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Showing posts with label Survivor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Survivor. Show all posts
Friday, March 7, 2014
'Survivor': 3 Q's for Jeff Probst
Each week, host Jeff Probst will answer a few questions about the latest episode of ‘Survivor: Cagayan.’
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Oh my God! That rain! That wind! Those waterlogged hands and feet! I love it! As a producer, what is that sweet spot of just the right amount of misery you shoot for? On one hand, it’s amazing to see people struggling out in the elements against the force of Mother Nature. But I’m sure you also worry about your players just huddling up under shelter and not doing anything all day because you want them out there doing stuff.
JEFF PROBST: Good question! When it comes to Mother Nature, there is definitely a point of diminishing returns. We were close to that point in Samoa when it rained for something like twenty one straight days. When it gets that bad it not only impacts the Survivors’ health, but also their morale. It also impacts the show, making it hard for us to get from point A to point B and hard to build our challenges. So the sweet spot is probably a good rain storm every few episodes. It’s really quite a balancing act because you want them under constant stress and crisis because that is part of the adventure, but you never want it to crush their spirit.
EW: You make your initial impressions of the contestants as you go through the casting process. Now that they have been playing out there, which contestants at this point totally surprised you in either a positive or negative way? Whom did you have pegged wrong?
PROBST: Well, let me start by saying that I am usually wrong, about a lot of things, but almost always wrong when assessing a Survivor cast. Spencer is probably my biggest turnaround so far. We went at it pretty good during the casting process because he is fun to antagonize and I did tell him that he had “zero point zero” chance of winning this game because he lacked absolutely any social awareness. He grew on me pretty quickly, and I now think he could win this game if he can just find a way out of the massive hole he’s already in with the brain tribe. Kass is another one that I was concerned about. I wasn’t sure she was going to “show up” ready to play. I was wrong. She’s definitely playing. We haven’t gotten to know enough of the other players yet so I’ll withhold my opinion for now. But overall I REALLY like this group. I did from day one. I knew we had a good cast and they are delivering. And let’s not forget I’m playing a game with them too, so sometimes my comments are just that — game play.
EW: So the Beauty alliance of 4 splits their vote to protect against a possible idol (even though LJ had it) and then votes out Brice on the revote. Not to nerd out on voting theory too much, but what would make you more nervous if you were one of those voting in the alliance of four: splitting the vote and therefore making yourself vulnerable if one of your four flips, or not splitting the vote and making yourself vulnerable if an opponent pulls an idol? These are the things that keep me up at night, Jeffrey!
PROBST: Hmm… given that specific scenario I’d be more concerned about not splitting the vote. Idols are just such a crazy wild card and there is no way to predict if someone will play it or not. We’ve seen people hold them to the end to keep as a souvenir — which is super risky — and we’ve seen people play them the moment they think they’re in trouble, and we’ve seen people voted out of of the game with one or even two idols in their possession.
EW: ACK! Nothing causes me to lose it more than a tribe throwing a challenge, and the preview teases we may possibly see that coming up. Tease us up for next week’s episode, sir.
PROBST: Ah, there is so much to tease as it’s another stellar episode. I’m gonna tease not just one but two great challenges! One will make you laugh and then your jaw will drop. One will make you laugh and then scream at your TV. Edge of your seat drama and fun!
Click on the video player below for an exclusive deleted scene from last night’s episode, and make sure to read Dalton’s recap. Also, for ‘Survivor’ scoop sent directly to you, follow Dalton on Twitter @DaltonRoss.
Saturday, January 11, 2014
'Lone Survivor': What critics are saying
Image Credit: Gregory R. PetersLone Survivor tells the true story of elite SEAL Marcus Luttrell and his band of brothers, who were sent on a dangerous 2005 mission in Afghanistan that quickly went FUBAR. When the four soldiers — played by Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Ben Foster, and Emile Hirsch — are discovered in hostile territory by shepherds who may or may not be aligned with the Taliban, they have to decide whether to execute their captives and continue their stealth operation or release them and risk being surrounded by numerically superior forces.
The soldiers quickly realize that it’s a life-or-death decision, one that not all of them will survive. When the Taliban confronts the isolated SEALs and the bullets begin to fly, the subsequent firefight is one of the most harrowing ever recorded on film. “The action that follows is excruciating and relentless, and [director Peter] Berg doesn’t spare the audience,” writes EW’s Chris Nashawaty. “If anything, he rubs our noses in the blood, sweat, and tears of combat.”
Lone Survivor eschews politics and instead aims for bluntly proving the wisdom of Robert E. Lee, who once said, “It is well that war is so terrible — lest we should grow too fond of it.”
Advertisements for the film have raised comparisons to Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan, but the more apt comparison might be Black Hawk Down, Ridley Scott’s 2001 war movie about the failed rescue of American soldiers in Somalia. Before you head to the theater, read what some of the nation’s leading critics are saying about Lone Survivor, which opened Dec. 25 but expands across the country today.
Chris Nashawaty (Entertainment Weekly)
“Berg has fast become a sort of specialist in macho cinema. But that style of storytelling is trickier to pull off than it seems. It needs to give us more than gung ho military jargon, backslapping band-of-brothers camaraderie, and crimson arias of violence. It requires nuance. And in Lone Survivor, Berg never quite finds the right balance. It isn’t clear what he wants to tell us besides ‘War is hell.”’
Joe Morganstern (Wall Street Journal) ?
“All four performances are first-rate, and the action is staged with shattering intensity. Literally and graphically shattering. The film is a celebration of courage, and the brotherhood of warriors facing unfathomable danger in the service of their country.”
Betsy Sharkey (Los Angeles Times)
“Berg is more interested in how men deal with battle than the ideals or the politics that put them there. What the movie achieves, with a gruesome energy and a remarkable reality, is a firefight. … Captured in uncompromising detail by director of photography Tobias Schliessler, this movie is not for the faint of heart.”
Dana Stevens (Slate)
“Lone Survivor is almost an antiwar film: It evokes the confusion, panic, and raw fear of battle with such vividness you want to run out of the theater. Ultimately, Berg seems less concerned with this war in particular than he is with the experience of fighting in any war.”
Michael O’Sullivan (Washington Post)
“What’s missing here is something, or rather, someone, to care about. The film presumes our emotional investment in Luttrell and his fellow soldiers’ mission, simply by virtue of — well, it’s never quite clear what. … They’re movie stars in camo, pretending to be massacred for the camera.”
Geoff Pevere (Toronto Globe and Mail)
“Part of [the story] is also a cliché, a myth as old as the Alamo, and the true test of that myth is how it holds up against the cold scrutiny of truth and experience. And it’s a myth that writer-director Berg, for all the intimacy with which he wishes to acquaint us with the sensation of being shot to bits, doesn’t even try to test.”
Mick LaSalle (San Francisco Chronicle)
“The actors, especially Wahlberg as Luttrell and Ben Foster as Matt Axelson, are convincing in their humanity, agony and ferocity, but there is no escaping a sameness that sets in by the second or third time the men are shown tumbling down a stone hill and landing on rocks.”
Justin Chang (Variety)
“The actors acquit themselves well in and out of combat, with the ever-chameleonlike Foster disappearing the most into his role as Axe, every bit as sharp and deadly as his nickname. Kitsch … shows his own promising signs of career rehabilitation here as Murphy, the team’s goodhearted, self-sacrificing leader.”
Ty Burr (Boston Globe)
“Lone Survivor is a paean to the harsh romance of endurance. Still, what happens if you’re the only one who endures? There are aspects of this story that don’t make it into Berg’s account and that might have made for a richer, more ambiguous, more ambitious film — a story true to both a soldier’s experience and to human nature.”
A.O. Scott (New York Times)
“The defining trait of Lone Survivor — with respect to both its characters and Mr. Berg’s approach to them — is professionalism. It is a modest, competent, effective movie, concerned above all with doing the job of explaining how the job was done.”
Todd McCarthy (Hollywood Reporter)
“Lone Survivor no doubt accomplishes everything it wants to achieve: It drops the viewer right in with the SEALs, makes you admire their toughness, bravery and abilities, and puts you through the wringer. It also makes you realize that, if they’re forced to make a tough decision, it might not be the right one.”
Lone Survivor
Overall Metacritic rating (1-100): 59
Rotten Tomatoes: 73 percent
Rated: R
Length: 121 Minutes
Starring Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Ben Foster, Emile Hirsch
Directed by Peter Berg
Distributor: Universal
[Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly said that U.S. Marines were involved in the Battle of Mogadishu, the 1993 clash depicted in the movie Black Hawk Down. U.S. forces actually were composed primarily of Army Rangers and Special Forces.]
Sunday, October 6, 2013
'Survivor': Colton defends himself
Colton Cumbie secured his place in Survivor infamy last night when — coming off a season in which he was a legitimate contender for most unlikable Survivor contestant ever — he quit just days into Survivor: Blood vs. Water because he didn’t like his tribemates. But if he thought he was taking the easy way out, he was wrong, because host Jeff Probst lit into him for what the host suggested was a “selfish” move. Actually, the host suggested a lot more than that, even reaching into the past of Survivor: One World to throw another accusation Colton’s way. “What is it that has happened on your tribe that is forcing you to quit,” asked Probst, “for what now I can confirm for myself is a second time? The first time you feigned an appendicitis. Turns out you didn’t have it. You want to own that one now?”
Colton called into Entertainment Weekly Radio (SiriusXM, channel 105) this morning and, in fact, did not want to own it, claiming that it was some sort of mystery illness that led him to leave Survivor: One World. Colton told Jessica Shaw and me exactly why he quit this time, how he felt about Probst raking him over the coals, and what he thinks the public’s perception of him is now. He also reveals what put him on the outs of the tribe (targeting Aras), and that he actually would not have quit had Tyson swapped places with Rachel at Redemption Island, putting her on his tribe. Whether you love him or hate him — and I’m guessing almost everyone falls into the latter category — you’ll want to hear what Colton has to say about his latest debacle of a showing and you can do it by clicking on the audio player icon below.
But that’s not all! Survivor’s Rachel Foulger (who became the third contestant to leave the game after she lost her Redemption Island duel) also called in to talk about why she convinced Tyson to not switch places with her and what she makes of big, bad Brad Culpepper. Get Rachel’s take on her early exit right here.
And then switching gears for you non-Survivor fans, Emily VanCamp stopped by EW Radio studios to dish on the new season of Revenge and being shot in a wedding dress on a yacht and falling into the water. (Don’t you hate it when that happens!) Hear Emily give all the teases for season 3 and explain why the show is primed to get good again. (Fingers crossed!)
It is a can’t miss podcast and you can click on the audio player icon below to enjoy the whole thing for yourself. You can also download the entire podcast right here. Or, since we’re on iTunes, you can subscribe for free and take the podcast with you. No iTunes? No problem. To send a question to the InsideTV Podcast team, follow us on Twitter @InsideTVPodcast. And to hear more interviews and television discussion and debate, check out Entertainment Weekly Radio channel 105 on SiriusXM.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
'Survivor': Jeff Probst on nail-biter cast change
Something was fishy when I arrived in the Philippines the day before the filming began to interview the 10 pairs set to compete in Survivor: Blood vs. Water. Namely, the fact that one of them was missing. RC Saint-Amour (from Survivor: Philippines) and her father Craig, who were supposed to be one of the dynamic duos, were nowhere to be found. And the other contestants were just as confused as I was. RC and her dad had indeed traveled over to the Philippines with the other cast members, and were staying at the same pre-game location with them. Then, all of a sudden, they were gone.
Nobody was sure where they had gone or why. Were they coming back? Were they alternates that had been sent home? Had they violated some sort of rule? All the other players knew is that they were now down to only nine couples competing in the game. But not for long. At the end of the day, just 24 hours before the show would start filming with its new Day Zero twist, a new couple arrived on the scene — Candice Cody (formerly Candice Woodcock from Cook Islands and Heroes vs. Villains) and her husband John.
The other shocked contestants — who got their first look at the new couple when they were brought in for the group cast photo — had just encountered their very first twist in the most twist-heavy season in Survivor history. In the video interview below, host Jeff Probst reveals exactly what happened, and why RC and her father were pulled from the game right before filming began. “We had our 10 pairs out here and we were good to go,” says Probst. “We got out here and RC and her father Craig — who we loved and wanted back on the show, RC for obvious reasons. Her dad is just as good. But when our doctors were checking them, medically his blood pressure was very high. And it was so high that we had to pull him from the game.”
Then it was a race to get Candice and John all the way from Washington, D.C. to a remote corner of the Philippines in time. “I emailed immediately to [casting director Lynne Spillman] and said ‘they’re out, we need them’. Within, I don’t know, an hour later, we knew what flight they were on, what time they were gonna arrive, we had the chopper over there to pick them up, It’s a whirlwind, but that’s Survivor.”
It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen before in all the times I’ve been on location covering the show. How will the last minute deletion of RC and her father, and the addition of Candice and her husband affect the other teams? And does coming in late after all the other teams had arrived put the newcomers at a disadvantage? We’ll find out when Survivor: Blood vs. Water premieres with a special 90 minute episode on Sept. 18. But to hear more from Jeff Probst on the big last minute switch, click on the video player below.
Sunday, August 25, 2013
'Survivor: Blood vs. Water': A list of new twists
Jeff Probst already announced on Entertainment Weekly Radio that the next season of Survivor — subtitled Blood vs. Water — would feature returning Survivor contestants playing with (or, rather, against) their loved ones. Then, yesterday we revealed that one of those pairs would be Survivor: One World’s Kat Edorsson and her boyfriend, Big Brother season 12 winner Hayden Moss. Now the rest of the cast can be officially unveiled. And that cast will be playing in the most twist-heavy Survivor season ever.
Among the cast of Survivor: Blood vs. Water —which filmed this past May and June in the Philippines — will be a contestant from the group that started it all, as season 1 player Gervase Peterson returns to compete along with his niece Marissa. He will be joined by three million dollar winners — Tina Wesson from The Australian Outback (who will be playing with daughter Katie), Aras Baskauskas from Panama (with brother Vytas), and Rupert Boneham, who has never won in his three previous outings but did collect a million dollars as the winner of a special fan voted prize given away during the All-Stars season. He will be joined by his wife Laura.
In a surprise, the new cast also features three players from One World — which is generally considered one of the weakest Survivor seasons ever. Joining Kat will be Monica Culpepper (and husband Brad) and the controversial Colton Cumbie (and fiancé Caleb). Rounding out the cast are threepeaters Tyson Apostol (with girlfriend Rachel) and the former Candice Woodcock (now Candice Cody, with husband John), as well as Laura Morett from Samoa (with daughter Ciera).
Survivor host Jeff Probst gives credit for the loved ones concept to Survivor casting director Lynne Spillman. “It’s something she brought up for years,” Probst told EW.com. “But this year she pitched it and she said, ‘I think I can pull it off. I think I’ve found the right amount of couples.’ And once we started talking about it and talking about who would play, it went from something we thought about doing next year to something we were going to do this season. It was one of those moments were I left and went ‘Oh, everything’s different.’” As if having returning players playing against their loved ones was not a big enough twist, there are several other smaller changes, some of which could dramatically alter the way the game is played. Here they are:
* For the first time ever, the game will not be 39 days long, but rather 39-and-a-half days, as the couples will begin the game the night prior to day one with a new twist titled “Day Zero.” The 10 pairs will be sent out at sunset to 10 different locations to live by themselves for the night. They will then all meet up to be officially welcomed by host Jeff Probst and start the game the next morning. “The whole idea was to try and get them thinking and maybe believing that they would play as a pair,” says Probst.
* Just minutes after congregating, the returning players and their loved ones will be split into two different tribes, with the returning players making up the yellow Galang tribe and the newbies comprising the red Tadhana tribe. “Suddenly your partner becomes your adversary, your competition,” says Probst. “And that was the whole premise of Blood Vs. Water. How is that going to play out in a game where only one person can win?”
* First impressions can be key in the game like Survivor, and that will prove true here as just moments after meeting each other, each team will vote one member off their tribe. They will later be informed that these people have not been voted out of the game, but rather will be sent to Redemption Island, which makes its return after having been absent for the past three seasons. There they will battle to stay alive and reenter the game at a later point.
* Confused yet? Well, it gets even more confusing! Jeff Probst will then immediately offer each of the loved ones of the two people voted off the opportunity to trade places with them, meaning that if, say, returning player Tina is voted out of her tribe at the start, her daughter Katie can opt to take her place at Redemption Island instead, and Tina would then join the tribe of newbies.
* As mentioned, Redemption Island is back. Anyone voted out will be sent there and will then compete in a three person duel. The last place finisher in each contest is out of the game for good, while the top two remain. However, if someone’s loved one is still in the game they can take their loved one’s place before a duel. (So if, say, Monica is at Redemption Island but her husband Brad thinks he would do better at a duel involving strength, he can swap places with her, electing to do the duel while she takes his place on his tribe. They could then swap again at the next duel if it is a contest better suited to her strengths.) “That puts blood and water to the test,” says Probst. “And we’re gonna do it at every duel. So the first time early in the game, somebody may say ‘It’s just too early.” But as those duels increase and they get closer to what they think might be a merge, their strategy is going to start to change.”
* That’s not all when it comes to Redemption Island. The person who finishes first in each duel will also get to give a clue to the location of a hidden immunity idol to any person from either tribe that they choose. “There’s all these things you can do,” says Probst. “Because for a moment, even though you’re on the outest, furthest part of the game, you have a little bit of power.”
Video interviews with all 10 couples from Survivor: Blood vs. Water can be found in the video player below along with a full cast list. Also, make sure to check out our photo gallery of the new cast, complete with quotes and observations on each. And for more Survivor news and views all season long, follow Dalton on Twitter @DaltonRoss.
The new cast of Survivor: Blood vs. Water:
TYSON APOSTOL & RACHEL FOULGER (DATING)
Tyson Apostol
Previous Seasons: Survivor: Tocantins – 2nd jury member; Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains – 6th voted out
Age: 34
Rachel Foulger
Occupation: Cocktail Waitress/Graphic Designer
Age: 33
ARAS BASKAUSKAS & VYTAS BASKAUSKAS (BROTHERS)
Aras Baskauskas
Previous Season: Survivor: Panama – Exile Island, winner
Age: 31
Vytas Baskauskas
Occupation: Yoga Instructor/Math Professor
Age: 33
RUPERT BONEHAM & LAURA BONEHAM (MARRIED)
Rupert Boneham
Previous Seasons: Survivor: Pearl Islands – 2nd jury member; Survivor: All Stars – 6th jury member, won $1 million for fan favorite; Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains – 7th jury member
Age: 49
Laura Boneham
Occupation: Merchandiser
Age: 44
CANDICE CODY & JOHN CODY (MARRIED)
Candice Cody (formerly Woodcock)
Previous Seasons: Survivor: Cook Islands – 5th jury member; Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains – 5th jury member
Age: 30
John Cody
Occupation: Physician, Army Orthopedic Surgery Resident
Age: 30
MONICA CULPEPPER & BRAD CULPEPPER (MARRIED)
Monica Culpepper
Previous Season: Survivor: One World – non-jury, 5th out
Age: 42
Brad Culpepper
Occupation: Attorney and retired NFL player. Played for the Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears.
Age: 44
COLTON CUMBIE & CALEB BANKSTON (ENGAGED)
Colton Cumbie
Previous Season: Survivor: One World – medically evacuated on day 16 due to illness – 6th out
Age: 22
Caleb Bankston
Occupation: Post Office Manager/Farmer
Age: 26
KAT EDORSSON & HAYDEN MOSS (DATING)
Kat Edorsson
Previous Season: Survivor: One World – 6th jury member
Age: 23
Hayden Moss
Occupation: Real Estate
Age: 26
LAURA MORETT & CIERA EASTIN (MOTHER AND DAUGHTER)
Laura Morett
Previous Season: Survivor: Samoa – 3rd jury member
Age: 43
Ciera Eastin
Occupation: Cosmetology Student
Age: 24
GERVASE PETERSON & MARISSA PETERSON (UNCLE AND NIECE)
Gervase Peterson
Previous Season: Survivor: Borneo – 3rd jury member
Age: 43
Marissa Peterson
Occupation: Student
Age: 21
TINA WESSON & KATIE COLLINS (MOTHER AND DAUGHTER)
Tina Wesson
Previous Seasons: Survivor: The Australian Outback – winner; Survivor: All Stars – non-jury, 1st out
Age: 52
Katie Collins
Occupation: Hedge fund support
Age: 25
Thursday, April 25, 2013
'Survivor': 4 Q's for Jeff Probst
Image Credit: Monty Brinton/CBSEach week, host Jeff Probst answers a few questions about the most recent episode of ‘Survivor: Caramoan — Fans vs. Favorites’.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Jeff, you have to explain it to me because it drives me batty every single time. I know they are all starving. I get that. But why do people at the food auction not wait and spend every single dollar of their money on the items that can help them in the game? Malcolm and Cochran both got their idol clue and challenge advantage for less than $500! How can that happen?
JEFF PROBST: The beauty of Survivor is that there are always, I repeat, always people who are certain they are safe. For those people the auction is free food! There is also a strategy that says even though I am not certain I’m safe, if I show my alliance that I am concerned by going for an advantage at the auction they make think I am planning a move of my own and it may backfire, so better to stay with the crowd and go with the flow. As for how Cochran and Malcolm stole the clue and advantage – that is a good observation. I’m guessing people were so focused on the food in front of them they just stopped paying attention. Those who pay attention are often rewarded. Onward now, grasshopper.
EW: You have forced contestants to make certain choices at the auction before, but definitely seemed to kick up the Let’s Make a Deal aspect this time around. When you give Reynold three covered options — one bad, one okay, and one good — which item are you hoping he picks? Be honest!
PROBST: Honestly – I don’t care. I am mainly focused on remembering which order to reveal them based on which one he chooses. But if you gave me an option — I always want them to get food. I like auctions to be fun and for morale to be restored. Despite what you might believe, they are not overfed!
EW: BONUS QUESTION! What happens to the money they hand over to you at the auction? Is it used to purchase new Survivor baseball caps?
PROBST: That money goes right back into our show. It’s not real money in that sense. We just take it out of petty cash and whatever we get back goes right back into the next challenge, or reward. I am proud to say I have never pocketed even one twenty dollar bill.
EW: This group of Favorites made a lot of big time blunders their first time playing. Which player has stepped up his or her game the most the second time out? I’m thinking self-proclaimed challenge dominator John Cochran must be near the top of the list.
PROBST: I think a case can be made for a few folks. Cochran is definitely playing a major game. He has put all of his knowledge of the game together with a much bigger sense of confidence. It’s deadly. Andrea had a great teacher in Boston Rob and she is performing exactly as I knew she would. She is using her smarts of the game along with a very refined charm to put her smack dab in the middle of this whole thing. I wanted her back the moment she lost her final duel on RI the first time she played. Dawn has stepped up her game in a big way as well. She’s still crying but she’s doing it while making big moves! I think Brenda is playing a good game as well. It’s a quiet game but it’s cagey. Everybody knows that Brenda is a threat to win — it’s not sliding past anybody. Erik is playing the same kind of game and I think Malcolm played pretty close to the way he played last time. The only thing that hurt him last time was losing a challenge. He had the social game from day one. Here’s something that will make you think I’m crazy — I believe any of the remaining Favorites could still win this game. I really do. How often does that happen? Even Dawn thru the tears — if she is with the right two people could make a very good case of strategy. Erik, though quiet, is very likable. The others — it would be a dogfight and I wouldn’t want to go up against any of them. They are all super deserving.
EW: Tease us up for next week, sir!
PROBST: Oh where do I begin? This season is on such a roll. Well let’s see — we tempt them down with food and once again I am BLOWN away by decisions made during an immunity challenge. Cochran continues to flex his muscles and Tribal? Holy cow. Awesome. Enjoy!
To watch an exclusive deleted scene from last night’s episode, simply click on the video player below. To read Dalton’s recap, click right here. And for more ‘Survivor’ scoop, follow Dalton on Twitter @DaltonRoss.
Friday, April 19, 2013
'Survivor': Phillip has his say...
SPOILER ALERT Stop reading now if you don’t want to know who got elminated from last night’s episode of Survivor. Click below to read a chat with the recently-booted castaway:
The Specialist himself, Phillip Sheppard, got the boot on Survivor last night thanks to Malcolm’s jaw-dropping double-immunity idol stunt, which turned the tables on the Stealth-R-Us alliance and cut their leader out of the game. (Read Jessica Shaw’s recap of the craziness here.)
Sheppard called the EW office this morning to discuss his Survivor journey, his decision to sit out last night’s immunity challenge, and his thoughts on Malcolm’s blindside game-changer. We also asked the Specialist what he thought of Corinne Kaplan calling him a “living miscarriage” two weeks ago. You can bet he had something to say.
Check out the full chat below:
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: So, how are you feeling today?
PHILLIP SHEPPARD: I’m feeling absolutely awesome. You know, I had a great time playing this season, and to be 55 years old, enjoying the health that I’ve enjoyed in my life, and to have an opportunity to play Survivor again as the Specialist and bring back Stealth-R-Us, I mean, how can I feel anything but wonderful?
Did you come to Caramoan with a different strategy than the one you employed on Redemption Island?
Well, let’s put it this way: The first time I played, I had 17 votes cast against me, which is a Survivor record as far as anyone making the final three. How many votes did I have cast against me before last night? One, by Brandon Hantz. So I think, whether you perceived it or not, I definitely played a different game. I was able to be much more physically strong in challenges. Until the swap, I owned it. I was the one carrying our tribe. Mentally, I played a different game. You heard me a lot of times speaking about what I called the B.R. rules. That was to demonstrate that, though everybody thought I was “the wacky former federal agent” playing the first time — they didn’t understand how I was playing — I also took very good notes. I never spoke to Boston Rob about the rules themselves, so that’s what I observed, and I wanted to show by playing this time that, in fact, I paid attention. So I came out there, I immediately established an alliance with Andrea, Dawn, Cochran, Corinne, and I tried with Eric. The very first words he said to me on the beach were, “Hey man, my entire family told me not to trust you.” That was the first thing, not, “Hi, how are you?”
Did you talk with Boston Rob before heading to the jungle?
I didn’t talk to him. I saw him in LA once when he flew out here for a visit. Occasionally we’ll text each other like, “Hey, how’s it going? How are you and the family? Congrats on the show.” Things like that. But no, we did not have any conversations like, “Hey, Phillip, this is how you should play.” Nothing like that whatsoever. He sent me a text last night saying him and Amber really enjoyed this season, that I was very entertaining, that I was the guy in terms of entertainment value this season, stuff like that. But people thought that I was trying to be Boston Rob. I’m 55 years old. I’m not 35 years old. I wasn’t trying to be him. I was just trying to demonstrate — If I played basketball with Kobe over the weekend, and he said, “You’ve got to do a crossover move like this,” I wanted to show that I’d paid attention to what I saw him do out there. That’s all that was, really.
Let’s talk about last night. Do you still feel okay about skipping the immunity challenge?
Yes I do. I explained what the circumstance were, but that morning, I wasn’t feeling 100 percent. That challenge was — you saw how many times they did, and I just really didn’t have it within me to do it. As I said during the game, as a boy I had to experience something so overwhelming, but my exit had nothing to do with that challenge. Others may look at it that way, but to be 55 — I was 54 in that game — I just didn’t have it in me to do that. You saw people that were great swimmers like Brenda – and Malcolm didn’t even get out of the water, by the way. To give you an idea of how hard that challenge was, when Reynold won it, Malcolm was still in the water.
So do you think you would have even been competitive?
No, not even close to competitive. I would have been dead last. You saw the last water challenge where I held my breath under the water. I was the first one out on that.
Your fellow alliance often laughed you off in their confessionals, but from what we saw, you were kind of running the show out there. Did you feel that way?
Oh, I was leading it. I absolutely was leading it from the standpoint that my voice was being heard. Andrea and I were in a very tight alliance in the game.
Did you have a particularly close alliance with her?
I had the closest alliance with her. She was the person that I established trust with in the game. Cochran and I were playing together, but I also knew that, at some point, he would target me or I would target him. One of the things that I enjoyed about this season was that everybody came to play. So, I was able to get a really good alliance with four people. It was myself, Andrea, Cochran, and, to a certain extent, Dawn, until she was kind of off the deep end a little bit. A lot of crying, a lot of emotional stuff going on. A lot more than what you saw.
Anyone else?
I tried to work with Corinne a little bit – she was what we call a butter bar lieutenant in the army. A butter bar lieutenant is the guy that has a little yellow bar [on his uniform], as opposed to the silver bar, which is a first lieutenant. A lot of times they come in, they think they know a lot more than what they know, and you put them out on point, and if they don’t pay attention to the more senior officer, they can find themselves in a whole world of mess. So that’s who she was out there for me. I felt like, to a certain extent, I was in a little bit of control, but I certainly wasn’t thinking, “I’m in control. I’m in control.” I really try to have fun out there and tried to work with the group and tried to advance the side I was on. I was really pulling for the favorites.
Speaking of Corinne, she had some very harsh words with you in our InsideTV Podcast a few weeks ago, during which she called you a “living miscarriage.” Have you spoken to Corinne at all about that? Do you have any response?
I haven’t talked to Corinne since the game. You know, in a lot of interviews I’ve heard people ask questions like, “Is Phillip delusional?” Frankly, I think Corinne is very delusional in terms of her perception of who she is in relation to other people. The biggest issue I have with Corinne is that she is a very vulgar person. You guys have no idea, and I’m so glad. CBS knows and Mark Burnett knows that this is a family show. Survivor is a family show. You would see her speak about unspeakable things in the game about what she does around Hollywood, who she parties with, where she goes for behavior that — look, if that’s what you want to engage in and view in someone’s home or houses around Hollywood, by all means, this is a great country, and you can do what you want to do — but you don’t need to come all the way out there in the jungle, with a person like myself and other younger people in the game and describe that in such graphic detail. That’s what we heard from Corinne, and it was disgusting, frankly. So, I won’t make any personal characterizations about her in terms of the way she’s decided to speak about me. Frankly, I don’t believe it was warranted, her comments. I didn’t listen to her interview with EW, but I heard enough about it, and I’ve seen the types of comments that she’s made, and I’ve seen how she’s taken a copy of my novel, The Specialist: The Costa Rica Job, and wrote inappropriate things on the cover. That’s where she’s coming from. When I see someone behaving as badly as she is both publicly and in comments she’s said about me – and of course when she played before she said nasty things about Sugar – I think speaks more about who she is. I don’t want to personalize it and say she’s a horrible person. In fact, when I see someone struggling emotionally, physically, the fact that they feel a need to come out and talk like that, I have a lot of compassion for them. I try to keep them in my prayers and hopefully they can eventually get to a better place. I feel very sad for her.
NEXT: Phillip talks Malcolm and his Stealth-R-Us strategy
Thursday, March 14, 2013
'Survivor': Q's for Jeff Probst
Image credit: Monty Brinton/CBSEach week, host Jeff Probst answers a few questions about the most recent episode of ‘Survivor: Caramoan — Fans vs. Favorites’.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: I asked you before the season started if Brandon was really emotionally stable enough to come back and play this game again, especially after we saw what happened to him last time. Now that we’ve all seen the result, I wonder if you can speak more on the decision to bring him back and how you all determine where the appropriate line is in terms of who is psychologically fit enough to handle this experience and who isn’t.
JEFF PROBST: Regardless whether you are a new player or a returning player, every contestant on Survivor undergoes an evaluation from our show psychologist each time they play. We never let anybody on the show who can’t pass the psych test. Brandon passed. He was also great in our interviews before the show began. We were actually very excited because he had a new approach to the game. He said he wasn’t going to be as emotionally reactive and felt that after playing once he was better prepared for the 39 day adventure. We felt Brandon had the potential for a true underdog story of a young man who was overwhelmed the first time he played and was seeking redemption.
EW: How worried were you about things turning physical at that confrontation at the challenge? And what is the show’s policy on how to intervene? Meaning, had Brandon charged Phillip, would it have just been up to you and the contestants to break it up, or would members of the off-screen crew had jumped in to separate them? Did you all have any plan in place or were you just ready to tackle him if he bolted?
PROBST: There were a couple of moments when I was concerned. I was concerned early on when he first separated from his tribe and addressed the fans. It was clear that he was very upset. That’s why I asked him to come to me, so I could separate him from the rest of the contestants. Then later when I saw him getting more agitated I put my hands on his shoulders in an attempt to help him relax. It was probably also a bit of a head start on controlling him if a physical confrontation were to ensue. Because something like this had never happened before there was no plan in place. I was assessing moment to moment, making decisions based on what was playing out in front of me. I can share with you that I was whispering instructions into my microphone (which is fed to our audio department) for our safety and security guys to be ready to assist if necessary. I was also asking for our show psychologist to be put on a boat and brought over immediately so she could counsel Brandon after the incident was over.
I had decided pretty early on that we were going to have an impromptu Tribal Council. It was clear that Brandon wanted out of the game, it had been stated that the Favorites were going to forfeit the challenge and there was nothing good to be had from letting Brandon go back to camp. It was important to me that Brandon felt heard and knew that I was not taking sides, I was just asking questions and trying to calm the water. I was very proud of Brandon for making the choice to stay next to me and not turn this into a physical altercation. I was equally proud of Philip and the other contestants for their restraint. It was obviously a historic moment from a show point of view, but the overriding concern was the mental and physical health of the contestants.
EW: What’s the responsibility of the show in terms of post-Survivor psychological care? I know all the contestants have access to a psychologist after they are voted off, but this is somewhat new territory since you’ve never had a meltdown of this magnitude before.
PROBST: The key is as you said — all contestants have access to psychological counseling after the show. That starts the moment they are voted out. Our psychologist is the first person they see after leaving tribal council. Brandon is no different. Our psychologist is there for any contestant who needs care whenever they need it. If necessary we find a psychologist or therapist for a contestant in their home town. I can’t speak about Brandon specifically due to confidentiality, but we are in constant communication with him and will be for as long as he needs it.
EW: The preview for next week has me thinking a tribe shake-up could be in the works. What can you tease us about the next episode?
PROBST: The fall out from Brandon’s departure is felt and yes there might be a tribe shake up in the works! I said at the beginning of the season I felt this was a good season and I still feel that way. Much more to come.
To watch an exclusive deleted scene from last night’s episode of Phillip comparing Brandon to a “mad dog”, simply click on the video player below. To read Dalton’s recap, click right here. And for more ‘Survivor’ scoop, follow Dalton on Twitter @DaltonRoss.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
'Survivor': Two who said 'No'
Image credit: Monty Brinton/CBSAs much as former Survivor contestants beat down producers’ doors in the hopes of being asked to come back and appear on the show again, there are always a few players who simply don’t want to return or cannot due to other commitments. (Corinne Kaplan, for instance, gave up her spot on Heroes vs. Villains because she could not get out of work, but will be back this season.) So after the 10 returning contestants were named to come back for Survivor: Caramoan — Fans vs. Favorites (premiering Feb. 13 on CBS), I asked host Jeff Probst whom they could not get to come play again this time around.
“There’s two people we wanted back,” says Probst. “Matt from Redemption Island we would have been interested in, but he is just done with it. I think it was enough for him. And Shambo has basically said, ‘I never want to do it again.’ We would have loved her as well. But in both cases I think their story is similar in that they don’t want Survivor to define their life and they feel like once was enough. And that’s it.” Someone from a reality show not wanting being on TV to be the defining moment of his or her life? STOP THE PRESSES! (Oh, wait, this is online. There are no presses. Never mind.)
I also wanted to know, since they asked Malcolm to play again on Survivor: Caramoan just weeks after he finished on Survivor: Philippines, was there any consideration in trying to bring fan favorite and runner-up Lisa Whelchel back immediately as well? “Lisa isn’t somebody you would bring back right off the bat,” says Probst. “She’s a mom with a personal life. Malcolm is a single guy with no attachments.” So does that mean Lisa might come back later for another season? The host thinks it’s unlikely. “I would love to see Lisa Whelchel play again,” says Probst. “I would be very surprised if she did.”
So there you have it. Now time for you to play Survivor casting agent: Do you wish Matt, Shambo, and Lisa were part of the Caramoan cast? And, if so, whom would you have them replace? Hit the message boards and let us know. Also check the links below for more Survivor: Caramoan — Fans vs. Favorites articles you may have missed. And for crazy amounts of Survivor coverage all year long, follow me on Twitter @DaltonRoss.
More Survivor: Caramoan:
Francesca reveals which fellow Favorite thought she was NaOnka. (Whoops!)
Phillip Sheppard promises “something unique in my undergarments as well as my shoes”
Jeff Probst says Brandon Hantz is psychologically stable enough to play again
Returning Favorite Andrea says “I have a lot of shenanigans up my sleeve”
Brandon Hantz reveals his latest tiff with “bitter” uncle Russell
Jeff Probst reveals what they told other players about Malcolm
Returning Favorite Corinne says “I think I’m amazing”
Returning Favorite John Cochran says “I bring virtually nothing to the table”
Jeff Probst defends the returning Favorites
Which players are we happy to see back on Survivor: Caramoan — Fans vs. Favorites
Survivor: Caramoan — Fans vs Favorites: New cast and intel revealed
Thursday, August 23, 2012
'Survivor': Look who's back!
Image credit: Monty Brinton/CBSThe 15 new players — including Facts of Life star Lisa Whelchel and former National League baseball MVP Jeff Kent — competing this fall on Survivor: Philippines were announced on Monday. And now we can reveal the three previously medically evacuated players that are returning to play alongside them: Michael Skupin, Jonathan Penner, and Russell Swan — each of whom was evacuated in episode 6 of his season.
Skupin was the star of one of the grisliest scenes in reality TV history when he fell into his tribe’s fire on Survivor: The Australian Outback in 2001. The image of Skupin’s skin melting off his hands is about as gnarly as it gets, yet it took 11 years for him to be invited back onto the show. “For 22 seasons, I’ve thought about playing this game again,” the 50-year-old Skupin told EW.com while on location in the Caramoan Islands the day before filming commenced, but he is not looking at this outing as a shot at redemption. “I’m not here because I fell in the fire or to prove to the world anything,” he says. “I’m here to play the game again, from start to finish. This will be a whole new adventure for me.”
Image credit: Monty Brinton/CBSJonathan Penner, also 50, did play the game without being evacuated back in Survivor: Cook Islands, but then in his second outing (Survivor: Micronesia — Fans vs Favorites), he was forced out by an infected knee. As for his approach this time around, it involved lots of bulking up. “I’ve been eating like a horse intentionally for this show,” Penner told EW.com before the game began. “Some of these guys come out and they want to look all buffed out for the beginning of the show. I’m going to come out looking like a fat slob, because 39 days is a lot of weight to lose. If I lose a pound a day I’m going to be my fighting weight. I’ll be 170 pounds. Right now I’m coming in at a chart-topping 210 — chubby.”
For many — including host Jeff Probst — Russell Swan’s exit from Survivor: Samoa was the scariest Survivor moment ever, as dehydration caused Swan’s eyes to roll back in his head as he lost consciousness. “That situation broke me,” the 45-year-old Swan told EW.com while on location. “I’ve had challenges in my life before, but nothing like that. It challenged the very core of who I was. I always thought, if nothing else, I can always depend on my physical prowess. And after eight applications, waiting 10 years, I finally get on the show only to get carried out on my back. Worst thing I could have ever imagined.”
Now he — along with Skupin and Penner — will get another shot at the million dollars when Survivor: Philippines premieres Sept. 19 on CBS. To see an exclusive video with all three returning players — as well as all the other cast interviews — click on the video below. (The complete tribe listings are below the video player.) And for more Survivor news and goodies all season long, follow me on Twitter @DaltonRoss.
The full cast of Survivor: Philippines:
Kalabaw tribe
Jonathan Penner
Writer
Los Angeles, CA
Age: 50
Previous Seasons: Survivor: Cook Islands and Survivor: Micronesia
Previous Finishes: Survivor: Cook Islands – 14th out, 6th jury member. Survivor: Micronesia – medical evacuation due to knee infection.
Sarah Dawson
Insurance Sales
Silver Spring, Md.
Age: 28
Katie Hanson
Former Miss Delaware
Newark, Del.
Age: 22
Jeff Kent
Former baseball MVP
Austin, Tex.
Age: 44
Dana Lambert
Cosmetologist
Winston-Salem, N.C.
Age: 32
Carter Williams
Track Coach
Shawnee, Kan.
Age: 24
Tandang tribe
Michael Skupin
Professional speaker, author and coach
White Lake, Mich.
Age: 50
Previous Season: Survivor: The Australian Outback
Previous Finish: Medical Evacuation due to severe burns received after passing out into a fire from smoke inhalation
Abi-Maria Gomes
Business Student
Los Angeles, Calif.
Age: 32
Roberta “R.C.” Saint-Armour
Investment Banker
New York, N.Y.
Age: 27
Artis Silvester
Computer Engineer
Terry Town, La.
Age: 53
Lisa Whelchel
Former “Facts of Life” Actress
Dallas, Tex.
Age: 49
Pete Yurkowski
Engineering Graduate
Holmdel, N.J.
Age: 24
Matsing tribe
Russell Swan
Environmental Attorney
Glenside, Penn.
Age: 45
Previous Season: Survivor: Samoa
Previous Finish: Medical evacuation due to Dehydration
Malcolm Freberg
Bartender
Hermosa Beach, Calif.
Age: 25
Zane Knight
Tire Repair
Danville, Va.
Age: 28
Angie Layton
Student
Provo, Utah
Age: 20
Roxanne “Roxy” Morris
Seminary Student
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Age: 28
Denise Stapley
Sex Therapist
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Age: 41
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
'Survivor: Philippines' snags retro star
"Survivor: Philippines" will include some familiar faces.Lisa Whelchel will be joined by former baseball player Jeff Kent on the showOther contestants include two beauty pageant winners, a seminary student, and a sex therapist The show premieres on September 19(EW.com) -- A 1980s sitcom star and a major league baseball MVP will join 13 other new players — as well as three returning ones — when "Survivor: Philippines" premieres on CBS with a special 90-minute episode at 8 p.m. ET on Sept. 19.
Lisa Whelchel, best known as Blair Warner from "The Facts of Life," will do something that preppy Blair never would have considered by volunteering to spend up to 39 days on a remote island.A huge Survivor fan, Whelchel openly campaigned to be on the show, and calls the chance to outwit, outplay and outlast a dream come true. "I've watched it from the very first episode, and had Survivor parties with my family," Whelchel told EW on location before the game started. "A friend of mine said, 'Let's just film a little iPhone video of you and you can put it on your Twitter and ask all your followers to retweet it. And maybe they'll contact you and know you want to be on the show.' And that's what happened!"Whelchel even has a strategy on how to deal with her famous past. "I'm not going to volunteer it, but at the same time, even though there are a lot of young people and I'm sure they have no idea who Blair Warner is, there are some older people and even if only one knows it certainly will get around, so I won't deny it."But Whelchel is not the only famous face that will be new to the island this year. Former National League Most Valuable Player Jeff Kent — another longtime fan — will also be playing for the million dollars. And he plans to bring that same fiery competitiveness he was known for in baseball to the island. "I've got a chip on my shoulder," Kent said before the game began. "I hate to lose." Like Whelchel, Kent is keeping his fingers crossed that his fellow players will be unaware of his athletic accomplishments. "You know, there are not many tall white guys with mustaches walking around still these days. I'm hoping my reputation's not big enough that these people know who I am."The other new players include two beauty pageant winners (Miss Delaware and a Miss Teen Utah), a seminary student, and a sex therapist (see full list below, under the video player). The 15 newbies will be divided into three tribes — each of which will also welcome a returning player who was medically evacuated from a previous season. (The returning players will be revealed later this week.)When it comes to other twists, the Do It Yourself challenges from last season will not be making a repeat appearance, and there will be a new wrinkle to the first hidden immunity idols. "They are hidden in plain sight," says host Jeff Probst. "There's actually a clue at the bottom of a rice jar that says, 'The idol is hidden in plain sight. In fact, it's right under your nose.' And if they take the top of the rice tin off, they would find that is the idol. The top of the rice tin is the idol." Sneaky!As for the location in the Philippines, it was an edict from executive producer Mark Burnett that led to the show going to the Caramoan Islands for it's 25th (and 26th) season. "It actually came as a slam-down from Burnett," says Probst, "who said, 'Get us back in the water.' So we're here in the Philippines, which is vintage Survivor, and I love it." The location means an opportunity for challenges that can take place out in deep water — something the show has lacked since back in season 16 ("Survivor: Micronesia — Fans vs. Favorites").A full list of the new cast members, as well as video interviews with all 15 newbies (including Whelchel and Kent) can be found below. Also, make sure to check out our photo gallery of the new cast, complete with quotes and observations on each. And for more Survivor news and views all season long, follow me on Twitter @DaltonRoss.See full story at EW.com.CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly© 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved.
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