Jeff Probst has revealed the identity of the former “Survivor” player that he first contacted to appear in the upcoming 50th anniversary special of the reality television series. According to the long-time showrunner, season one contestant Jenna Lewis was the first person that he called when putting the cast together and when she said yes to returning, it provided the impetus for the rest of the casting process.
Jenna Lewis Was the First Person That Jeff Probst Wanted for ‘Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans’
While speaking in a wide-ranging interview with USA Today, Probst was asked about the fan speculation over the casting process and how they landed on Lewis as a pick. The host then revealed that Lewis was somebody that everybody on the production side had agreed on early in the process. In fact, she was the very first person that Probst invited to the landmark season.
However, while there was agreement that she was the right choice in terms of players from the first season, Probst wasn’t convinced that she would say yes to returning after so many years away from the show. After all, her last appearance on “Survivor” came back in 2004 on the eighth season.
He said, “The first person I called about playing was Jenna Lewis, and I didn’t know what she’d say, but everybody agreed.”
“She kind of embodied everything about the first season: a young mom out there who didn’t get a loved-one video, who played a very kind of new-era game 25 years ago,” Probst explained. “And Jenna said, ‘I couldn’t be more honored, yes.’ And that was the first moment where I thought, ‘This might work.'”
Season 50 Star Mike White Wants to Avoid Talking About ‘The White Lotus’ on ‘Survivor’
As well as being a highly competitive “Survivor” player and a firm fan-favorite, Mike White is also a highly acclaimed writer and director. He previously wrote and starred in “School of Rock” with Jack Black and is also the creator and showrunner of “The White Lotus.”
But White has confirmed that he wants to keep his highly successful show out of the reality competition. Speaking in an interview with Parade, White explained that he worked hard not to mention “The White Lotus” on the show.
“I mean, honestly, being here, I don’t really want to think about White Lotus,” he said. “I don’t want to talk about White Lotus. I don’t really see myself dangling that.”
“The truth is, I don’t really know what anyone’s perception of me is,” he admitted. “So, yeah, maybe people will be nicer to me because of it, or maybe people will have some kind of beef about that or something, or thinking, ‘Why is he here?’ It’s hard to know.”
“If I assume, it’ll probably not be necessarily a bad thing,” he continued. “But I could also see it be like, ‘We don’t know who to vote for. Oh, Mike doesn’t need the money. Maybe just get rid of him. He’ll be fine.’”
