Johnny Knoxville started out as a writer for skateboarding magazine Big Brother, during which time he devised and filmed some of the stunts that made up early TV episodes of Jackass with his editor, Jeff Tremaine. Since making the leap to cinema with Jackass: The Movie, Johnny has landed some film roles of his own, including Grand Theft Parsons, Walking Tall and The Ringer. He's now back doing what he does best in Jackass Number Two and here talks about some of the challenges involved...

Were there any near-fatal accidents while shooting this sequel?

Yeah, there were a couple. The rocket exploded on me and a bit of rocket window shot out the side right next to my ribs. That would have been pretty much it forever had it hit me - but we still shot it again.

And then I was trying to do this Buster Keaton thing at the end when the house frame falls on me as part of the big musical ending. Jeff [Tremaine] told me: "If you move, you're done." He then shouts, "action" and I'm like: "I'm not going to move, I'm not going to move." Someone else then yells: "Cut." So I move and this thing lands on me!

How much fun was shooting that dance sequence at the end?

That was great. Michael Rooney, our choreographer, was amazing - he's all you could ever want in a choreographer. The boys all took it seriously. We didn't have to have a talk with any of them, they just showed up on set that day and they were all working hard trying to learn their dance steps.

When you see some of the rushes afterwards do you ever think: "I'm in need of psychiatric help?"

Sometimes you can see where things could have gone wrong, or did go wrong, but I don't sit around and think about what could have happened. It's just onward and forward for me.

What reaction do you get from the public when you're in a bar as yourselves?

Most of the time everyone's pretty nice. But sometimes they wanna get a little rowdy.

Do they dare you to do things?

Some people walk up and say: "Do Jackass!" And I'm like: "You know, I'm just trying to stand up Bob, I can't do dick!" I don't even know what "do Jackass" means!

Have you set yourself an age limit?

No matter what age, there are only two things I can do: stand in one spot or hold on to this. So I can pretty much do that at any age.

Does it take longer to recover from some of your physical injuries now that you're getting older?

Nah, I'm in just as crappy shape now as I was ever.

Did you have any issues with insurance this time around now that you have a movie career outside of Jackass?

Not much of a career [laughs]! But when I do Jackass I clear my schedule. You can't show up in a sling or something for a movie. As far as insurance goes, I got it!

How do you feel when they bring on stuntmen in other movies who have to do things on your behalf? Does that frustrate you?

Yeah, I don't like that, I don't like it at all. But on those films you have to succeed in doing the stunt. Our main objective is to fail, so I get what they're doing but it just feels like someone went: "Don't you know I'm highly unqualified to do this stunt?"

What do you guys think of the Dirty Sanchez film and other imitators?

Well, I haven't seen either the film or the act. I know that there's a lot of acts in every country, which is fine, I just never watch them. More power to them though.