Within a couple days of first meeting Ryan Dunn, he and I had a boxing match while walking on stilts. I knew right away that he was way gnarlier than me, because I had all kinds of stilt-walking experience as a professional clown and he had next to none, yet I was distinctly more afraid. I was also desperate to win the match and look cool in the process, and Ryan didn’t seem to care about either of those things.
Ryan wasn’t driven by ego the way I’ve always been. He was comfortable without being the center of attention, wasn’t competitive at all, and never seemed to give a crap what anyone thought of him. In those ways, I could say that he was the exact opposite of me, and a much better man as a result. He was also braver, funnier, and kinder, too.
I’ll never forget, one day, I while was eating raw veggies on the set of jackass 3D, he started laughing hysterically and said, “You went from eating crack rocks off dead hookers to organic broccoli.” He was fucking hilarious, and genuinely supportive of me choosing a healthier lifestyle. He actually cared about me, which is amazing if you knew what an annoying asshole I’ve been most of my life. I didn’t deserve his kindness, but he gave it to me anyway.
I wish I was more like Ryan Dunn, this world now sucks way more without him.
—Steve-O
