The Scariest Thing Johnny Knoxville Has Done? Fatherhood!

Johnny Knoxville has been right in the middle of some pretty dangerous stunts throughout his life. During one stunt with a bull, the 53-year-old entertainer suffered a severe concussion, a broken wrist and several broken ribs.

But even that ordeal wasn’t as terrifying as becoming a father for the first time.

Knoxville talked with PEOPLE recently, and he remembered how scared he was when his ex-girlfriend told him she was pregnant.

I was frozen. When I was 24, and my first wife, she was then my girlfriend, said she was pregnant, we’re going to have a baby. I don’t think I’ve ever had that much fear in my life. I was waiting tables. I didn’t have any money.

He knew being a father was a huge responsibility, and to his credit, he stepped up to the plate. He took a step back from pursuing his acting career, so he could try to earn a little more money for his growing family.

Despite being so scared, Knoxville says all his worries went away when he met his daughter for the first time…

I don’t want to sound corny, because it sounds corny, but in the hospital, the baby was born and she was put into my arms. Just looking at her, all of my fear went away. It just went away. I was like, ‘I think we got this’ And it was a wonderful feeling. Being a father is… I don’t know if there’s a greater thing, you know, it’s a responsibility and it’s hard, but it’s great. I love being a parent.

In addition to his first born, Knoxville has two other kids: Rocko and Arlo.