11 Survivor Opponents Who Had A Following Earlier than The Present

“How probably have been individuals to vote for me if I used to be a Stanford-educated race automobile driver?”

Taking up the Survivor problem isn’t for the faint of coronary heart. The long-running collection has drawn every kind of opponents over time and transforms on a regular basis individuals into survivalists and fierce opponents. And whereas most gamers come from humble backgrounds, there are literally some recognizable faces who’ve made an look on the present. Over the course of 48 seasons, there have been a handful of opponents who had a following earlier than even stepping foot on the island. From actors to astronauts, these castaways have been all preventing for a similar million-dollar prize.

Discover out what these gamers have been recognized for earlier than the present…

Taj Johnson-George

Previous to collaborating in Survivor: Tocantin, the present’s 18th season, Taj Johnson-George had made a reputation for herself as a singer and rapper. She was a member of lady’s R&B group, Sisters With Voices, which discovered recognition and had a collection of hits within the ’90s. Trying again, Taj admitted that Survivor was really simpler than a few of her music trade ventures — particularly citing the truth present SWV did with XSCAPE.

“I’d slightly do Survivor than do a Season 2 [with XSCAPE],” Taj informed The Every day Dish. “You go on the market and so they actually drop you off with completely nothing and inform you to make it to the tip. Then you will have people who find themselves actually, their lives rely upon this as a result of they’re making an attempt to get that million {dollars}, so if meaning stabbing you within the again and consuming your meals earlier than you possibly can eat it, so be it. Good factor for me, I went on the market with a objective to drop some pounds, so I used to be giving my meals away. They liked me.”

Ashley Massaro

Ashley Massaro was a contestant on Survivor: China however previous to her debut on the truth competitors present, she had a profession as a WWE star. In 2005, she gained the WWE Diva Search and later went on to turn into a radio host, an actress and mannequin for Playboy. Whereas she didn’t final lengthy on the present on account of an sickness setback, she says her expertise within the WWE helped her out.

“I’m in a scenario with WWE the place I’m bodily coaching on a regular basis. So the bodily elements, the challenges, there was one problem that was proper up my alley, you already know? Minus the mud and the garments ripping off,” Ashley informed IGN.

She continued, “After which additionally being within the WWE Divas locker room, I work very intently with lots of people who all have the identical objectives in thoughts and we’re on the highway all 12 months collectively. I journey rather a lot and I believed that might give me a profit too…After which I used to be pondering with one million {dollars} at stake, it is like the identical factor because the WWE Ladies’s Title; it’s not precisely the identical factor, however we have got to make issues work to get there.”

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Lisa Whelchel

Lisa Whelchel had a profitable profession as an actress and musician earlier than showing on Survivor: Philippines. She was most well-known for her function on The Information of Life however she additionally appeared on reveals like The New Mickey Mouse Membership and The Love Boat. Lisa additionally acquired a Grammy for her Christian album, All Due to You.

Whitney Duncan

Whitney Duncan was a contestant on Survivor: South Pacific however previous to the present, she had a profession as a rustic artist and even appeared on Nashville Star, the place she positioned fifth. For the reason that present, she’s continued to pursue a music profession and has launched extra music, together with a music that ended up on the Footloose soundtrack.

As for what her followers considered her look on the present, Whitney mentioned, “My followers, they know who I’m. I’m a pleasant particular person, however I’ve somewhat fireplace in me and I get somewhat spunky generally. I believe they obtained a kick out of seeing my mood come out. They obtained a very good snort out of it. My household too, they’ve seen that aspect of me too.”

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Mari Takahashi

Mari Takahashi appeared on Survivor’s thirty third season, Millennials vs. Gen X. Previous to the present, she was often known as a YouTuber {and professional} video gamer. She appeared on sketch comedy channel Smosh, internet hosting the Smosh Pit Weekly collection, and later grew to become an unique member of Smosh Video games.

“What makes Survivor the perfect recreation ever — and I play a whole lot of video games! I play a whole lot of video games the place mendacity is the way you succeed, and there are a whole lot of nice board video games on the market the place you’re imagined to misinform win the sport, and on the finish of it, it’s like, ‘Yay! You’re so good!’ However on the market, it’s a lifestyle. You’re so secluded. You’re to this point eliminated out of your lifestyle that in some methods, the road is blurred between actual life and video games. It turns into your life,” Mari informed Parade.

John Hennigan

John Hennigan appeared on Survivor: David vs. Goliath in 2018 however earlier than that, he had a profitable profession within the WWE underneath the identify John Morrison — in addition to a wide range of different stage names. He wrestled within the WWE persistently between 2002 and 2011 earlier than transferring on to the unbiased circuit after which on Lucha Underground and Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide.

“I left for Fiji 36 hours after we wrapped Lucha Underground season 4. The producers of Lucha Underground needed to bend over backwards to get me wrapped out of the season to go away for Survivor. So it was uncommon for individuals to chop it that shut…I simply actually needed to do it so was blissful they have been capable of make it work,” John informed Leisure Weekly.

He continued, “After which actually I’m the Influence wrestling world champion and I had simply signed a cope with Influence wrestling on the time, and so they needed to bend over backwards to conform to let me miss two months of wrestling bookings primarily based on a contract that I had simply signed lately. So two wrestling organizations each bent over backwards to make the schedule work.”

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Jonathan Penner

Jonathan Penner has now appeared on Survivor 3 times, beginning with Survivor: Prepare dinner Islands, however previous to actuality TV, he labored as an actor, screenwriter and producer. He had roles on reveals together with The Bare Reality and Impolite Awakening and made appearances on different collection like The Nanny, Arrested Improvement and Seinfeld.

Mike White

Mike White had a profitable profession in Hollywood earlier than he appeared on Survivor: David vs. Goliath. He labored as a author and producer on quite a few tasks together with Dawson’s Creek and Freaks and Geeks in addition to movies like Faculty of Rock and Nacho Libre. Throughout his time on Survivor, Mike was unreachable to his Hollywood crew — however his brokers nonetheless tried to trace him down when a chance arose again at house.

“One in every of my brokers simply by no means obtained it,” he informed IndieWire. “She was making an attempt to determine how they may get me on the island. And I used to be like, ‘In the event that they pull you to take a name, they’re pulling you out of the sport. It’s over.’ I obtained again and obtained these messages, ‘Tracey Jacobs nearly pulled you from the sport to seek out out for those who’d do a rewrite for this Paramount film.’ I might have actually killed myself — and killed her!”

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Ron Clark

Earlier than showing on Survivor: The Edge Of Extinction, Ron Clark was a trainer who grew to become a notable motivational speaker and wrote a number of books about training. He appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Present and acquired the Disney Instructor of the Yr award. Ron later was the topic of a made-for-TV movie primarily based on his life starring Matthew Perry.

“[I’ve been a fan] ever because the first episode. I even bear in mind seeing the previews whereas I used to be educating in Harlem. I believed, ‘I believe I’m going to observe this. That is going to be groundbreaking.’ I had somewhat 16-inch TV, black and white. I had a tiny little bed room in New York Metropolis,” he informed The Atlanta Journal-Structure.

He continued, “I bear in mind watching the primary episode and I used to be hooked! It remodeled me as a result of I had by no means seen something prefer it earlier than. I knew I needed to be part of it however on account of my life and work and dedication to my college students, I used to be by no means capable of really apply to do it till a few years in the past. I believed, ‘You solely reside as soon as. I’m getting actually outdated right here.’”

Julia Landauer

Julia Landauer was knowledgeable racecar driver earlier than showing on Survivor: Caramoan. She was simply 21 and an undergraduate pupil at Stanford when she was solid on the present however had already been racing for a decade. Julia in the end determined to maintain her id a secret on the present, hoping it will assist her in the long term — however she solely made it midway by way of the season.

“I didn’t inform different folks that I used to be a Stanford pupil. I used to be pondering long-term, and if I made it to the ultimate three, how probably have been individuals to vote for me if I used to be a Stanford-educated race automobile driver? I didn’t suppose that I might get probably the most votes. I used to be pondering long-term. Now, whether or not or not that was the best choice, I’ll by no means know, nevertheless it was what I began out with, so I made a decision to keep it up,” Julia informed The Stanford Every day.

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Dan Barry

Previous to Survivor: Panama, Dan Barry was a NASA astronaut who had gone to area a number of occasions. Like Julie, he additionally selected to cover his true id and didn’t inform fellow gamers that he was an astronaut when he arrived on the island. He ended up telling a number of contestants simply earlier than getting voted off. Whereas he largely stored his profession to himself, he says being an astronaut performed a giant function in his recreation.

“It’s not in regards to the particular expertise that you just convey to that recreation, however what it actually boils all the way down to is the spirit. The sense of regardless of how arduous that is or no matter is happening, ‘I can do that and I can succeed at it,’” Dan shared with collectSPACE.

He continued, “The issues that you just get from the coaching to turn into an astronaut are good for that as a result of while you start you suppose, ‘There is no such thing as a approach I’m going to study this 3-foot pile of manuals and all these expertise and issues I have to go [to space], and take a look at these individuals which might be strolling round having figured that stuff out. How is that potential?’ As you undergo the coaching, you discover out that it’s potential. You are able to do it and it’s only a matter of persevering. When you ask me what’s an important factor to convey to Survivor, it is that sense of ‘I can do that, by no means hand over, sustain the arduous work’ kind of factor.”