WhenSurvivor: David vs. Goliathpremieres Sept. 26 on CBS,one of the 20 facesmay look a little familiar.
(But hewont be appearing onBig Brotheranytime soon.)
But White had an even closer connection toSurvivorthrough its host, Jeff Probst.
Robert Voets/CBS
He credited the move to a recommendation from a dinner guest at his house Mike White.
Mike is a bigSurvivorfan, a former contestant onAmazing Raceand a tremendous writer/director/actor/storyteller.
He was over at our house for dinner just a couple of weeks before we started shooting.
The words hit me like a stray, leftover Medallion of Power right between the eyes.
Well, the truth is I have met Jeff socially over the years says White.
But its kind of like…
I dont want to insult him, but its not like we are close friends.
Im a super fan, like the way a super fan would come up to him.
In fact, White says thats exactly how he acted around the host out on the island.
In the moment when youre on the beach, its like Jeff Probst!
In those moments, he looms as this figurehead deity.
So like all the other contestants, you want Jeff to like you.
You want to come through for Jeff and I was exactly the same.
I was like, I want Jeff to be happy that Im on the show.
I want to be a good contestant.
I take the credit, he says.
Ive never been a fan of Redemption Island.
I love the show.
Ill watch the worst season of the show and it is still the best season of TV for me.
Its the ritual killing aspect ofSurvivorwhere the stakes at the end are that someones dead.
The idea that they can come back to life just feels like it takes that away.
I like when youre just with the people as theyre stewing in their juices and plotting each others demise.
Thats my favorite part of the game not necessarily the twist.
Ive lived certain dreams Ive had in my career and in life in general, says White.
I really felt like it was like, okay, this is it.
I was so giddy with just being able to be a real participant in it.
And for moreSurvivorscoop, follow Dalton on Twitter@DaltonRoss.
