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Random Hero: Ryan Dunn 1977-2011

By Brian Prisco | Posted Under Miscellaneous | Comments (41)



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Ryan Dunn, one of the crazy sumbitches from Jackass and “Viva La Bam!”, died in the early hours of June 20th in a car accident in West Chester, PA. I naturally assumed that in between grocery cart spills, drywall explosions, and anal violations, one of the Jackass kids was bound to die sooner or later. It just seems particularly tragic that it was in something as mundane and preventable as a drunk driving accident.

Dunn always struck me as the relatively sane one of the group — cocking his head and voicing the sheer stupidity of the antics. His hobo bearded visage would constantly be in a state of disbelief, as if to speak the audience’s unspoken “This is fucking retarded. You people are out of your fucking minds.” Bam Margera is the spoiled brat who recklessly spent millions earned from skateboarding stunts, but Dunn seemed grounded. For a guy who regularly got catapulted out of shopping carts and shoved a toy car up his anus for a film skit.

The terrible feature film the CKY kids attempted to make — Haggard — was based on Ryan Dunn’s experiences with his ex-girlfriend. After “Viva La Bam!” fell to the wayside because of the extracurricular fondling of that wall-eyed mutant Don Vito, he and Bam started a new show on Spike TV.

While Dunn’s death might not a particularly gaping hole in cinema or even an unfortunate tragedy — reports state Dunn and the other occupant were cruising home on the twisty rural highway at speeds in excess of 110 MPH after a night of drinking — it’s still affecting. He was only a year older than me, and he grew up just an hour away. I sincerely doubt it will be “a wakeup call” to anyone — the Jackass crew is the very embodiment of burn out not fade away — but it’s still sad when someone dies. Dunn was a favorite of mine and other folks.










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Comments

Whaaaaat? Holy shit. That's kind of depressing as shit. RIP Dunn.

Posted by: Nadine at June 20, 2011 10:46 AM

He was always a fav of mine too on Viva La Bam. Sad to see you go RIP.

Posted by: hoover19 at June 20, 2011 10:53 AM

i watch the jackass movies with my younger daughter. we both have agreed that ryan was the one that we could probably spend time with and not end up gouging his eyes out with forks (and she thought he was the cute one, i'm neutral on that particular topic).
shame this had to happen...

Posted by: the Fatman at June 20, 2011 10:59 AM

He was drinking and driving and killed someone else. What an asshole..

Posted by: Freddie at June 20, 2011 11:06 AM

Dude was my age...drinking and driving kills, be that a lesson to y'all!

Posted by: Gigi at June 20, 2011 11:16 AM

Tragic in the sense he took someone else with his idiocy (although there is something about personal responsibilty in regard to the passenger) . Anyway, tragic business al around.

RIP dude.

Posted by: BarbadoSlim at June 20, 2011 11:18 AM

Just watched Dunn Saturday night on Minute to win it.

Life is short. You never know.

Posted by: Jerry at June 20, 2011 11:23 AM

One down...

Posted by: wembley at June 20, 2011 11:48 AM

I totally agree with you BarbadoSlim. Tragic all the way around. As the lived their lives with reckless abandon on film, one would hope they had a sense of mortality in their daily living and make wiser choices. Completely tragic and another reason why I am pro-marijuana and anti-alcohol. Yes, both substances can be used with caution successfully, but this is the outcome of "liquid courage" more often than not.

Posted by: Beledi at June 20, 2011 12:13 PM

Brian, thank you for being apparently the only writer in the world who refrained from relating his Hot Wheels car in the ass stunt to this accident. Every single other article I've read about this today tastelessly throws that in there. If his signature had been crashing cars stunts then yeah, that would be ironic. Sticking a toy car in your ass, though stupid does not make for a relative comparison.

He did really seem like one of the more grounded guys in that crew and I feel sorry for his family and the family of the passenger.

Posted by: Paultera at June 20, 2011 12:24 PM

As tragic as his death may be, unless he was speeding too aid someone in danger, it's stupid. He made a choice to drive impaired and he killed himself and someone else. It doesn't matter how many times your junk's been stapled to a board or how successfully you've run a gauntlet of spears and broken glass in a shopping trolley. Everyone is mortal. And everyone is capable of doing great harm. I'm sorry he made tthose choices.

Posted by: Agogagogo at June 20, 2011 12:28 PM

Dunn was always a bad driver behind the scenes, he was in quite a few accidents...i know bam is fucked up right now...RIP Dunn we'll miss you!

Posted by: malcolm at June 20, 2011 12:37 PM

R.I.P. DUNN - Was my favorite on Jackass besides Knoxville. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the close friends and family.

Posted by: Christine Hirsch at June 20, 2011 12:49 PM

I pray to God those guys aren't allowed access to his ashes or coffin or whatever. The results would be hilarious.

Posted by: superasente at June 20, 2011 1:59 PM

I didn't know any of these jackass guys nor did I care to see any of their films. But if you spend your life trying to fuck yourself up, don't be surprised when the gods concur.

Posted by: Pookie at June 20, 2011 2:01 PM

I liked this guy. I am bummed he's no longer with us.
However I don't think that guy should have the word hero in the same sentence.

He was over the speed limit (fact), doing drugs while driving (likely, but not concrete as of now), and he killed his passenger (fact).

Not a random hero. Regardless, I am sad to hear this news. I wish it never happened.

Posted by: Jason at June 20, 2011 2:12 PM

I emailed this to a bunch of people with a "holy crap!" type of title. But two have already written back with articles saying this was a hoax. I'm still trying to find more sources. The Daily Beast has already taken it off their homepage banner.

Posted by: Lee at June 20, 2011 3:35 PM

If you don't want your epitaph to involve putting toys up your ass, don't do it in front of a movie camera.

Posted by: Paul Southworth at June 20, 2011 3:47 PM

"He was drinking and driving and killed someone else. What an asshole.."

Sad that he's dead. Glad it was another passenger that died and not some innocent they might have murdered. Not that I'm glad someone else died at all. Though I do find it sadder that the passenger seems to be anonymous or less important because he wasn't some douche who shoved toy cars up his ass for money.

Posted by: Protoguy at June 20, 2011 4:55 PM

And now the word "hero" has lost all meaning.

Posted by: Case at June 20, 2011 6:26 PM

I liked him too.

Posted by: Candee at June 20, 2011 6:57 PM

Sad that this happened, but there's nothing heroic about this cat, or the fact that he took someone else with him. This wasn't a case of "Naw man, I'm fine to drive," (though that wouldn't make it more justified) this was a guy who got hammered and proceeded to hot dog in his car. 110 miles an hour? Fuck. I'm just thankful that there wasn't another vehicle around.

Posted by: Kala at June 20, 2011 7:15 PM

Yeah, egregious misuse of the word "hero."

Posted by: Slash at June 20, 2011 7:49 PM

i agree with most and this is a tragedy. However we as humans can be too judgmental on a person's life. we all have had close in counters in life and been through situations where we thought we would have never made it or survived.We all have secrets we all have past, lets not judge his life and his choices, instead lets take this tragedy and hope that it reaches out to another to want to change their ways and their life choices.His life choices where his life choices and this is God's work. Lets pray for his family and for healing amongst all those who loved and cared for him. we are all humans and their only one God, let him be in conrtol

Posted by: erin at June 20, 2011 8:24 PM

No, "Random Hero" was one of Dunn's many CKY/Jackass handles. Not to get all "Duh", but duh. RIP, dummy. You were always the one I thought it would be fun to drink with.

Posted by: Starhammer at June 20, 2011 8:49 PM

Nickname or otherwise- but hero? Hardly. it's not like we lost the cure for cancer here, folks.

And Erin, if it's god plan to let his children get burned to death in random car wrecks, I'm thankful I'm an Atheist.

Posted by: Mr. Stitch at June 20, 2011 10:09 PM

"Glad it was another passenger that died and not some innocent they might have murdered."

Not quite sure why a passenger isn't an innocent. Dunn was driving, not the passenger.

Posted by: samantha t at June 20, 2011 10:15 PM

Stop judging a man who just passed away. I know you all want to make him an example of the stupidity of youth because he starred in Jackass, which you're all so above tolerating, but you don't need to be condemning a man who just died.

Posted by: Patrick the Bunny at June 21, 2011 3:49 AM

"hero"???

this prick killed an innocent passenger along with his dumbass after drinking heavy into the early morning. No sympathy for him except for his family.

Posted by: Truth Serum at June 21, 2011 4:00 AM

Stop judging a man who just passed away. I know you all want to make him an example of the stupidity of youth because he starred in Jackass, which you're all so above tolerating, but you don't need to be condemning a man who just died.

Choose better icons to attach your ardent devotion to Patrick, and you won't have to post things like that in the future.

Posted by: Mr. Stitch at June 21, 2011 8:50 AM

What the fuck is heroic about a guy who got drunk and killed himself AND someone else in a fucking car crash as a result of driving while drunk?

I hope that was supposed to be ironic... but it was failed irony.

And trust me... If it had been me in that car, me behind the wheel, driving drunk and killing myself and my passenger, I would fully expect mass rage from everyone. It's only dumb fucking luck I never killed anyone when I was a practicing alcoholic driving drunk for 12 years (and if I'd been able to get hold of a car while I was a drunk pre-driving teenager, I'd have done it, no doubt).

I was drunk, but I was responsible for my actions. I've made amends for the things I did -- paid back money I owed, apologised to people I harmed, filed back taxes, etc. That's what you do. If I had a legal issue hanging over me, I'd have dealt with that, too. I've known a few people who got sober and actually turned themselves in for past crimes, went to jail for them.

But guess what? This asshole can't. He's dead. He can't make reparations to his dead passenger or that passenger's family. It's fucked up.

Hero, my ass.

Random? Yeah. That, I'll go with.

Posted by: Maryscott O'Connor at June 21, 2011 10:52 AM

I found this posted on another site and think it fits here.

"Attention anybody that thought a single moment of any jackass movie or episode was even remotely funny.

Please travel by any vehicle other than one driven by you, to your nearest physician and politely ask to have yourself sterilized, preferably before you hatch a kid.

The human race thanks you for removing yourself from the gene pool."

The guy drank and then drove away Zero is the operative word. Zero sympathy, save it for the guy he killed.

Posted by: clancys_daddy at June 21, 2011 7:10 PM

What is sad is the endless amount of hate that this situation has generated. Do you honestly think Dunn wants even a drop of any of your pity? Honestly? Just give up the endless "he took someone with him, he killed someone else too, etc. etc." Grow up. Lesson number 1: Don't get into a car that is going to be driven by someone drunk. Especially if that person happens to own a very fast car. This tragedy has done a fantastic job of reiterating that this country is full of a bunch of lame, pathetic assholes that don't have anything better to do than to bitch about a DEAD MAN on random internet articles. I've even seen people tie this to U.S. military personnel dying and getting less coverage. The majority of the people living in this country need to grow the fuck up. Ryan Dunn doesn't want your pity, his friends don't want your pity. You're just pissed that someone who was willing to do hardcore things on film is more famous than you, and brave as fuck. R.I.P. Ryan Dunn, those who respect you as a person and stuntman will never forget you. If you choose to live hard and fast, you're gonna die hard and fast. I don't think anyone knew this better than Ryan Dunn.

Posted by: Giveituptools at June 22, 2011 12:53 AM

I don't think it's fair to claim that Dunn killed someone. Who's to say that his passenger wasn't already dead and this wasn't part of a labyrinthine suicide pact?

Posted by: Salad_Is_Murder at June 22, 2011 3:40 PM

"Do you honestly think Dunn wants even a drop of any of your pity? Honestly?" I doubt it, as you pointed out HE'S DEAD. Apparently the last thing he wanted was another drink before he drove home. This was a a lot of things but tragic is not one of them. The one that comes to mind first is idiotic.

"Ryan Dunn doesn't want your pity, his friends don't want your pity." That's probably a good thing as I don't see them getting it.

"You're just pissed that someone who was willing to do hardcore things on film is more famous than you," He made a career out of doing stupid things for morons to watch and ridcule. That's not hardcore, that's pathetic.

"If you choose to live hard and fast, you're gonna die hard and fast." The point is to leave a pretty corpse, I don't think a car fire qualifies.

Posted by: clancys_daddy at June 22, 2011 10:18 PM

@clancys_daddy- you must be a member of the westboro cult. Such a spiking desire to segregate a man for who he was puts you in the same category as those sign wielding god less people. Your probably a fat hack sitting on your ass waiting for your pizza to be delivered to your mom's nursing home's visitors' room. Probably laced with your "prized" pictures of starwars characters and action figures. I only wish for your sake you decide to give up on a life where people respect you or your opinion of others choices. Get a job, then go fuck yourself. - Random Hero you'll never be, Dunn will be remain in the thought of thousands forever. Enjoy your sad little life "CD"

Posted by: Really at June 23, 2011 2:43 PM

Really, Sorry to burst your bubble. I am about as far removed from any church (cult) group as you can get. I am an atheist and have been for well over thirty years. Until the moron managed to toast himself to a crisp I had never heard of him. It was after he kicked that I looked him up. He and his buddies are a symptom of the problems of the current age. That people found their antics even remotely amusing shows the depth of the stupidity of the masses they pandered to. The fact that he drove away while he was shitfaced drunk and took a passenger with him makes me question your intelligence in admiring him. Not really much on pizza, but I am a sucker for good Chinese take out. Mom and Dad have a nice house in the country and have no plans to move. I was never taken by the star wars craze as I was to old to find it a religious experience and many have. I happen to have a very nice career as an environmental consultant involving municipal utilities. Its actually my third and probably my retirement career. I find it very enjoyable and I happen to be one of the most happy and satisfied people I know, as my friends and family would attest. Anatomically that's not possible. In a year or two tops, no one will remember this guy, how he lived or died. You will hopefully move on to a new adoration. The projects that I have engineered, consulted on, and assisted communities to construct to provide them with clean water will outlast you and I. The question is will you grow past your adolescent angst at the loss of your hero to become a useful member of society, or will you spend your remaining year pining for what might have been you on jackass.

Posted by: clancys_daddy at June 23, 2011 9:32 PM

Clancy. Take your self rightous bull shit and shove it up your ass.

Posted by: Anyo at June 24, 2011 8:39 PM

Its not bragging, self righteous, (not rightous) or bull shit if its true.

Posted by: clancys_daddy at June 25, 2011 4:58 PM

Ryan Dunn you will be missed. You brought some much joy and entertainment to so many people. You touched my life and shaped the person I am today. Thank you.

Posted by: Ryan at July 3, 2011 7:46 AM

People fuck up get over it . We all fuck up people need to get a life u didn't know this man and u talk shit when he dies that's bull that could have been anyone of us and if it was think of how your family would feel with all the shit talking and his friend made the choice to get drunk with him and get it the car with him after he had been drinking so it was both their faults so the people calling him an ass hole and shit u can go fuck yourselves get a life ......:.........R.I.P. Ryan Dunn u were a good man and will be missed

Posted by: Dylan at July 4, 2011 11:30 AM