The Strange Behavior of Johnny Knoxville

You bought a home from Johnny Cash — what's the place like?

We signed the papers on a Monday, and he passed away that Friday. I've only been there twice, but my friends and family stay there. Eventually I'll make it there — it's right outside of Nashville, a two-story cabin with six rooms, built in 1850. His wife June used to buy cabins in West Tennessee and had them shipped on trucks to Nashville.

You're on the cover of Out this month and have also graced the cover of the Advocate. Why are you reaching out to gay audiences? Why not? It seems natural with Jackass — nine naked dudes in thongs running around. I actually tried to get on the cover of American Grizzly, which is all about hairy gay guys, but they said they didn't want any celebrity endorsements. I was so crushed.

You've been linked to Jessica Simpson and Lindsay Lohan, though the publicists always say you're "just good friends." Any truth to the rumors?

Absolutely not! People write that stuff all the time. I can't take it very seriously.

There's a lot of strange goings-ons with animals in Jackass. Any concerns about PETA?

Someone from either PETA or the Humane Society came on the set one day when we were doing something with bulls. I asked them ‘Are you serious? You're worrying about the bull? It's going to be stomping my head in about three seconds.' But no, we've never had any trouble with animal rights people, because the animals are the ones who are [messing] us up.

What's the weirdest thing you've ever done with a four-legged creature?

Steve-O and I were both in a llama suit walking around in a pen with wild boards, and all of a sudden we felt something pushing against us. I looked around, and an elk had mounted us.

You've done ads for Mountain Dew, Coors Light, Taco Bell. Is there anything you actually use that you'd like to promote?

They talked to us about product placement for Jackass and we said no, it didn't seem like a good idea. Then they said they would give us free beer if we featured Miller, so we agreed. Now they send us cases of beer to every city we go to, so that was a good deal. It's delicious.

You have a 10-year-old daughter. Do you encourage her to do stunts too?

No, but over the last year she came out of her shell a bit. We were in a surplus store and she saw an air horn behind the counter. She said, "Look dad, doesn't that look like something we could use to wake up [Jackass director] Jeff Tremaine with?" I was so touched and proud — I was like, "Awww, she wrote her first bit."

You've been a journalist, a wanna-be skateboarder, a TV star and now you're in movies. What do you want to do when you grow up?

Jeez, I hope I don't.