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The 18th Season of CBS's "Survivor" heads to the wilds of Brazil for "Survivor: Tocantins" starting this week. Lakeland native, Spencer Duhm is one of this year's chosen few. At 19, he's also the show's youngest contestant ever. A self-admitted "Superfan" of the show since grade school, Spencer had to wait nine long years before getting his chance to audition. Metromix caught up with Spencer in Gainesville where he's a student at the University of Florida.
What made you want to try out for Survivor?
I applied for Survivor because I’ve been one of those crazy, obsessed fans of the show since it debuted in 2000. Due to the minimum age requirement of 21 for the first 17 seasons I never thought I’d get an opportunity to apply. But when the rules changed this summer I immediately began working on my application and video to send to CBS. The adventure aspect of the show was really appealed to me as well. How many people get to have an experience like this in their lifetime? Not many. So I was extremely fortunate and am so grateful.
Being picked requires some “Survivor” strategy on its own.Of all the thousands who auditioned, what do you think made you stand out that got you on the show?
Being chosen for Survivor isn’t so much strategy as it is luck. Really, it’s your job to simply be yourself in order for the casting staff to get an accurate portrayal of you and how you’d play the game. It’s really a crapshoot as far as what their looking for so it comes down to being genuine and hoping you’re what they want.
Of the thousands who auditioned, I think I brought the ‘superfan’ element to the game. Each season of the show needs at least a couple contestants who think they know the game inside and out and would do anything to stay in the game. I believe they saw how passionate I am about the show and the adventure itself and knew that I’d be someone who’d bring an interesting angle to the show as the first teenager ever on Survivor. But there are so many interesting people who apply for the show that I’m still in disbelief from time to time that I was selected.
What was your first thought when you heard you made the show?
My first thought when I found out I was going to be on the show was “You’re joking right?? No way!” I was shocked and utterly elated. It took months for me to come down from that adrenaline rush.
Being a "superfan," did all of your years of “research” help you develop a strategy before going in or did you create one when you got there?
Over the years of watching the show I developed a few ideas of how I’d try to play the game. I definitely didn’t wait for the game to start before formulating a strategy but you have to be prepared to adapt your plan to the people who are in the game with you.
Going into the game I felt like all the years of watching the show gave me a decided advantage over the rest of the contestants as far as knowing what has been successful in the past as well as what actions, decisions, and strategies tend to fail. I was very confident that my familiarity with the show would serve me well.
You’re “Survivor’s” youngest contestant. Do you feel that helped or hurt your game?
As the youngest contestant this season (and ever), I anticipated that my fellow tribemates would either overlook me strategically because I’m a seemingly non-threatening teenager OR see me as a threat because there must be a reason I was selected as the first teenager so maybe I’m a devious superfan. I was definitely hoping for the former!
You’ve also come out about your sexuality. There will be a lot of disappointed females after they hear you’re gay. Are you ready for all the attention from the gay community? Do you feel any pressure to be a spokesperson for the community?
I feel like I’m ready for any attention the show creates for me, whether it’s from the gay community, the local area, around the UF campus, etc. I knew I had a lot of people who were going to be rooting for me as a representative (homosexuals, family, Lakeland residents, UF students, young fans, etc) so I felt pressure from a lot of different areas to perform well on the show.
There’s a lot of tv magic that happens on reality shows. What was the most interesting or surprising thing about actually being a part of the show instead of watching it all in hour-long segments?
I guess the most exciting part of participating in a reality show as opposed to watching it is that the game never ends. You always have to be aware of what’s going on around you. Every comment and action could be misconstrued or scrutinized, it’s a 24-hour a day job.
Lakeland is a long way from Brazil. Are there any hangouts (restaurants, local attractions, etc.) you missed or favorite foods you craved most while you were on the show?
I craved EVERYTHING when I was on the show. I thought about pizza all the time but I also missed my favorite Japanese Steakhouse, Shogun. But I didn’t hold back; I wanted everything from Chips and Salsa to ice cream to Triscuits (as sad as that is).
Now that the show is starting, what do you think of your new celebrity status?
I don’t feel like I have “celebrity status” just because I’m one of the contestants on Survivor. Of course, the attention that comes with the show from media outlets and friends is unique but aside from that, I’m just another college kid who happened to get the chance of a lifetime. So far, I’ve remained somewhat anonymous around campus and that’s really what I’d prefer.
You still have yet to graduate, how do you think having the show on your resume will influence your future?
Due to the fact that my major is in Television, the experience on the show most likely cannot hurt me. The upside is that I have plenty of exposure to potential employers but on the flip side, there can be a stigma that comes with being a participant on a reality TV show, regardless of its credibility. Obviously, if the show has any effect on my future I hope it opens more doors for me.
Are you planning on auditioning for any more reality shows, or was this a “real” enough experience for you?
I’m not planning on applying for any more reality TV shows. The reason I wanted to be on Survivor was because I’m a huge fan, not because I’m desperate to be on national TV or any random show. Don’t expect to see me on other shows any time soon.
We know you can’t reveal who won, yet. But can you give us any hint on what happens and how far you got on the show?
Sorry, I cannot comment on what happened during the season so you’ll just have to watch and see. I think it’s going to be very entertaining for the general audience and fans, though.
"Survivor: Tocantins" airs Thursday, February 12 at 8 pm.
