- Ryan Dunn was an American stuntman and entertainer famous for the MTV series, Jacksass
- He was born in Ohio, U.S on the 11th of June 1977, and died on the 20th of June 2011 from a ghastly car accident, aged 34
- At the time of his death, the star was worth $6 million and his passenger’s family demanded compensation in a lawsuit that claimed negligence, recklessness, and wrongful death in the incident that claimed their son’s life
Born in 1977, Ryan Dunn was an American stunt performer, comedian, television personality, and actor whose life was cut short in an unfortunate and brutal automobile crash in 2011 at about 3 a.m in West Goshen Township, Pennsylvania.
The famous entertainer made it to the spotlight in the early 90s as the craziest member of CKY (Camp Kill Yourself), and of course Jackass; an American reality comedy television series created by Jeff Tremaine, Spike Jonze and Johnny Knoxville. Has also starred in several movies like Blonde Ambition (2007) and Street Dreams (2009).
Early Life of Ryan Dunn
Ryan Mathew Dunn was born in Medina, Ohio, the United States of America. Although the entertainer was a U.S citizen, he was also of German and Swiss-German, along with English, Scottish, and Irish, descent.
By the time he turned 2, his family moved to Williamsville, New York and when he was16, his parents again moved to West Chester, Pennsylvania where he attended the West Chester East High School.
According to Linda, Dunn’s mother, her son was very mischievous when he was little. He hated school and cried a lot which got him the nickname ‘Crying Ryan.’ Most of the things he loved to do were funny and rough and he also had two cats; Bam Jnr and Fuzzy Glomb.
The stuntman’s rough childhood came with consequences. At age 7, he flew over his handlebars and broke his eye socket. He also broke his wrist at 16 while skateboarding. Ryan had chipped the same front tooth 3 times just to mention a little from his numerous injuries while growing up.
Away from his entertainment career, It is alleged that Ryann Dunn previously worked as a welder and in a gas station. Though this assertion is possible, it has not yet been confirmed.
He Met His Best Friend and Co-Jackass Star, Bam Margera the First Day He Stepped Foot in High School
Dunn met his co-Jackass star, Bam Margera the first day he stepped foot in his high school. Sources have revealed that the friends remained closely knitted and will usually stay back for long hours after school had closed, practicing and filming all kinds of amusing stuff.
Apart from filming, Bam who appeared to be the most pained by Ryan’s death has said he has done a lot of amazing things with his best friend. This includes participating in the Gumball 3000 road rally in 2006.
Similarly, Dunn’s family said the TV star was never limited by reality and will do anything to make everyone around him smile. He was interestingly able to build a career from his natural and usual lifestyle. This kept him and a lot of people around him happy.
The stuntman had several nicknames such as Random Hero, Plugs, Cryin’ Ryan, and Prima Dunna. He is survived by his best friend, colleagues, and a very supportive family. Some of his family members are
- Linda Piscitello – Mother
- Ronald James Dunn – Father
- Brandi Berman – Sister
- Dunn Eric – Sibling
- Piscitello Thomas – Sibling
- Filippelli Nicole – Sibling
- Piscitello Joseph – Sibling
The Stuntman Made His Career Debut as a Member of CKY
Ryan Dunn became famous in the late 90s as a member of Camp Kill Yourself. CKY was a group of friends and relatives centered around Ryan’s best friend, Bam Margera.
The group was active from Landspeed Presents CKY (1999) to Minghags: The Movie (2009). CKY became a success and later led to the rise of Jackass.
His popularity with Jackass opened multiple opportunities for him on-screen and off-screen as well. He has hosted a lot of shows such as G4’s Proving Ground with Jessica Chobot and has also appeared in multiple movies and T.V series like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2008), Street Dreams (2009), and Bam’s World Domination (2010).
Below is a list of Ryan’s works
Television
- Jackass – 2000 – 2001
- Jackass Backyard BBQ – 2002
- MTV Cribs – 2022
- Jackass Winterjam – 2003
- Viva La Bam – 2003 – 2006
- Homewrecker – 2005
- Commando VIP – 2005
- The Dudesons – 2006
- Bam’s Unholy Union – 2007
- Crank Yankers – 2007
- Jackassworld.com: 24-Hour Takeover – 2008
- Bamimation – 2008
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit – 2008
- The Dudesons in America – 2010
- Bam’s World Domination – 2010
- Proving Ground – 2011
- Minute to Win It – 2011
- Ridiculousness – 2011
- A Tribute to Ryan Dunn – 2011
- CKY: The Greatest Hits – 2014
Film
- Invader – 1997
- Landspeed Presents: CKY – 1999
- CKY2K – 2000
- CKY2K – 2001
- CKY Documentary – 2001
- Don’t Try This at Home – The Steve-O Video Vol. 1 – 2001
- Criminal Mischief – 2002
- Jackass: The Movie – 2002
- Don’t Try This at Home – The Steve-O Video Vol. 2: The Tour – 2002
- CKY4: The Latest & Greatest – 2002
- Haggard: The Movie – 2003
- Steve-O: Out on Bail – 2003
- Client 3815 – 2004
- The Dudesons Movie – 2005
- A Halfway House Christmas – 2005
- Dunn & Vito’s Rock Tour – 2006
- Dunn & Vito’s Rock Tour – 2006
- Jackass Number Two – 2006
- Blonde Ambition – 2007
- 3000 Miles – 2007
- Jackass 2.5 – 2007
- Street Dreams – 2009
- Minghags: The Movie – 2009
- Jackass 3D – 2010
- Close-Up – 2011
- Jackass 3.5 – 2011
- Living Will – 2011
- Booted – 2012
- The Bates Haunting – 2012
- Earth Rocker – 2013
- Steve-O: Gnarly – 2020
- Jackass Forever – 2022
- Jackass 4.5 – 2022
Music Videos
- CKY – 2002
- Clutch – 2004
- Chris Pontius – 2006
- Weezer – 2010
Video Games
- Jackass: The Game – 2007
Dunn Was one of The Most Daring Stunt Performers on Set
What made the stuntman so popular was the fact that he was the most daring stunt performer on set compared to his colleagues. He was always the one acting out the script of the craziest of ideas like jumping off the roof, falling off the tree, having a poo dive, and so on.
Sources have also said that the actor helped to make known the nascent genre of amateur stunts with his teenage group when he decided to be shooting crude pranks. In 1999 Ryan and Margera released a template for Jackass and they called it the daredevil series.
Alcohol, Speed, or Fate? What Exactly Led to Ryan’s Untimely Death?
The Jackass star and his production assistant Zachary Hartwell died on the 20th of June 2011 while coming back from a bar in West Chester called Barnababy’s West Chester when their Porsche 911 GT3 slipped off the road and slammed a tree in a 55mph zone in a suburb of West Goshen.
This made the car burst into flames that ultimately could end any of their lives even if they survived the shock and injury of their initial crash.
A few hours before he died Ryan had posted some photos on his Twitter handle showing himself and his assistant drinking in a bar. While other people may argue that this had nothing to do with his crash, a toxicology report by the authorities revealed that Dunn’s alcohol level was over twice the State’s legal limit.
The Police did not Cite DUI as the Cause of Ryan’s Accident
Police investigations confirmed that Dunn was on the wheel prior to the accident that claimed his life and that of his passenger. The toxicology test carried out by the authorities showed that he was 0. 196 g/dL which is above the approved limit of 0.08%, but did not cite driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) as the cause of the accident.
However, the authorities have said excessive speed may have been part of the causes of Dunn’s crash. This is because preliminary investigations show that the car was moving between 132 and 140 miles per hour in a zone that is 55 miles per hour.
It is also important to note that the U.S born had previously been convicted for driving under the influence of alcohol and was made to undergo a treatment program as part of his sentence. Also, he entered a first-offender program that permitted him to clear his name in 2005 after a certain period of good behavior.
SEE ALSO: Gerry Bertier: His Life, Death, 5 Shocking Facts
Several Tributes Were Made for Ryan From Notable Personalities and Celebrities
After the entertainer’s death was announced, several celebrities took to their social media handles to express their condolences to the family of the deceased. This includes renowned actors like Tony Hawk, Sofia Coppola, Tom Green, Dwayne Johnson, and lots more.
Several songs and movies were also done in honor of the deceased. They include McFearless by Kings of Leon, Goodbye forever by Alkaline Trio and The Light Outlives the Star by Roger Alan Wade. In 2013, the movie Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa was dedicated to him as well as Jackass Forever (2022).
Ryan also made it to number 3 in the top trending searches of 2011 on Google’s Zeitgeist after his demise. Furthermore, an hour of tributes was aired by MTV on the 28th of November 2011.
He was laid to rest at Highland Drive Cemetry in Brecksville Ohio and his best friend Bam said he will never be able to recover from the huge loss.
Roger Ebert was Lambasted for His Tweet Shortly After Ryan Passed on
Away from Ryan’s tributes, Roger Ebert, an American film critic had made a tweet shortly after the death of the jackass star. The tweet reads “Friends don’t don’t let jackasses drink and drive”
His controversial tweet subsequently angered a lot of Ryan’s fans with many of them coming up to defend him. Front on the stage of Dunn’s defenders was his best friend Bam Margera.
How Rich Was Ryan Dunn?
The T.V star was said to have had an estimated net worth of $6 million at the time of his death. Ryann obviously made his money from his successful years as an entertainer especially his MTV reality T.V series Jackass which was known for showcasing extreme and dangerous stunts.
Jackass ran for 3 seasons between the years 2000 and 2002. It spawned a franchise including feature movies. Interestingly, the first Jackass movie grossed about $79 million on a budget of $5 million.
Zachary Hartwell’s Parents Filed a Wrongful-Death Lawsuit in 2012, Demanding Compensation for their Son’s Death from Dunn’s Administrators
One year of the death of Dunn and Harwell, Hartwell’s parents decided to drag Ryan Dunn’s administrators to the court in a suit that claimed negligence, recklessness, and wrongful death in the incident that claimed their son’s life.
According to the plaintiffs, Ryan displayed negligence in failing to have his car checked and in proper control, driving under the influence of alcohol, overspeeding, veering off the road, and lots of other charges.
Harwell’s Family’s Demand
The family was praying the court to grant them unspecified punitive and compensatory damages, interest, and delay damages that will be permitted by law. They also wanted to be paid back the money used for their son’s funeral, the proceeds for his behind-the-scenes and stunts work from his T.V shows
Though Hartwell’s family has not specified the amount they need yet, they are leaving no stone unturned to see that they recover everything their son had from his premature death, suffering, pain, and other damages. The resolution of the lawsuit was still pending as of June 2022.
Fascinating Facts About the Stunt Performer You Probably Never Came Across
1. His Early Screen Appearances were From Skatebored Practice
Dunn most likely made his stunt career from his skateboard practice. When he became friends with Margera, he noticed his friend was talented at skateboarding and it was something he wanted to learn.
The friends soon began to record failed stunts and pranks during their practice to the interest of their viewers and made a career out of it.
2. He Pioneered a High School Band Called Soulrouch with Bam and Jess Margera
Dunn happens to be an all-around entertainer. Though he is not known today as a singer, he actually started a band with his all-old-time friend Bam Margera and Jess Margera. According to Margera, the band they started was really ‘terrible.’ He said they once participated in a competition in school and came in last.
Though Ryan’s music talents cannot be matched with other professionals in the industry, he has notably helped Matt Cole mix the beat for the song Goose Grease (2006) on the Gnarkill Album.
3. Ryan Dunn’s Family Moved to West Chester to Curb his Growing Substance Abuse
Like every normal kid, Dunn may have had his own share of struggles with drugs. His family was said to have changed location in order to help the comedian with his drug-related issues.
This turned out to be a life-transforming opportunity for him having met with his wild friend and co-Jackass star in West Chester.
4. The Actor Once Had a Life-Threatening Injury on Set
Dunn had a serious dislocation on his arm while shooting Jackass Number Two (2006). The injury which caused serious damage to the actor’s shoulder muscle led to a blood clot that threatened his life due to its proximity to his heart and brain.
While receiving treatment for his dislocation and Lyme disease, Dunn was said to be plunged into depression and had to cut contact with everyone around him for nearly two years.
The injury also deprived him of the opportunity to participate in Jackassworld.com: 24-Hour Takeover in 2008. He however got back to business in 2010 with the production of Jackass 3D and later Jackass 3.5.
5. Ryan Dunn Was Obsessed With Speed
Dunn was naturally someone that was daring whether or not on set. This earned him the nickname ‘Random Hero.’
The actor might have however forgotten to slow down a bit when he is not in front of the camera. He is said to have had other near-death experiences in relation to speed, one of which involved Chris Raab, Bam, and Jess Margera as passengers. Ryann who was on the wheel flipped the car several times overcoming traffic on Rt. 202.
All of them survived the crash with a couple of injuries. The stuntman was also previously given 23 driving citations and 10 for speeding.
6. Was He Ever Married?
The comedian never got married but was in a long-term relationship with an actress, Angie Cuturic who has starred in movies like Minghags (2009) and Haggard (2003) which is said to have been done on Dunn’s love life.
7. He was Covered with Small Strange Tattoos
Late Ryan Dunn used to have several strange small tattoos on his body which include a plus sign, the Blair Witch project logo, BMW logo, the Red Hot Chili peppers logo, a noose, and a math problem on his ankle.
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