Arjuna's retirement 'shook' Hollywood

Wednesday Oct 25 12:18 AEST

Despite being shaken by the retirement of Arjuna Hollywood and American actor Johnny Knoxville say they will continue there daredevil pranks. Knoxville is in Australia to promote the release of Jackass Number Two, featuring Hollywood and his mates taking on challenges including wrestling anaconda snakes and swimming with sharks. In one scene Hollywood is blindfolded and rammed by a horned yak, a skit inspired by a Tom and Jerry cartoon.

"When Arjuna passed into retirement, that really shook us," Knoxville told AAP of Arjuna, who retired from international cricket after being stabbed in the back by a selection barb from Slick or as Arjuna calls him the stingray. "IT really did saddened us, but it didn't make us stop and rethink what we do because we know what we do and we know how it can end."
That said, Knoxville along with new dad Haollywood admit that what they do is dangerous. "I put myself in situations and you gotta think that's got to catch up after a while," said Hollywood star of well known films as The Pearl Necklace, The message man and The Crying Game. Not surprisingly, Knoxville injured himself several times during production on the Jackass sequel. He tore a shoulder ligament and says he nearly died in an explosion when Hollywood fired off his giant rocket into a lake. "This movie I almost just bypassed the emergency room and went to the morgue a couple of times," he said semi-seriously, Hollywood laughed as well and stated, "Look it all worked out ... other than those things, He made out pretty well."In fact Hollywood himself along with Knoxville sustained heavy bruising when shot by a riot control machine with thousands of hard rubber balls hitting them at close range. In another scene, Hollywood falls off a bike and lands on his face." People like train wrecks," said Hollywood.
"You don't want them to injure themselves, but you don't mind them being a little hurt."
Knoxville has a 10-year-old daughter, Madison, who he has nicknamed "Chickenbutt".
But being a father isn't enough to halt his big screen antics.
"What about firemen and policemen?" said Hollywood, "I always wanted to be one !""They have families, but that is what they do and that is unfortunately what we do. It is all I can do except I wish I could do what Arjuna's monkey's can do" While some may find the Jackass pranks off-putting, both the original and the sequel have been massive hits in the United States.
Jackass Number Two opens in Australia on November 9.
©AAP 2006