Johnny Knoxville got to cross an item off of his bucket list after starring alongside one of his childhood heroes, Arnold Schwarzenegger, for his latest film, "The Last Stand."
"It was an unbelievable experience because I grew up idolizing him and then I finally get to do a movie with him," Johnny told Access Hollywood at a junket for his and Arnold's new action thriller. "I just still can't believe it."
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The former "Jackass" star said working with Arnold was better than he could have dreamed.
"He was so kind and generous and open with everyone. He just came on the set having a ball and it just made all the nervousness melt away," Johnny shared. "It was a dream come true for me."
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And the respect was mutual!
Arnold told Access he's been a fan of Johnny's rowdy humor for years.
"I loved all his stuff that he's done on ‘Jackass,' and all the movies [and] television. Every appearance that I've seen I laughed my head off," the former California Governor said of his admiration for Johnny. "My kids got great entertainment out of it. They're all big fans of his and so it was great to work with him.
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Adding, "He was very funny to work with because he does a lot of sticking to the script, but also a lot of improvisation. So you have to be always on your toes when you do a scene with him."
Both stars suffered injuries while filming "The Last Stand" — Johnny was hanging from a pole that accidentally crashed to the ground, and Arnold got a nasty cut to the forehead when a sharp-edged camera came too close to his face.
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"Those things happen on movies and so you can't expect to do an action movie like that and not get hurt in one bit," Arnold said, shrugging off the injuries. "Luckily it was not breaking bones or anything like that.
"As I always say, pain is temporary but what's in the film is permanent," he added. "So that's a great exchange."
"The Last Stand" – which also stars "Thor" actress Jaimie Alexander — hits theaters on January 18.
-- Erin O'Sullivan
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