Steve-O, famed for his outrageous stunts on Jackass, recently shared insights into his $100,000 payday for his role as a celebrity coach in ESPN NFL 2K5. Speaking on the Howard Stern Show, Steve-O detailed his experience promoting the game and his surprising compensation. While ESPN NFL 2K5 remains a beloved title among football game enthusiasts, Steve-O’s relationship with video games has been a rollercoaster ride.
From nostalgic childhood memories to a long hiatus and a renewed interest, Steve-O’s journey with gaming is as dynamic as his career.
Highlights
- Steve-O discusses his $100k payday for ESPN NFL 2K5 appearance as a celebrity coach, promoting the game on Howard Stern.
- Steve-O”s complicated relationship with video games, from childhood memories to falling out of love, but now wanting to get back into it.
Steve-O, of Jackass fame, has shared his experience regarding his appearance on ESPN NFL 2K5. Many fans consider the ESPN NFL 2K series to be better than its rival, EA”s Madden franchise. With EA”s exclusive NFL licensing deal being up for almost a decade, most gamers consider ESPN NFL 2K5, the last entry in that series, to be one of the best football titles made.
One of ESPN NFL 2K5”s features was the use of celebrity coaches. Celebrities such as Carmen Electra, Funkmaster Flex, Jamie Kennedy, David Arquette, and Steve-O would call the player and play a game against them using a custom team of Pro Bowl players, complete with custom team names and venues. The aforementioned actors would then appear in a small box on-screen and talk trash to the player.
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In one interview with Gamespot, Jackass star Steve-O shared that he was paid exactly $100,000 for his appearance on ESPN NFL 2K5. He provided multiple in-game voice lines as a celebrity coach, and only appeared via a small thumbnail. He mentioned that the team behind ESPN NFL 2K5 reached out to him to be part of the game. He went on to say that he was paid very well to promote the title, even appearing on the Howard Stern Show. The amount given to him was much more than what he earned in his other video game ventures.
Games that Steve-O Has Appeared In
- ESPN NFL 2K5
- Tony Hawk”s Underground 2
- Jackass: The Game
Steve-O has stated that his relationship with video games has been complicated, even stating previously that it was a waste of time. He shared his history with video games, even mentioning platforms such as Intellivision and the NES as his earliest memories. He mentioned that he fell out of love with gaming once he turned 16, mostly due to growing up and exploring other activities. However, he clarified that he had seen the error of his ways and changed his mind regarding his stance. This is not as surprising because Steve-O has actually appeared in multiple games, including Tony Hawk Underground 2, and what many gamers refer to as the weird Jackass game from 2007.Close
Towards the end of the interview, Steve-O said that he wanted to get reacquainted with gaming in general. With Jackass co-star Johnny Knoxville saying Jackass Forever was not the end of the franchise, perhaps a resurgence of the celebrities who made the show could step back into the limelight, and quite possibly the video game scene once again. Although a minor rift between Knoxville and Steve-O could keep a new Jackass game from coming out, their collective fame could still open opportunities for them in the gaming industry.
