December 16, 2002
The Man Without The Plan
By Steve Friess
The university of New Mexico is traditionally known for putting
a solid basketball team on the floor. But it also holds another
distinction: it's the last institution to provide Steve-O with
a normal health insurance plan. (He was a student there until
1998.)
O, a.k.a. Steve Glover, 28, is a major player in the "Jackass"
crew. Since his UNM days, he's enjoyed health coverage only
when filming stunts-snorting wasabi, stapling his ... well,
never mind- for the MTV show and movie, which has done more
than $63 million at the box office. His own DVD of stunts, "Don't
Try This At Home," has sold about 140,000 copies; a second one
debuts this month.
For one stunt, filmed in August, Glover broke his collarbone
when he fell off a van-in a trash can. He had to pay $300 out
of pocket for that one. "It's a pretty cheap bone to break,"
Glover tells Newsweek. Indeed, since on New Year's Day 2001
he had to shell out $500 when he needed stitches for a burnt
lip which he suffered during one of his stage show performances.
Glover appears at universities and bars for a one-hour act
that usually involves lighting some body part on fire. But it
seems that he's becoming more savvy about the risks his profession
entails. He doesn't always chomp on lightbulbs any more because
of the damage he's done to his teeth. "A lot of the stunts he
does now put his life in a little bit less jeapordy," says his
lawyer, Jason Berk. "We're all sensitive to making sure he doesn't
die. But he has a lot of artistic integrity, so some times it's
hard to control."
Glover is eligible for cover age under the Screen Actors' Guild
guidelines, says a SAG spokesperson. "Jackass" was a SAG-designated
film; the stuntmen are considered principal actors. In fact,
if there is a sequal to the movie, he'll have to apply.
Why hasn't he already? "Too lazy to even bother," he says.
"What's the worst that could happen?"
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