How to land a role on the next season of Survivor.
The casting director behind the hit reality TV series Survivor recently broke down the secret to landing role on the new season. Every season casting directors must filter through thousands of applications of interested, inspired, and motivated Survivor applicants. But, at the end of the day only 18 people are chosen to make it through one of the most grueling casting processes in the industry.
According to an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Survivor casting director, Lynne Spillman, revealed what it takes to make it on the hit reality series. Here’s what she had to say:
Do be yourself and take a risk.
Don’t try to be a character. “Don’t try to be the villain if your lifestyle and life choices have been different. Because we will call you out and we will break you,” warns Spillman.
Do study the show before applying, know why you’re going to be good and talk about why you’re a winner.
Don’t be shy or quiet or say that other people tell you that you could never win.
Do get a sales job. Spillman is looking for young people with life experience and social skills. If you’ve never worked a job or still live with your parents, you lose points. Casting wants to know that you have cultivated your people skills in the real world and that you can compete with the big boys or bullies like Russell Hantz.
Don’t talk about your failures. “People make the mistake all the time of saying they’d be perfect because they just got out of school, and they don’t have a job, or they got laid off, so the timing is perfect,” Spillman says. “And they highlight all the negatives about them or the failures as opposed to showing us why they would be successful at a game that’s socially challenging, challenging from a physical standpoint and emotionally draining.”
Do apply every way that you can. “Come to open calls, make a video, apply anyway you can because you never know which one is going to get our attention,” she says.
Don’t wear costumes. [VIA]
You can read the full interview here. It is a definite must-read for any Survivor fan.
