Comedian Eric Andre has revealed why he felt so nervous about being on the set of Jackass Forever. The upcoming film will mark the fourth installment of the beloved Jackass franchise. It will reunite much of the iconic Jackass crew (bar Bam Margera, due to an ongoing lawsuit against his former co-stars) under the direction of longtime director Jeff Tremaine, and debut in theaters next month.
The Jackass franchise is built on a fairly simple formula consisting of two types of segments: stunts and pranks. The stunts usually involve the members of the Jackass crew – made up of stuntmen Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, the late Ryan Dunn, Ryan Pontius, and others – subjecting themselves to pain at the hands of wild animals, machinery, great heights, or each other. The pranks, however, often involve the Jackass crew staging elaborate traps for one another behind the scenes of the production. In the films, these pranks have included airbags that pop out of doors when doorbells are rang, or even giant hands that swing around corners and hit their victims when a member of the Jackass crew yelled “high five!”
Now, with Jackass Forever poised to hit theaters next month, Andre has opened up about his involvement in the project as one of the many new faces to get in on the Jackass action. Speaking with EW, the comedian revealed that he was nervous to be on the set of the film because of the sheer number of traps and hazards that he could’ve potentially been hit by at any moment. The comedic actor admitted there’s “nowhere safe” on a Jackass set. Read Andre’s full comments below.
“Goddamn, I was so nervous on the Jackass set, because every chair you sit in, every square inch, there could be an explosive or a venomous snake. There’s nowhere safe, they’re constantly filming you and they’re constantly f—ing with you. So, yes, shooting a scripted show where no one’s trying to kill you is quite relaxing!
The Jackass franchise has long been built upon a wide array of stunts and pranks, and Andre’s remarks make it sound like Jackass Forever will be no different. If nothing else, audiences can rest assured knowing there will likely at least be explosive and snake unleashed on unsuspecting members of the cast and crew. Andre has increasingly branched out into traditional acting in recent years with his roles in projects like The Righteous Gemstones and his voiceover work in 2019’s The Lion King, so it’s clear that he also enjoys sets on which he doesn’t have to worry about his safety.
Of course, there is a slight irony to Andre’s remarks given his own reputation as a prankster. The comedian made a name for himself pulling similar pranks on Adult Swim’s The Eric Andre Show and Netflix’s Bad Trip (which is due for a sequel of its own), and it’s clear that he knows how to put other people in an uncomfortable position. Given the fact that Andre is one of the comedians carrying the mantle for the original Jackass crew, it’s fitting that he was victimized by their pranks on the set of Jackass Forever.
Source: EW
- Jackass Forever (2022)Release date: Feb 04, 2022