because we try that all the time.
Conan O'Brien
No, no, no. I think this was a good chance to know more about me. Not in the least bit defensive. I'm an open book.
Sona Movsesian
This is gonna be fun.
David Hopping
Like a 30 minute segment.
Conan O'Brien
I'm curious, Stona, what was your least favorite thing to do for me?
Sona Movsesian
Whoa, the least favorite?
Conan O'Brien
Yeah, the thing that when I asked you to do it, you really can apologize.
Sona Movsesian
Is that one. Can I say apologize, meaning when you. When I messed up and you were just like. Can you just feel bad about not
Conan O'Brien
doing something because you wouldn't do it?
Sona Movsesian
I know that's your thing, but no, I think.
Conan O'Brien
No, wait, well, say you. You screwed something up, which didn't happen a lot. I mean, it did.
Sona Movsesian
We make jokes, but got things done.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah, you got things done.
Sona Movsesian
Yeah.
Conan O'Brien
But when things would go terribly wrong and I would say, oh, come on, Sona. You'd say, yep, that happened. And you would just plow ahead. All right. And so I would. Sometimes I'm just being honest. I would try to get you to apologize or say you feel badly about it, and you wouldn't.
Sona Movsesian
I know, I know. Okay, here's. You know what?
Conan O'Brien
So that's. That's a good answer.
Sona Movsesian
Okay, so. But also, I'm trying to think of things I did regularly that I was just like every time you would ask me to do, I'd be like, oh, God. And you know what? Honestly, I can't think of anything where I might need some time with it.
Ad Voice
Cuz I.
Conan O'Brien
You liked shaving my back. Oh, God. You enjoyed that? Oh, God. Cuz I didn't think you would put that out there.
Sona Movsesian
I don't want people to think that was going to hap. Whatever happened.
Conan O'Brien
You had the longest shaver in the world. She was on the end of a pole, like back. Oh, yeah. She would be maybe 35 yards away from me.
David Hopping
Those gripper things.
Conan O'Brien
I was horribly cut up.
Adam
Up.
Conan O'Brien
Whenever you would do that. Cuz you were often on your phone while you were doing it.
Sona Movsesian
I know. I think that you. You're not a very high maintenance person.
Conan O'Brien
I don't think so.
Sona Movsesian
I don't think you're high maintenance.
Conan O'Brien
But now we switch it over to David. What do you not like to do for me? Or it's kind of a drag. Be honest.
David Hopping
I mean, let's see, where do I start?
Conan O'Brien
No, where do I start? You know what?
Adam
I.
Sona Movsesian
Sorry, I just remembered I don't know if you have this too. There's times when there's something you ask us to do that we. I think we know you can just do on your own.
David Hopping
Yeah.
Sona Movsesian
And then I lived in Pasadena and you'd be like, can you just come to my house at nine in the morning to help me with this thing? And I'd be like, you know how to do that?
Conan O'Brien
Yeah.
Sona Movsesian
But now I'm in traffic for like an hour and a half.
Conan O'Brien
It was usually, how do I read my email?
Johnny Knoxville
Uh huh.
David Hopping
Or how do I get into Netflix? You can never get into Netflix now.
Conan O'Brien
In my defense, in my defense, it's very hard to get onto Netflix. Yeah. I mean next to impossible. You have to be a brain surgeon.
David Hopping
Although I do want to say I think I got hired because of things Sona didn't want to do. Like running the errands and things is why I even.
Sona Movsesian
That's true. That's true.
Adam
Yeah.
Conan O'Brien
That's actually my various creams and balms, ointments and salves.
David Hopping
Many creams and bombs.
Adam
And bombs.
Conan O'Brien
Salves, yeah. Emollients.
David Hopping
Yeah.
Conan O'Brien
Gels. Yeah.
David Hopping
So I'm grateful for that.
Sona Movsesian
I know. And it was job security.
David Hopping
Like, you know, when do I think I get one?
Sona Movsesian
An assistant.
Conan O'Brien
Oh my God. When you have an assistant. That is the end.
David Hopping
Nationwide search.
Conan O'Brien
That is the end of days. I think. Yes. The tech stuff. I'm constantly. I don't belong. I should not be living in this century. It's like I'm an 18th or 19th century man. I think I would have been uncomfortable in the 19th century. Cause they'd be like, hey, can you pull that crank and make that steam powered thing work? I cannot do it.
David Hopping
We don't have to drive to you.
Conan O'Brien
Tis witchcraft. Talk to my assistant into Pasadena. Pasadena. No one lives there that's not inhabited yet.
Sona Movsesian
Oh my gosh.
Conan O'Brien
Look, in my defense, I abhor technology. I just. And so yes, I think that's probably the worst. Is When I call you up and say, I don't know how to take a picture with my phone and then send it to someone, it's not that
Sona Movsesian
bad, which you've done a million. But sometimes you're in your head so much about something you have to do that you do forget very basic things.
Conan O'Brien
This. This is something that Sona was really on top of. She would always say I'd call her up. And I don't think, to be fair, I don't think I would make you drive from Pasadena to my house.
Sona Movsesian
You didn't do it often. No, but there were times when, you know, I would. I'd have to be there, and it's my job.
Conan O'Brien
No, when I was making a sandwich, if the bread goes on top.
Sona Movsesian
You forgot how a sandwich works.
David Hopping
Yeah.
Conan O'Brien
And I needed you to be here to show me, so I was like, get here fast.
Sona Movsesian
Well, yeah. And also, I liked going to your house. It's fun there.
Conan O'Brien
It's pretty nice. Yeah, it is. All those portraits of me, the statues in the yard.
Sona Movsesian
Yeah, I love seeing that stuff.
Johnny Knoxville
Yeah.
Conan O'Brien
Me on horseback, naked. Oh, God, Poor Liza. They shaved the back of my statue. So. And you know. You know what's so crazy is that I would call you Sona and I would say, I can't do this. And he would say, yes, you can. You have a phobia about it. Yeah, but it's very intuitive. And you would coach me and I would realize that I am very tech phobic and I will think, I can't do this. This isn't something I could ever figure out in a million years. And because of you, I do try a lot. Now, before I call anybody, I try to see if I could figure it out. And then when blue foam starts coming out of my device, I know it's time to get David on the H.
David Hopping
He learned how to put things in his calendar on his own.
Sona Movsesian
Oh, hey, you're doing it.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah.
Sona Movsesian
Oh, good job, Buz.
Conan O'Brien
It's like we're talking about a one legged turtle. That one legged turtle.
Sona Movsesian
He learned how to make a poopy.
Conan O'Brien
Good for you, Mr. Gibbles. I'll take it. All right, this is a serious question.
Adam
Yeah.
Johnny Knoxville
Would you.
Conan O'Brien
If my life was in danger, would you put yourself between me and the danger? So, you know what?
Sona Movsesian
Like, would I sacrifice myself for you?
Johnny Knoxville
Yeah.
Conan O'Brien
Would you sacrifice your life for mine?
Sona Movsesian
I probably would have before I had kids. Now I won't now, but I. I honestly.
Conan O'Brien
They were fired. Oh, no, but I mean, I was gonna say that's crazy.
Sona Movsesian
Well, no, but you shouldn't even.
Conan O'Brien
What do you mean? Before I had kids.
Sona Movsesian
I know. I'm not. I'm not like Secret Service. I'm gonna jump in front of a bullet for you.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah.
Sona Movsesian
But I think that I would have. I think that the. And I don't know if you feel this, too. The need to protect you and make sure you are good is more so within the two of us than it is in a lot of people.
Conan O'Brien
Yes. And I give you a lot of credit for that. Because all joking aside, there were times when I was on tour in 2010, I remember. I think I was in Eugene, Oregon, and we did a show. And afterwards I said, hey, everybody, meet me at this. Like there was a sculpture or something of a big red wagon.
Sona Movsesian
Yeah.
Conan O'Brien
I said, everybody, meet me there. And I really went there because I wanted it to be kind of like an Andy Kaufman happening. And there was a huge crowd there and you were with me, but then it was just so many people. You're sucked into this crowd, sucked into this massive crowd. And then I saw you later back at the hotel, and you were freaked out and you were mad at me. You were like, I didn't know how to protect you. And I said, you don't. That's not your job in those situations. I know. That's my job. Job in those situations. That's true. But you're very. Yeah. You've always. Look, all joking aside, I love you, and you've always been. You're. You take really good care of me.
Sona Movsesian
Yeah.
Conan O'Brien
David, not so much.
David Hopping
Ah, there it is.
Conan O'Brien
Here we go.
David Hopping
We were in New York and you cut your head open.
Conan O'Brien
Excuse me. Are you filing? What are you doing back?
Adam
I'm sorry.
Conan O'Brien
If I could. What the fuck are you doing? What the fuck are you doing?
Adam
I'm getting all the. I'm getting all the ads ready for.
Conan O'Brien
Can you not do that right now?
Adam
Yes.
Conan O'Brien
I'm sorry. Okay. I keep trying to remove paper from people. Goerli was doing it the other day. And now you are. I think you're putting your thesis together. I didn't realize you were at Princeton. I should have done this outside. Would you drop it on the floor right now? Drop it. God damn.
Adam
Sorry about that.
Conan O'Brien
I'm looking. I'm trying to talk to you guys and he's over here.
David Hopping
He's not going to jump in front
Conan O'Brien
of a bullet for you, I guess. What? I wish you would because I'm hiring that guy now.
Sona Movsesian
He's the one who's gonna shoot you. Yeah.
Conan O'Brien
I want you to shoot me and jump in front of that bullet and all your papers will go flying. I'm on it. Okay, here we go. David. Go ahead.
David Hopping
I was gonna say we were in New York like one or two trips ago, and you. I get a text from Liza that you cut your head open and I ran to a CVS and got you all the medicine, all the band aids.
Johnny Knoxville
You did and you did.
David Hopping
So that's. I don't know where I've. I know what I did.
Adam
Yeah.
Conan O'Brien
I walked into like a low hanging lamp. Because I'm a freak.
David Hopping
Yeah. It's not meant for people of your height.
Conan O'Brien
No, they, like, hung a lamp and they thought, don't worry, 99.9% of the people won't hit this lamp with the rusty corner. Yeah, I slammed into it and there was blood shooting everywhere.
David Hopping
It was like, bruised.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah. Yeah. But you did go get a bunch of poultices.
David Hopping
I got everything.
Conan O'Brien
Cvs, various treatments, herbs, remedies. It was. But would you. Let's say the moment comes down to it and it's my life or yours. Would you make the ultimate sacrifice?
Sona Movsesian
This is a crazy question.
Conan O'Brien
You know what?
Sona Movsesian
Huh?
Conan O'Brien
This should have been in the interview. Would you.
David Hopping
I think that we really won't know until it happens.
Sona Movsesian
Okay. Yeah. That's a good.
David Hopping
It'll be a game time decision.
Sona Movsesian
Yeah.
Conan O'Brien
You just gave me your answer. What cafe are both of you working at tonight?
Sona Movsesian
You know what? I think one the of we do need to stay behind to let Liza know you died.
Conan O'Brien
Yeah. This is so dark. But you're right.
Sona Movsesian
Yes.
Conan O'Brien
I mean, you're right.
Sona Movsesian
You know how she.
Conan O'Brien
And you know what? You'll both be chomping on sandwiches when you call her anyway. Yeah, he didn't make it, but it's really bad. No, no, no, no. I want hummus on the side.
Sona Movsesian
Okay.
Conan O'Brien
Hummus. Hummus. I said it correctly.
Sona Movsesian
But why? Why is it always hummus?
Conan O'Brien
You eat a lot of hummus.
Sona Movsesian
I do like. I do like it.
Conan O'Brien
I mean, sometimes you don't even have hummus, but you have it in your pocke. You have hummus on you at all times.
Sona Movsesian
I wish. I really wish. I wish. It was like a bowl and I was just dipping pita chips in it all the time.
Conan O'Brien
Listen, you guys are both fantastic. I will say that. I'll deny it. I'm glad this isn't being recorded. Oh, you're both fantastic. Oh, why are we recording these? And let's get back to blaze. Shuffling papers noisily off camera so that my ads are in the right order when I read them 20 minutes after we end this recording. Incredible. Thanks both of you. Godspeed.
Producer/Announcer
Conan o' Brien Needs a Friend with Conan o' Brien Sonam of Session and Matt Gourley Produced by me, Matt Gourley Executive produced by Adam Sachs, Jeff Ross and Nick Leow Theme song by the White Stripes Incidental music by Jimmy Vivino Take it away Jimmy. Our Supervising Producer is Aaron Blair and our Associate Talent Producer is Jennifer Samples, Engineering and mixing by Eduardo Perez and Brendan Burns. Additional production support by Mars Melnick Talent booking by Paula Davis, Gina Bautista and Brit Kahn. You can rate and review this show on Apple Podcasts and you might find your review read on a future episode. Got a question for Conan? Call the Team Coco Hot at 669-587-2847 and leave a message. It too could be featured on a future episode. You can also get three free months of SiriusXM when you sign up@siriusxm.com Conan and if you haven't already, please subscribe to Conan O' Brien needs a Friend wherever fine podcasts are downloaded.
Ad Voice
The new LinkedIn hiring pro can't undo your last hire. The lone wolf who you thought was a good collaborator because you didn't have the right candidate insights. But once you hire them, it was all hoarding info, declining meetings and howling at the full moon. But LinkedIn hiring pro can go deeper than just the resume to find you a perfect fit by using insights from the LinkedIn network to give you a short list of best fit candidates. Hire right the first time with LinkedIn Hiring Pro. Post your first job today and get $100 off@LinkedIn.com PandoraOffer terms and conditions apply at Charmin.
Sona Movsesian
We heard you shouldn't talk about going to the bathroom in public, so we decided to sing about it.
Conan O'Brien
Charmin Ultra Strong you can use less better than the rest Shaman Ultra strong Booty Pass the clean text summon weave
Johnny Knoxville
texture it's the best Study up, teach
Conan O'Brien
a lesson all fresh your booty pass the clean test.
Sona Movsesian
Charmin Ultra Strong with diamond weave texture cleans better than the leading one plaid brand so you can use less. Enjoy the go with charming.
In this episode, Conan O'Brien sits down with Johnny Knoxville — the co-creator and star of Jackass, host of the new Fear Factor, and legendary daredevil. Their conversation is a lively, hilarious, and occasionally profound exploration of Knoxville’s career, the history of Jackass, the role of danger and friendship in comedy, and growing older after decades of slapstick mayhem. The episode brims with nostalgic stories, playful banter, and surprising emotional depth, all in classic Conan style.
“I was just... That was my best guess at how to support a family. And it was all out of fear of how to support a little girl.”—Johnny Knoxville, [13:33]
“I really seriously considered it, but I ended up thinking I would go on there [SNL], I'm not gonna have any creative control whatsoever ... I’d rather bet on us than enter into that.”—Johnny Knoxville, [16:30]
“It’s actually when someone's feelings get hurt. ... The bottom falls out for me, unless the person is pure evil and deserves to have a hurt feeling.”—Conan O'Brien, [46:36]
“I can do stunts. I just can't do anything where I get another concussion because I. I've...16.”—Johnny Knoxville, [47:44]
“When people display fear in an entertaining manner, I'm. I'm here for it. ... I even teared up a couple of times in the show.”—Johnny Knoxville, [41:35]
“In a couple times, I've targeted a friend that was not part of...a civilian, we'll say. And it just hurt his feelings. And I'm like, I'm never going to do that again.”—Johnny Knoxville, [46:19]
“Would you say something about bravery? I'm like, that's bravery. Like, he has to face that dragon every morning. And he does, and he's doing great.”—Johnny Knoxville, [34:39]
“I'm cautious with my kids. Right. I'm like, oh, but that's so funny. I was never...I was a total helicopter parent when they were little.”—Johnny Knoxville, [38:32]
“You got to get really shady safety guys. Our safety guys are the shadiest.” —Johnny Knoxville, [52:09]
On Jackass’ Creative Approach:
“If I only know how to make my friends laugh, and if they’re laughing, probably we’re good.” —Johnny Knoxville, [21:41]
On Jackass Regret:
“Even watching the first movie, it’s almost...so tame into what it became... I don’t regret any of that.” —Johnny Knoxville, [29:13]
On earning a living:
“That’s my best guess at how to support a family.”—Johnny Knoxville, [13:33]
On Safety:
“Our safety guys are the shadiest. ... If the alligator bites him, hopefully he will let go.” —Johnny Knoxville, [52:59]
On Steve-O’s recovery:
“That’s bravery. ... He has to face that dragon every morning.” —Johnny Knoxville, [34:39]
On doing stunts with age:
“I can do stunts. I just can’t do anything where I get another concussion.” —Johnny Knoxville, [47:32]
On their comedic sensibility:
“There’s always been part of me. ... I am very cerebral and cautious... and then there’s the flip side where I kind of like it when I’m not in control.” —Conan O’Brien, [38:00]
The episode is marked by Conan’s characteristic wit, Knoxville’s self-effacing candor, playful group banter (with Sona Movsesian and David Hopping), and an undercurrent of mutual respect between host and guest. The tone is irreverent but insightful, moving from laugh-out-loud recollections to quietly profound reflections on aging, risk, and friendship.
If you’ve never listened to Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, this episode captures the show’s best qualities: freewheeling, warm, and deeply funny conversations that reveal unexpected truths about comedy, life, and the odd paths to success.
Listen for:
Don’t miss:
Conan volunteering bizarre ideas for new Jackass/Fear Factor stunts,
and Johnny’s take on the vital importance of shady safety coordinators.
Johnny Knoxville’s new movie Jackass 5 is set for release on June 26th, and he hosts the new season of Fear Factor: House of Fear on FOX.