Steve-O made his TV debut on MTV’s Jackass by swallowing a live Goldfish and puking it back up. Now the former Wildboys star and poster child of several PETA campaigns wouldn’t harm a single hair on an animal’s head. We got a chance to talk with Steve-O about how he got involved with the often-controversial organization and what it’s like to get stripped searched by Pamela Anderson.

Campus Talk: How did you get involved with PETA?

Steve-O: PETA reached out to me a few years ago and asked if I would help with an anti-circus animal cruelty campaign after they saw me in an interview where I talked about all the animal abuse I witnessed when I worked as a circus clown. I felt a little hypocritical doing the first interview on my big leather couch but back then I only used products from animals that I would actually eat.

CT: Do you still eat meat?

SO: No. In 2008 I came across a YouTube video that basically scared me into believing I was going to go to Hell if I kept eating meat. After that I became a pescetarian and the only meat I ate was fish. I figured if Jesus was down with eating fish then I could too. I’ve since become completely vegan.

CT: What do your friends and family think about it?

SO: They’re all really cool with it. I treat the whole situation the same way I do with drugs and alcohol. If anyone tries to pressure me into doing drugs, drinking or eating meat I just don’t hang with them anymore. I don’t have time for those people.

CT: Which PETA campaign has been the most fun to work on?

SO: The commercial for the fur campaign was really a lot of fun. Not many people can say they’ve been stripped searched by Pamela Anderson. The crazy thing is when we were shooting I had a big poop stain on my underwear which was kind of embarrassing.

CT: Did you ever catch any heat from PETA for anything you ever did on Wildboys or Jackass?

SO: I remember PETA having an issue with the first stunt I ever did for Jackass where I swallowed the Goldfish and then puked it back up. There were actually a few situations on Wildboys that compromised my morals but for the most part we made sure Wildboys was a very animal-friendly show.

CT: In your opinion what’s the best way for someone to get involved with helping curb animal abuse?

SO: I really go out of my way to buy products from companies that treat animals well. I also spend a lot of time in places like vegan restaurants because it’s like I’m supporting something that’s all about compassion and living.

You can check out all the other cool stuff Steve-O has done for PETA on the PETA website. (You should definitely check out the “I’d rather go naked than wear fur” video.)