Ryan Dunn
Encyclopedia
Ryan Matthew Dunn was an American reality television
personality and daredevil
best known for being a member of the Jackass
and Viva La Bam
crew. He hosted Homewrecker and Proving Ground
. A member of the CKY Crew
, Dunn played one of the main characters in Bam Margera
's 2003 film Haggard: The Movie
, which was based on a failed relationship Dunn had experienced. He died at the age of 34 in an alcohol-related
car crash in West Goshen Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania.
, the son of Linda and Ronald Dunn. He grew up in Brecksville, OH, before moving to East Amherst, NY with his mom and stepdad Tom Piscitello. They and his brother Joe and sister Nikki then moved to West Chester, PA when he was 16. He first came to public attention while appearing in four videos alongside his friends in the CKY Crew.
, Jackass Number Two and Jackass 3D
.
In 2006, Dunn and Bam Margera participated in the Gumball 3000
road rally in Margera's Lamborghini Gallardo
. He later went on a tour with Don Vito
called "The Dunn and Vito Rock Tour" for which the DVD was released on March 20, 2007. Dunn and Margera again participated in the rally in 2008.
Bam Margera stated during a December 2, 2008, radio interview with Big O and Dukes of 106.7 WJFK-FM
, that he and Dunn would be going to Italy to film Where the F*%# Are My Ancestors. That same month, Dunn appeared on the episode "Smut" of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
in December 2008. He is also featured in a movie called Street Dreams
which was released in spring 2009. He co-starred along with Rob Dyrdek
and Paul Rodriguez Jr. Dunn was also featured on a show with fellow Jackass star Bam Margera about them traveling through Europe in a Viva la Bam-like show called Bam's World Domination
for Spike. He appeared in Jackass 3D
, which was released on October 15, 2010. Dunn co-hosted G4
's Proving Ground along with Jessica Chobot
, which made its premiere on June 14, 2011, six days before his death. However, according to a G4 spokesperson, the channel decided to postpone the airing of further episodes. The spokesperson added, "The show is off the schedule as of today until we discuss next steps." On June 27, G4 announced they would air the remaining episodes starting on July 19, 2011. At the time of his death, Dunn was working on the film, Welcome to the Bates Motel. The film is slated for release in 2012.
, Dunn and Zachary Hartwell, a production assistant on Jackass Number Two, both died when Dunn's Porsche 911 GT3
came off the road and hit a tree in West Goshen Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. Hours before the accident, Dunn had posted a photo to his Twitter
account of himself and Hartwell drinking at a West Chester bar. Dunn was identified in the police report as the vehicle's driver, and a subsequent toxicology
report showed Dunn had a blood alcohol level of 0.196% — more than twice the state's legal limit of 0.08%. The police report stated "...that speed may have been a contributing factor in the accident..." and preliminary investigations suggested that the car had been traveling between 132 and 140 mph (59 and 62.6 ) in a 55 miles per hour (24.6 m/s) zone. Dunn flipped his car eight times in the same location 15 years before in 1996, according to Bam Margera, who was a passenger at the time.
The Tuesday after Dunn's death, Bam Margera visited the crash site for the first time and broke down crying. The following day, Ryan's closest friends and family attended a private memorial service held in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Dunn's remains were brought back to his home state of Ohio for burial.
DVDs and videos
Films
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
personality and daredevil
Stunt performer
A stuntman, or daredevil is someone who performs dangerous stunts, often as a career.These stunts are sometimes rigged so that they look dangerous while still having safety mechanisms, but often they are as dangerous as they appear to be...
best known for being a member of the Jackass
Jackass (TV series)
jackass is an American reality series, originally shown on MTV from 2000 to 2002, featuring people performing various dangerous, crude, ridiculous, self-injuring stunts and pranks...
and Viva La Bam
Viva La Bam
Viva La Bam is an American reality television series that stars Bam Margera and his friends and family. The show was a spin-off from MTV's Jackass, in which Margera and most of the main cast had appeared...
crew. He hosted Homewrecker and Proving Ground
Proving Ground (TV series)
Proving Ground is an American reality television series that airs in the United States on G4. The series was hosted by Jackass cast member Ryan Dunn and video game journalist Jessica Chobot...
. A member of the CKY Crew
CKY Crew
The Camp Kill Yourself Crew are a group of friends and relatives centered around Bam Margera, many of whom are from or located in and around West Chester, Pennsylvania...
, Dunn played one of the main characters in Bam Margera
Bam Margera
Brandon Cole "Bam" Margera is an American professional skateboarder, television and radio personality, actor and daredevil. He released a series of videos under the CKY banner and came to prominence after being drafted into MTV's Jackass crew...
's 2003 film Haggard: The Movie
Haggard: The Movie
Haggard: The Movie is a 2003 American independent comedy film based on the true story of how reality television personality Ryan Dunn's promiscuous girlfriend cheated on him. The film was financed, directed and produced by Bam Margera.- Plot :...
, which was based on a failed relationship Dunn had experienced. He died at the age of 34 in an alcohol-related
Driving under the influence
Driving under the influence is the act of driving a motor vehicle with blood levels of alcohol in excess of a legal limit...
car crash in West Goshen Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania.
Early years
Dunn was born in Medina, OhioMedina, Ohio
In the city the population was spread out with 29.9% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 33.8% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 92.1 males...
, the son of Linda and Ronald Dunn. He grew up in Brecksville, OH, before moving to East Amherst, NY with his mom and stepdad Tom Piscitello. They and his brother Joe and sister Nikki then moved to West Chester, PA when he was 16. He first came to public attention while appearing in four videos alongside his friends in the CKY Crew.
Career
Dunn took part in the characteristic stunts that made Jackass famous, and featured in all three released films, Jackass: The MovieJackass: The Movie
Jackass: The Movie is a 2002 American reality film directed by Jeff Tremaine with the tagline "Do not attempt this at home." It is a riskier and uncensored continuation of the stunts and pranks by the various characters of the MTV television series Jackass, which had completed its unique series...
, Jackass Number Two and Jackass 3D
Jackass 3D
Jackass 3D is a 2010 American 3D comedy film and the fourth film in the Jackass series. It was released on October 15, 2010 by Paramount Pictures and MTV Films to American theaters and marked the 10th anniversary of the franchise, which started in 2000...
.
In 2006, Dunn and Bam Margera participated in the Gumball 3000
Gumball 3000
The Gumball 3000 is an annual international road rally which takes place on public roads, with a different route around the world each year. Founded in 1999 by Maximillion Cooper, it sees an annual entry of 120 cars, which are mostly exotic and powerful sports cars. However, more unusual entries ...
road rally in Margera's Lamborghini Gallardo
Lamborghini Gallardo
The Lamborghini Gallardo is a sports car built by Lamborghini. The Gallardo is Lamborghini's most-produced model to date, with over 10,000 built in its first seven years of production...
. He later went on a tour with Don Vito
Vincent Margera
Vincent Roy Margera , more commonly known as Don Vito, is an American former reality television personality known for his appearances in Viva La Bam, Jackass, Haggard and the CKY videos alongside his nephew Bam...
called "The Dunn and Vito Rock Tour" for which the DVD was released on March 20, 2007. Dunn and Margera again participated in the rally in 2008.
Bam Margera stated during a December 2, 2008, radio interview with Big O and Dukes of 106.7 WJFK-FM
WJFK-FM
WJFK-FM, known on-air as 106.7 The Fan, is a sports radio-formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Manassas, Virginia, serving the metro Washington DC area...
, that he and Dunn would be going to Italy to film Where the F*%# Are My Ancestors. That same month, Dunn appeared on the episode "Smut" of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced...
in December 2008. He is also featured in a movie called Street Dreams
Street Dreams (film)
Street Dreams is an American film about Derrick Cabrera who has a dream of being sponsored and one day going pro. He is an up and coming skater from Chicago with all the talent but has the world against him. Parents, friends and schoolmates can't understand how Derrick has so much passion for...
which was released in spring 2009. He co-starred along with Rob Dyrdek
Rob Dyrdek
Robert Stanley "Rob" Dyrdek is an American professional skateboarder, actor, entrepreneur, producer, philanthropist, and reality TV star. He is best known for his roles in the reality shows Rob and Big, Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory and Ridiculousness .- Personal life :Rob Dyrdek was born in...
and Paul Rodriguez Jr. Dunn was also featured on a show with fellow Jackass star Bam Margera about them traveling through Europe in a Viva la Bam-like show called Bam's World Domination
Bam's World Domination
Bam's World Domination is a half-hour television show on Spike TV starring Bam Margera and Ryan Dunn. The special is a follow-up to the shows Viva La Bam, and Bam's Unholy Union. It premiered on October 13, 2010...
for Spike. He appeared in Jackass 3D
Jackass 3D
Jackass 3D is a 2010 American 3D comedy film and the fourth film in the Jackass series. It was released on October 15, 2010 by Paramount Pictures and MTV Films to American theaters and marked the 10th anniversary of the franchise, which started in 2000...
, which was released on October 15, 2010. Dunn co-hosted G4
G4 (TV channel)
G4, also known as G4 TV, is an American cable- and satellite-television channel originally geared primarily toward young adult viewers, originally based on the world of video games...
's Proving Ground along with Jessica Chobot
Jessica Chobot
Jessica Chobot is an American on-camera host and staff writer for IGN. She is best known for hosting the IGN shows IGN Strategize and Weekly Wood, which also runs on Xbox Live and used to present the IGN Daily Fix.-Biography:...
, which made its premiere on June 14, 2011, six days before his death. However, according to a G4 spokesperson, the channel decided to postpone the airing of further episodes. The spokesperson added, "The show is off the schedule as of today until we discuss next steps." On June 27, G4 announced they would air the remaining episodes starting on July 19, 2011. At the time of his death, Dunn was working on the film, Welcome to the Bates Motel. The film is slated for release in 2012.
Death
On June 20, 2011, at around 2:30 a.m. EDTNorth American Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
, Dunn and Zachary Hartwell, a production assistant on Jackass Number Two, both died when Dunn's Porsche 911 GT3
Porsche 911 GT3
The Porsche 911 GT3 is a higher performance version of the Porsche 911 sports car. It is the latest in a line of high performance models, beginning with the 1973 911 RS...
came off the road and hit a tree in West Goshen Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania. Hours before the accident, Dunn had posted a photo to his Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
account of himself and Hartwell drinking at a West Chester bar. Dunn was identified in the police report as the vehicle's driver, and a subsequent toxicology
Toxicology
Toxicology is a branch of biology, chemistry, and medicine concerned with the study of the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms...
report showed Dunn had a blood alcohol level of 0.196% — more than twice the state's legal limit of 0.08%. The police report stated "...that speed may have been a contributing factor in the accident..." and preliminary investigations suggested that the car had been traveling between 132 and 140 mph (59 and 62.6 ) in a 55 miles per hour (24.6 m/s) zone. Dunn flipped his car eight times in the same location 15 years before in 1996, according to Bam Margera, who was a passenger at the time.
The Tuesday after Dunn's death, Bam Margera visited the crash site for the first time and broke down crying. The following day, Ryan's closest friends and family attended a private memorial service held in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Dunn's remains were brought back to his home state of Ohio for burial.
Filmography
Television- Jackass (MTV, 2000–2002)
- Viva La Bam (MTV, 2003–2006)
- Homewrecker (MTV, 2005)
- Bam's Unholy UnionBam's Unholy UnionBam's Unholy Union is an American reality series that aired on MTV and MTV Canada. It follows Bam Margera and his fiancee Missy Rothstein as they plan their wedding...
(MTV, 2007) - Jackassworld.com: 24 Hour TakeoverJackassworld.com: 24 Hour TakeoverJackassworld.com: 24 Hour Takeover was a 24-hour live TV special featuring many stars of the MTV show and movie franchise Jackass from February 23-24, 2008....
(MTV Special, 2008) - Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, 2008, One episode) - Bam's World Domination (Spike, 2010)
- Proving Ground (TV series)Proving Ground (TV series)Proving Ground is an American reality television series that airs in the United States on G4. The series was hosted by Jackass cast member Ryan Dunn and video game journalist Jessica Chobot...
(G4 TV, 2011) - Minute to Win ItMinute to Win ItMinute to Win It is an American prime time game show on NBC hosted by Guy Fieri. Contestants take part in a series of 60-second challenges that use objects that are commonly available around the house....
(NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, 2011) - RidiculousnessRidiculousness (TV series)Ridiculousness is a television series on MTV which began airing on August 29, 2011 that shows video clips of people getting injured during the process. The show is rated TV-PG due to language. The show is hosted by Rob Dyrdek and co-hosted by Sterling "Steelo" Brim and Chanel West Coast. Jeff...
(MTVMTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, 2011)
DVDs and videos
- Landspeed presents: CKYCKY (video series)The CKY video series is a series of videos produced by Bam Margera and Brandon DiCamillo and other residents of West Chester, Pennsylvania. Four videos have been released to date, Landspeed presents: CKY , CKY2K, CKY 3, and CKY4: The Latest & Greatest...
(1999) - CKY2K (2000)
- CKY3 (2001)
- CKY Documentary (2001)
- Don't Try This At Home - The Steve-O Video Vol. 1Don't Try This at Home: The Steve-O VideoDon't Try This at Home: The Steve-O Video is Steve-O's first DVD. It contains mostly footage that the censors wouldn't allow on MTV.-Content:...
(2001) - Don't Try This At Home - The Steve-O Video Vol. 2: The Tour (2002)
- CKY4: The Latest & Greatest (2002)
- Steve-O - Out On Bail (2003)
- Dunn & Vito's Rock Tour (2008)
Films
- Jackass: The MovieJackass: The MovieJackass: The Movie is a 2002 American reality film directed by Jeff Tremaine with the tagline "Do not attempt this at home." It is a riskier and uncensored continuation of the stunts and pranks by the various characters of the MTV television series Jackass, which had completed its unique series...
(2002) - Haggard: The MovieHaggard: The MovieHaggard: The Movie is a 2003 American independent comedy film based on the true story of how reality television personality Ryan Dunn's promiscuous girlfriend cheated on him. The film was financed, directed and produced by Bam Margera.- Plot :...
(2003) - Jackass Number Two (2006)
- The Dudesons Movie (2006)
- 3000 Miles (2007)
- Blonde AmbitionBlonde AmbitionBlonde Ambition is a film released in December 2007 and inspired by the theme of the Academy Award-winning movie Working Girl starring singer/actress Jessica Simpson playing the part of a small town girl who moves to New York City and rises up into a career as a business woman...
(2007) - Jackass 2.5 (2007)
- Bam Margera Presents: Where the ♯$&% Is Santa? (2008)
- Minghags: The MovieMinghags: The MovieMinghags, previously known as Kiss a Good Man's Ass is the title of a film by director/skater Bam Margera.-Plot:Trailer trash rockers Lenny and Ponce have vowed revenge, on billionaire scum-bag Rut Ru and his bloated sidekick Dominick who have heisted Ponce's cool invention, the Garbage...
(2009) - Street DreamsStreet Dreams (film)Street Dreams is an American film about Derrick Cabrera who has a dream of being sponsored and one day going pro. He is an up and coming skater from Chicago with all the talent but has the world against him. Parents, friends and schoolmates can't understand how Derrick has so much passion for...
(2009) - Jackass 3D (2010)
- Living WillLiving WillLiving Will... is an American comedy film starring Ryan Dunn, Gerard Haitz and April Scott.-Plot:Will's best friend and roommate, Belcher, returns from the dead as a cocky, mischievous and perverted ghost who discovers that Will has shacked up with his cousin, Krista...
(2011) - Booted (2011)
- Close-Up (2011)
- Jackass 3.5 (2011)