Jesse James Gets Up Close And Personal

Blue-collar welder turned Hollywood heartthrob. Yup, that describes Jesse James, who is in the midst of a personal and professional renaissance. Let’s get the obvious out of the way. And yup, he is married to Sandra Bullock (they’re happy, he doesn’t talk about her). And double yup, he’s a descendant of the real Jesse James (but he makes bank rather than robs them).

Hot off his third-place finish on ‘The Celebrity Apprentice,’ Jesse has a new show on Spike TV, ‘Jesse James Is A Dead Man,’ in which he assumes the role of daredevil, taking on a different, extremely dangerous challenge every week. The series premieres Sunday, May 31st, at 10pm. James recently sat with Fancast and talked about ‘The Apprentice’, the effect of sobriety on his life, his favorite tool (we had to ask) and much more…

What was the inspiration for your new series ‘Jesse James is a Dead Man?’

It started off we were screwing around, trying to find a show for the better part of a year and listening to all kinds of pitches. Spike and I just couldn’t come together. So we just figured, let’s do some specials together – like the science of Jesse James – which was kind of like a scientific expose on all the things I like – fast cars, machine guns etc., and they would break it down on how those things work. I wasn’t really too excited about that though. I mean we could do that, it’s easy, but not really a brainbuster. Then someone came in and pitched us a show idea that was pretty much a glorified ‘Monster Garage,’ but it had the title ‘Jesse James is a Dead Man,’ and we told them we’re not going to do that show because it sucks but I’ll give you $5,000 right now for that name right now. And we bought the name off the dude.

Something about applying the name to what we were doing, it took on a whole new life. Now we have to live up to that name, we have to do a show about adventure and gaining skills and pushing yourself to a limit you didn’t think you had. It was a battle, because Viacom pushed back on the name – “No one’s going to want to advertise on a show that has death in the name.” But I said you know what, Discovery said the same thing when I came up with the title ‘Monster Garage.’ They said the name was too crazy – and that was like in 2000. So now I knew we were on the right track, because they pushed back. I knew we were onto something. Then the show kinda took on the life of what I really wanted to be doing – having fun but also making good television I think people will want to watch. It’s all stuff that scares me – I know if I’m super-scared, then I know it’s going to be fun to watch.

What kind of stuff will we be seeing in the series, and what’s the fastest you’ve ever gone on a bike?

The fastest I’ve ever gone on a bike is 181 MPH. That was over one of the bridges in Long Beach, over the harbor. There’s no cross-traffic so you can just pin it. You just have to be careful over that rise that there’s no trucks broken down or nothing. In the second episode, you’ll see the world figure 8 championships. It’s like a NASCAR oval race, except for we cross in the middle. We race the Baja 500, set a pylon record in a P51 Mustang in Reno on the Reno Air Course. We rode a BMW to the top of the Arctic Circle in the first week in December – looking for Santa? And of course in the first episode it’s all about the Nitro Bike.

Were you a daredevil as a kid?

I was crazy when I was a kid! I remember me and my cousin used to play stuntman, and we used to jump off the roof. Actually I used to jump and then I would push him. We’d jump off the roof onto mattresses, and I was going to make my own parachute one time in the tree behind my house. I tied it around my waist and jumped down and it slipped all the way down to my neck and I almost hung myself for a little while until I got out of it. I remember I was more afraid of getting in trouble from my Mom than I was from hanging myself. My whole thought was “God, I gotta get out of this before my Mom comes and beats my ass!”

How many bikes do you make per year?

We only make about 20 bikes a year. There’s about a two-year waiting list and they run anywhere from $80,000 to $150,000.

What made you do ‘The Celebrity Apprentice’ and how was your experience on the show?

I only did it because Scott Hamilton was on it. They asked me for the last few years to do it, and I said no. I usually say no to all the shows like that who ask me to do it. I only did it for Scott Hamilton – because I stole his car when I was 17 and I wanted to go tell him I was sorry.

What did you gain from being on the show?

I mean it’s network TV. I’ve been stuck on basic cable for 10 years, so the chance to do a huge TV show like that was a pretty good opportunity. I just wanted to work hard and not embarrass myself, and not really take any shit off anyone – as usual.

Speaking of that, you and Clint Black had a bit of a rough patch…

Yeah, we’re cool now though. I don’t think he’s a bad guy. He’s just one of those guys that you put a camera on him and he turns into a dick. Like they’re afraid of screwing up so bad that they screw up.

And what about the Annie Duke- Joan Rivers war?

They genuinely hate each other. But I like both of them, I think they’re both great. I mean Joan is a sweet 76-year-old lady, what are you gonna be like, “I hate you. I hate you Grandma?” Nah. And Annie is super driven and smart, and just really sweet. She’s just one of those chicks that chicks hate. We all know from high school, there’s the one girl all the other girls just don’t like.

What did your kids think of your being on the show?

They thought it was funny. Now the two oldest ones are getting to the age where they can stay up and watch that stuff (they’re 12 and 14). But they still think I’m a big dork because I’m their Dad. But now all their friends know that their Dad is a dork too.

You really opened up in one episode about your sobriety. How long have you been sober, and how did that change your life?

I’ve been sober 9 years and it changed my life drastically. I went from being a shithead with a struggling business and failing marriage to now – business is pretty good and I’m happily married and I have great, happy, healthy kids.

I know you opened your own burger joint. What in your mind makes a truly great burger?

Well you have to be able to see the meat when you open the bun. I think it’s flavor, and the way it’s cooked, and it can’t be frozen. We use fresh ground Angus patties that we get from a butcher every single day, never frozen. Great ingredients, fresh buns that are baked that morning…I think the longer the stuff sits around and travels, it loses how good it is. I eat there every single day – it’s got a full veggie menu. We make our own homemade blackbean patties, which was an education. There’s a lot of vegetarians in Long Beach, so I have a special grill that no meat ever touches.

Is it true you have a Prius?

Yeah we have a Prius that’s a delivery car. I built the restaurant, and I said, if I’m gonna do it I’m gonna do it. It’s cheaper to be solar-powered because 60 percent of my electric bill goes away.

What’s your favorite tool?

I have a plum roofing hammer, that when my Grandpa died, they let me take anything out of his toolbox, and it’s my favorite roofing hammer.

What’s your favorite place in the garage?

Probably on the floor, underneath the car.

What’s your favorite place to ride?

There’s a 3-mile stretch of road between Seal Beach and Sunset Beach, where I live, and there’s no cross-traffic and there’s this bridge that goes up over the ocean and down it – it’s PCH. I lived on the Seal Beach side, and every time I’d take off and go over that bridge over in the next town, I’d feel calm and relaxed because I could pin it and there’s no cops. No one’s going to pull out in front of me. So I sold that house and bought a house on the other side of that so I could ride that extra three miles every day.

What music do you listen to when you work?

It depends on what I’m doing. All of it is mood-reflective. If I’m really hammering something, I’ll listen to Unita or Monster Magnet or Slayer. But if it’s something that really requires a lot of concentration, like calming, I seem to weld the best with BB King. I crank out the best welds with BB King, and only the Live at the Regal album.

What’s your philosophy on people?

I’m an entrepeneur of humans. I meet people and figure out pretty fast what they’re all about. If they like me, or I’m keen on them, or they interest me, then they’re cool. Some people – I just blow right past them. It may seem shallow, but I’ve always said there’s two types of people in the world – those that can weld, and those that can’t. Someone that can weld, there’s a lot of stuff about them I’ll have in common with. There’s a great lady in Texas that’s a welder at a nuclear power plant and she’s the most interesting lady I’ve ever talked to.

Do you have a morning routine?

I get up, I read three newspapers, have coffee, make the kids breakfast, take them to school, and then go to the gym and the shop. That’s what I do every single day.

What do you always have in your pocket?

Usually my wallet and my switchblade and two cellphones.

Are there any little things that tick you off at home?

Telemarketers that call at 8 o’clock, or calling to tell me that my warranty expired on some car I sold two years ago.

More on These Topics: Jesse James | Jesse James Is A Dead Man | The Celebrity Apprentice