From being launched into the air inside a well-used porta-potty to, just months ago, snapping his ankles in a skate stunt gone awry, Steve-O’s career has been defined by feats of ingenious idiocy that are as terrifying to us mere mortals as they are titter-inducing.

But while the crazy, body-busting antics understandably grab the most headlines, over the past decade, the performer’s been perfecting a different kind of terrifying feat: a stand-up comedy routine. It's one that, as of his first comedy special – March’s "Guilty As Charged" on Showtime – comes complete with kicks to the balls, strangleholds and a taser as a final punchline.

He’ll bring that one-man cavalcade of physical anarchy and personal anecdotes to Turner Hall Ballroom on Tuesday, Oct. 18. Before he hits the stage – possibly literally and probably painfully – OnMilwaukee chatted with the "Jackass" star about making his mark in comedy, meshing stunts with stand-up, and the insane exploit that even he passed on.

OnMilwaukee: When did you decide to sort of shift your career more toward stand-up comedy? Obviously, the stunts are still a part of your act and persona, but when did the stand-up become the focus?

Steve-O: I didn’t really plan it. It was over 10 years ago now that I was invited to a comedy club to do a stunt, and, when I walked in, I couldn’t think of anything crazier than trying to do stand-up. I was just terrified. It was 2006, and I was waiting for my turn to be called up to the stage. I spent the whole time trying to think of what I might say to try and get some laughs. That first night, I had a reasonably favorable experience, and before I left that night, I scheduled my return and I became fairly determined to pursue it.

I dabbled in it, and it was after I got sober that I really dove into it. After I got sober, I didn’t want to really spend my time in nightclubs or bars, because that just didn’t make sense for me. But going to comedy clubs was a different story, because I had a legitimate reason to go there. And the more I started going to comedy clubs, the more excited I got about going on stage. And I really just dove into it headfirst at that point.

When "Jackass 3-D" came out, by that time, I was going on stage at the comedy clubs every night, and I told Howard Stern that I was doing stand-up and I was really fired up about it and I wanted to get a gig that night. And as a result of that interview, I got calls from all over the country wanting me to headline comedy clubs. I was still pretty green – that was, of course, six years ago now – but I launched headlong into what proved to be a full-scale world tour, and here I am six years later, still going strong and loving it.

I really don’t emulate any other stand-up comedians out there. I do my own thing; it’s best described as a one-man show, where I tell stories and jokes, and perform silly circus tricks and stunts. And it all rolls up together into the one-man show that it is. It’s really gone over well, and I’m thrilled to be coming to Milwaukee with it.

I feel like a lot of people look at stand-up comedy and think it’s just going up on stage and being funny. How was it developing your routine and incorporating your stunts into it in a way that they’re still a part of the routine?

Initially, it was just sort of like sexual misadventures and raunchy sex stories, which have always been popular. Over the course of time, it’s kind of developed. It’s still my personal experiences and crazy stories that have happened from being a "Jackass" to my circus days, sex stuff, drug addition – basically all the craziest, juiciest stuff is what I draw from.

People want to hear the crazy stuff, I feel like. They want to hear the "Jackass" stories. It all just kind of comes from my life – and the good news is that I’ve had a crazy life, so there’s no shortage of material.

Normal people with boring lives don’t tend to make the most interesting stand-up shows.

It depends on what kind of stand-up you’re doing. When people think of a stand-up comedian, they don’t really imagine a guy who they know in a personal way; they think, "I know that guy’s jokes." For me, it’s an advantage to have a built-in audience of people who are interested in the stories I’m going to tell and the experiences I’ve had.

At the same time, it’s a little bit of an uphill battle, not having the reputation of being a stand-up comedian and being seen as transitioning in that way. But I love it, and I’m an attention whore through and through. Get me on stage, hand me a mic and I’m happy as can be. I’m thoroughly committed to putting on the best show that I can.

What was scarier for you: one of the "Jackass" stunts or that first night of stand-up comedy?

The first night of stand-up – it was scary, but I wouldn’t say it was scarier. It was later when I really prepared my first set, and I was so terrified, like, "If I forget one part, it’s all going to collapse. Will I remember it?" And I was sober at that point too, so I was a little bit more vulnerable, I suppose. In the beginning, stand-up was terrifying. A different kind of scary, but I would say no less scary than any "Jackass" stunt, for sure.

Do you think the stunts are always going to be a part of your routine, or as you get older and as more and more people recognize you as a stand-up comedian, do you think they’ll work their way out?

At this point, I really look at my show – or I should say, I go into every show seriously committed to making it the best show it can be. And for me, I feel like if I have the ability to bring physical elements to the stage, that’s what I do. I just bring to the show everything I can to make it the best show possible. So I don’t have any plans of ceasing to include physical feats in my live shows. I think it’s a function of kind of being faithful to my brand and putting on the best show that I can.

I have to ask about your "Jackass" days. Obviously you guys did some insane stuff over its time, but was there ever a stunt you passed on?

I can’t remember if it was for a "Jackass" movie or something else, but I remember an idea coming up to duct tape me heavily to a mechanical bull, and I determined that, at a certain point, you need to fall off that bull. And if you’re heavily duct taped to it, you really run a risk of spinal cord injury.

It’s always been a priority for me to avoid paralysis, so that was one that I declined. Sort of anti-climactic thing; when people hear that, they think they want something crazier, but that’s the thing I can think of.