Steve-O
Stephen Gilchrist Glover (June 13, 1974, London, England), known professionally as Steve-O, is a British-born American stunt performer, comedian, and media personality best known for executing self-inflicted, extreme physical challenges on the MTV series Jackass and its theatrical sequels.
After attending the University of Miami and subsequently Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College, Glover began his career producing homemade videos of hazardous antics that caught the attention of Jackass creator Johnny Knoxville, leading to his casting in the show starting in 2000.
His stunts, often involving bodily harm such as stapling his scrotum to his thigh or ingesting dangerous substances, propelled Jackass to cultural prominence, with the franchise's 2022 installment Jackass Forever achieving the top box-office opening for the series. Glover has authored two books, including the New York Times bestseller Professional Idiot: A Memoir detailing his path to fame and personal lows, and maintains sobriety since an intervention organized by Knoxville on March 9, 2008, marking over 16 years clean as of 2024. Beyond stunts, he hosts the podcast Wild Ride! and performs sold-out stand-up comedy tours like The Bucket List , focusing on themes of recovery and life lessons, while residing in Los Angeles with his fiancée and pursuing interests in animal welfare.
Stephen Gilchrist Glover was born on June 13, 1974, in Wimbledon, London , England , to American father Richard Edward "Ted" Glover and Canadian mother Donna Gay (née Wauthier) Glover. His father's career in international business , initially with a textile company that posted the family in London and later as president of Pepsi-Cola's South American division, prompted frequent relocations.
The family resided in England for several years before moving across multiple countries, including Canada and the United States , resulting in Glover spending his early childhood in five different nations and achieving fluency in three languages by age five, though he later forgot two. This nomadic, affluent lifestyle—tied to his father's executive roles in consumer goods, including soda and tobacco distribution—provided material privilege but instability from constant upheaval.
Glover has described his upbringing as marked by exposure to varied cultures, with his parents emphasizing discipline amid the professional demands of international postings; his mother focused on structure, while his father's high-stakes career modeled resilience in transient environments. Early family dynamics, including a sibling Cindy, contributed to a household oriented toward achievement, though Glover later reflected on the challenges of adapting to new settings as fostering his independent streak.
Glover enrolled at the University of Miami shortly after graduating high school, intending to study communications, but faced significant academic difficulties, including frequent absences from classes and low performance, leading to his dropout in 1993. During this time, he also engaged in disruptive behaviors and began exploring a more indulgent lifestyle, which contributed to his expulsion from university dormitories.
After leaving the University of Miami , Glover endured roughly three years of instability, including homelessness and reliance on temporary accommodations from friends and family, a phase that honed his resourcefulness and prompted early experiments with self-recorded stunts using a home video camera to document daring acts. This period of adversity reinforced his determination to pursue unconventional performance paths, fostering the physical and mental toughness central to his later persona.
