More than a decade after his tragic death, the legacy of Ryan Dunn is still fresh. The American actor was a renowned stunt performer and television personality. Dunn is remembered for his outrageous and daring stunts mostly performed with his longtime best friend Bam Margera. He also appeared in feature films, including Haggard (2003), Blonde Ambition (2007), and Street Dreams (2009).
Ryan Dunn rose to prominence in the late 1990s as a member of the CKY Crew alongside Margera. The crew garnered fans by performing pranks and dangerous stunts, leading to the creation of MTV’s Jackass and its spin-off series Viva La Bam. Dunn was widely loved, earning the nickname Random Hero for always helping his friends. Sadly, his life was cut short in his prime as news of his death sent an overwhelming sadness through the media space in June 2011. Keep reading for revealing details about the life and death of Dunn.
Ryan Dunn’s Early Life and Background
Ryan Matthew Dunn was born in Medina, Ohio, on June 11, 1977. He was born into a family of German, Swiss-German, English, Scottish, and Irish ancestry. However, he was an American by nationality.
His parents – Linda Sue (Reese) and Ronald James Dunn raised him in Williamsville, New York, and West Chester, Pennsylvania alongside his siblings – Eric Dunn, Thomas Piscitello, Nicole Filippelli, Joseph Piscitello, and Brandi Berman. Dunn attended West Chester East High School where he met Margera who would become his best friend and longtime collaborator. There is no record of him going to college.
Ryan Dunn Began His Career In the Mid 1990s
Before garnering fame as a member of the CKY Crew, Ryan Dunn appeared in the film Lifeform (1996) as an Army Private. Along with Margera who co-produced most of the videos, Dunn began performing with the CKY Crew in projects such as Landspeed Presents: CKY (1999), CKY2K (2000), and CKY3. Subsequently, they became popular for their extreme stunts and pranks recorded on camera which gave birth to the fan-favorite MTV’s Jackass.
Ryan Dunn appeared in 21 episodes of the reality comedy series, Jackass, from 2000 to 2001. From 2003 to 2006, he appeared in 41 episodes of Viva La Bam, cementing his fame as a great stunt performer and prankster. Dunn also appeared in the films, Jackass: The Movie (2002), Jackass Number Two (2006), Jackass 2.5 (2006), Jackass 3D (2010), and Jackass 3.5 (2010) to critical and commercial success.
Dunn also hosted Homewrecker in 2005 and Proving Ground in 2011 the latter of which was one of his final projects. Dunn produced and starred in the comedy film, Living Will (2011) as Belcher which was released after his death. Other posthumously released projects include Booted, The Bates Hunting, and Earth Rocker. As a tribute to the late performer, some archive footages were released. These include CKY: The Greatest Hits (2014), Jackass Forever (2022), Jackass 4.5 (2022).
Ryan Dunn Was Killed In a Car Accident
After a night of heavy drinking at a West Chester bar, Ryan Dunn and Zachary Hartwell were in a car at around 3:30 am on June 20, 2011, when an accident occurred. Dunn who was behind the wheel in his Porsche 911 GT3 suddenly veered off the road and hit a tree. The car burst into flames, killing 34-year-old Dunn and 30-year-old Hartwell. The fatal accident happened in West Goshen Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Dunn and Hartwell tweeted a picture of them drinking at the bar hours before the crash. Following a toxicology report, an alcohol content of 0.196% was found in Dunn’s blood. Also, it was deduced that the car was traveling at a high speed of 132 and 140 miles per hour (212 and 225 km/h) against the approved 55 miles per hour (89 km/h). The automobile crash that claimed his life is not Dunn’s first near-death situation.
A few years prior, Ryan Dunn had a major run-in with the police for driving under the influence of alcohol. He was compelled to join a first-offender program for his punishment and redemption. Dunn also had other life-threatening experiences in the past, including flipping a car four times over oncoming traffic on Rt. 202 while driving with Bam Margera, Jess Margera, and Chris Raab. At 7, he broke his eye socket while cycling, and at 16, he broke his wrist following a skateboarding accident.
Tributes Poured In From Fans and Celebrities After Ryan Dunn’s Death
I didn't know Ryan Dunn but Knoxville is a brother of mine who always spoke very highly of him. RIP – prayers and strength to Ryans family.
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) June 21, 2011
Ryan Dunn’s death came as a shock to everyone who knew him. He was described as a go-to guy for his friends, thus the nickname Random Hero. Following his death, Dunn’s Jackass co-stars took to the internet to pay tribute. Celebrities like Dwayne Johnson, Sofia Coppola, Tom Green, Carey Hart, and Tony Hawk also shared their feelings about his death.
On November 28, 2011, MTV chronicled Dunn’s life and career feats in an hour-long tribute. His memory was immortalized in the 2013 film Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa which was dedicated to him. Also, a mid-credits tribute was added in the 2022 film Jackass Forever to pay homage to Ryan Dunn. Jackass 4.5 is also dedicated to him. Read all about Jackass Forever.
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