A Hilarious Accident Got Jackass' Poopies Fired From His First Job

The conceit behind the "Jackass" franchise doesn't exactly scream longevity. One wouldn't expect the minds that brought us "Beehive Tetherball" and "Lamborghini Tooth Pull" to continue pumping out movies and specials in perpetuity. And yet, through unlikely expertise — or maybe just sheer force of will — it seems that "Jackass" has endured for over 20 years. The most recent installment, "Jackass Forever," is a testament to the timeless power of camaraderie and poop jokes. 

With most of the original "Jackass" crew now in their 40s and 50s, the daredevils had the good sense to introduce some new blood, including Zach Holmes, Jasper Dolphin, Eric Manaka, and Rachel Wolfson. It is Sean "Poopies" McInerney, though, who perhaps most quickly endeared himself to the "Jackass" mission when he endured a nasty shark bite on "Jackass Shark Week." 

Even since his teen years, Poopies has been endowed with a certain amount of recklessness. Here's the accident that got Poopies fired from his first job.

In an appearance on the podcast "Steve-O's Wild Ride," Poopies detailed the accident that got him booted from his first job. At age 18, the budding stunt personality got his first job working construction. When Poopies was assigned a new Pettibone forklift, he was unaware that the machinery required both a parking brake and a hydraulic brake. One day, upon parking the Pettibone up a hill, Poopies returned to find that the forklift had disappeared. "The thing went backwards down this hill [and] almost took down a house," he explained breezily. His boss was less enthused, telling the youngster to "Beat it, kook." 

Even at 18, Poopies had an unsinkable sense of optimism, responding to his firing with the sentiment: "Unemployment, summertime, let's go!" Years later, he would bring the same energy to much deadlier circumstances. Right after nearly having his hand bitten off by a shark, he yelled from the lifeboat, "I want a bonus!" (via YouTube). 

Poopies' construction mishap is an origin story befitting a future "Jackass" cast member. His "Jackass" co-stars came from similarly shambolic beginnings, especially Steve-O, who was also fired from an early job as a clown on a Royal Caribbean cruise. "I was fired unceremoniously," Steve-O said on "In Depth With Graham Bensinger." "[The other clowns in my troupe] went to the cruise ship brass, and they said, 'If Steve-O comes back for another contract, we all quit.'"

Luckily for Steve-O and Poopies, they would both find their true calling tempting fate with sharks and snakes. While Steve-O has been a member of "Jackass" since the series first aired in 2000, Poopies found his footing in the "Jackass" crew in 2021 — a "stable" gig for the surfer, entertainer, and YouTuber, insofar as shark bites and electric shocks can ever offer stability. Still, Poopies called his casting the fulfillment of a dream (via Instagram).

Though Poopies may not have been destined to become a construction foreman, he did admit that there was good money as a laborer building tract housing. "I was making ... pretty good money," he told Steve-O, "and I had just turned 18."

Thanks to some hard work, dedication, and forklift operation incompetence, Poopies has seen his star rise in recent years. His Texas rat snake stunt in "Jackass Forever" even earned him a Best Kiss Award at the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards. But the "Jackass" rookie admitted that his dream gig hasn't been a boon financially. The newcomer was still in the red upon joining "Jackass Forever," and his paycheck barely kept the stunt performer afloat. "I'm broke," he stated bluntly on "Steve-O's Wild Ride," in part blaming repeated COVID postponements for delaying his paycheck.

Still, the good-natured Poopies didn't blame the "Jackass" fat cats for withholding adequate pay. He was candid about his new-guy status and seemed intent on earning his keep once he proved that he was capable of committing to big stunts. If anyone could sympathize, it was his co-star Steve-O, who has been similarly forthcoming about his low pay in the early days of "Jackass." Instead of being paid per episode, Steve-O was initially paid on a stunt-by-stunt basis. "If the bit was dangerous, where I could get hurt, I was to be paid $500," he recalled on his YouTube channel. "If it was just kinda funny, I was to be paid $200."

Before Poopies gets a well-earned pay raise, he has leaned on his Cameo account and merchandise to make some money off of his newfound fame. For all we know, he'll incorporate a forklift into his next stunt.