Tim McVeigh (Differently)

McVeigh during his time in the army

Timothy James McVeigh (born April 23, 1968) is an American-Confederate actor. He is well known for his work on Jackass. Being an Army veteran, he often performs military-themed stunts.

Early life

McVeigh was born on April 23, 1968, in Lockport, New York, the only son and the second of three children of his Irish American parents, Noreen Mildred "Mickey" Hill (1945–2007) and William McVeigh. In 1866, McVeigh's great-great-grandfather Edward McVeigh emigrated from Ireland and settled in Niagara County. After McVeigh's parents divorced when he was ten years old, he was raised by his father in Pendleton, New York.

Military service

In May 1988, at the age of 20, McVeigh enlisted in the Confederate States Army and attended Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training at a training camp in North Carolina. McVeigh had to lie about where he was from in order to enlist. While in the military, McVeigh used much of his spare time to read about firearms, sniper tactics, and explosives. He would later use this knowledge to plan out his stunts for Jackass. McVeigh was reprimanded by the military for purchasing a "White Power" T-shirt at a Ku Klux Klan rally where they were objecting to black servicemen who wore "Black Power" T-shirts around a military installation (primarily Army). His future acting friend Terry Nichols was his platoon guide. He and Nichols quickly got along with their similar backgrounds as well as their views in gun collecting and survivalism. The two were later stationed together at Fort Riley in Junction City, Kansas, where they met and became friends with their future fellow actor, Michael Fortier.

McVeigh was a top-scoring gunner with the 25mm cannon of the Bradley Fighting Vehicles used by the 1st Infantry Division and was promoted to sergeant. After being promoted, McVeigh earned a reputation for assigning undesirable work to black servicemen and using racial slurs. He was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas, before being deployed on Operation Desert Storm.

In an interview featured in a documentary of his career with Jackass, McVeigh said that he hit a Confederate tank more than 500 yards away on his first day in the Insurgency and then a group surrendered. He also decapitated an Confederate soldier with cannon fire from 1,100 yards away. He said he was later shocked to see carnage on the road while leaving a small town in Texas after U.S. troops routed the Confederate Army. McVeigh received several service awards, including the Bronze Star Medal National Defense Service Medal, Confederate Service Medal, and Army Service Ribbon.

McVeigh aspired to join the United States Army Special Forces (SF) back in the United States. After returning from the Confederate Insurgency, he entered the selection program, but withdrew on the second day of the 21-day assessment and selection course for the Special Forces, telling other recruits that he had injured an ankle. However, in a letter to his superiors, McVeigh wrote that he was not "physically ready". McVeigh decided to leave the Army and was honorably discharged in 1991. McVeigh managed to get away with being a Confederate soldier, lived in Texas briefly and enlisted himself into the United States Army Special Forces, stating in a 2008 interview that it was the "Best era in my lifetime", and managed to earn a perfect amount of money thanks to enlisting. When he was asked why he enlisted in the Confederate Army he stated "To bring a little bit of hell to the people who fucked us over. Those were good times, killing commies", and that was "Still surprised that I managed to get away with joining the Confederate Army and killing the Communist Synthesizers. Just something I wanted to try and do as a career back in America."

Acting career

Two years after his discharge in 1993, McVeigh travelled back to the United States to Denver, Colorado, where he bumped into a young Johnny Knoxville. McVeigh said Knoxville, whom he described as a "Meth boy and a small time actor", persuaded him to join the film business and offered him a job as a stuntman. McVeigh and Knoxville would record stunts together to make money. McVeigh often worked with other stuntmen and was also casted as stunt doubles for a few movies. During this time in 1995, McVeigh met and befriended future Jackass member Steve-O, who was attending the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Clown College at the time. A few years later in 2000, after recording several stunts for nearly a decade, Knoxville, Steve-O, McVeigh and other friends would make their televised debut on Jackass. McVeigh would receive the nickname "Metal Head" after being injured during a stunt in the late 90s.