When I first became recognizable from appearing on television, I abused my notoriety as much as I possibly could, at the expense of both my health and personal relationships. – Steve-O
I got into being vegan because I was simply looking to benefit from being more compassionate. I have since come to learn that it is an animal-based diet that is responsible for the overwhelming majority of cases of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, multiple sclerosis, and all kinds of other problems. – Steve-O
When I was fifteen years old, my dad won a video camera in a corporate golf tournament. I snatched it from his closet and began filming skateboard videos with my friends. – Steve-O
I’m the perfect kind of personality for making YouTube videos. I deal in short attention span theater. I do wild things. – Steve-O
Anybody that’s not supportive of me staying sober obviously has to go. But on the other hand, there are not really a lot of people who don’t want me to stay sober. I was a nightmare. – Steve-O
I keep my iPod on shuffle most of the time, but I’m most into Cirque du Soleil soundtracks. – Steve-O
I have a tough stomach, and I’ve put myself through a lot. But when I first found out what happens to animals on modern factory farms and in today’s slaughterhouses, I wanted to throw up – I literally couldn’t believe it. – Steve-O
I think people will be surprised to find that I’m not as much of an idiot as they think I am. I’m not a real moron. – Steve-O
I wouldn’t have really committed myself to any kind of spiritual lifestyle, I don’t think, if I had not endured great suffering. I think that’s the case with a lot of people. – Steve-O
Rather than wait to be discovered, discover yourself. Whatever it is that you intend to do later, start doing it now, get good at it, and show people what you’ve done. Actions speak louder than words. – Steve-O
I think it’s important for me to show the world that sobriety hasn’t made me soft. I’m on a mission to prove I’m still a nutcase. – Steve-O
I don’t go around lecturing people and telling them they shouldn’t eat meat. I just don’t think that’s terribly effective. I just try to tell people how I have personally benefitted from the vegan lifestyle. – Steve-O
When I first became involved with PETA, it was on an ‘issue-by-issue’ basis – they interviewed me in my old apartment about animal abuse in the circus as I sat on a leather sofa. – Steve-O
It’s commonly said that if slaughterhouses had clear glass walls, nobody would eat meat. I think people go out of their way to remain ignorant about how factory farm animals are treated. – Steve-O
The psychiatric ward was a really creepy place and, hindsight being 20/20, the creepiest thing about it was that I truly belonged there. – Steve-O
I never contemplated any kind of existence or identity after my career. I never thought at some point the entertainment industry is going to be through with me. And when it first occurred to me that my career was going to cease to be ascendant, then I freaked out. – Steve-O
What brings you closer to God is being in service to others. I think any religion or spiritual way of life will indicate that service to others will lead to a connection with a higher power. – Steve-O
The first thought that I had about really trying to get sober was, ‘Man, I could do a lot of good in the world. I can lead by example and just be this heroic recovery guy.’ And that’s just a bad reason to get sober. You can’t get sober for anybody’s benefit, let alone the world at large. You really got to do it for yourself. – Steve-O
The idea is to improve somebody’s day. That’s how I’ve always viewed my job. I’m a distraction therapist. I make people’s problems go away for just a little bit. – Steve-O
I don’t think I’m a gay icon. I have no axe to grind. I mean, I’m clearly not homophobic! I’m not pro or con. – Steve-O
When I was a kid, I loved a heavy metal band called Motley Crue. I was thirteen when they came to my city, and I called every hotel in the Yellow Pages asking for a room by the name of their manager in hopes of meeting the band. After two or three hours of calling hotels, I got through, and the manager’s brother answered the phone. – Steve-O
I started out making skateboard videos. Soon, it dawned on me I just wasn’t that great at skateboarding. So I put down the skateboard and just kept going with the camera. – Steve-O
I guess I just always imagined that I was going to die, like, somehow on top. I was going to, like, go out in some sort of blaze of glory. I never thought about sort of fading into obscurity. And I’ve worked so hard at having a life, an identity, in obscurity and finding peace with that. – Steve-O
