How to Get Cast on ‘Survivor’

Jodi Wincheski, who competed on CBS’ “The Amazing Race,” first joined the “Survivor” casting team under Spillman. In 2020, she told Reality Blurred that the process has “changed a lot over the years,” specifying, “we only do fans now; we don’t really recruit.” “Survivor” hopefuls must apply online or through the show’s open casting calls. From there, the CDs contact people they like and help their favorites “develop a great pitch video,” she says.   

“We pitch them to our team first. Each casting producer picks their best people and pitches them at a pitch meeting, which means that the entire team watches your people’s videos,” Wincheski said. “We all vote, so everybody has to agree: ‘Yeah, they’re great. Let’s put them through.’ ” 

Tannenbaum makes the final decision on who will be screened via Zoom by Probst and executive producer Matt Van Wagenen. “They really just want people who really know the show and are going to be good strategists…[rather] than finding somebody and then having them cram and become a fan,” Wincheski said. 

“I think [‘Survivor’ has] just gone more strategic, and they just want people who can be strategic and know how to play,” she added. “We just scour through and try to get more and more people to apply, and really try to be out there to get people who are fans to apply. It’s just better television when you have people who really know the show.”   

According to People, more than 16,000 audition tapes came in during the 2022 casting cycle alone, from which only 24 hopefuls made it to the final in-person casting call and only 18 contestants advanced to the competition itself. Perhaps “surviving” the casting process is the true challenge. 

Season 45 castaway Brandon Donlon knows firsthand how challenging the casting process can be. He told Entertainment Weekly he began sending in audition videos well before he reached the eligibility age of 18 and every year thereafter. It wasn’t until Donlon attended an open casting call for another CBS reality show, “Big Brother,” that he finally found his footing. Donlon made it to the “Big Brother” finals on Season 21 in 2019, and though he ultimately didn’t make the cut, the experience left him better prepared when “Survivor” did eventually come calling. 

“Like any kind of formal interview, if you have any experience, you are much better through those processes,” said Donlon. “I went in with a little bit cooler of a head in that I knew what I was expecting,” he shared. And his approach was unlike anything Probst had seen before. “I was like, ‘Jeff, I don’t know if I’m ever going [to] be able to talk to you again,’ ” Donlon recalled. “‘So I have 10 questions that I have always wanted to ask you, if you don’t mind me running through them.’ And he was like, ‘Nobody’s ever done this. By all means, kick off your questions.’ ” Though Donlon didn’t make the cut for Seasons 43 and 44, he persevered and finally got his chance on Season 45.  

On the other hand, Eva Erickson, who placed second in Season 48, is a relative newcomer to the franchise, having watched for only about three years before landing her spot among the cast. The idea first came to her when her Georgia Tech hockey teammates suggested she apply. “We had drinking game challenges, and we had alliances, and you voted people out. I won the first time I played with them. And they were like, ‘Hey, maybe you should apply for the real thing.’ I was like, ‘Ha, that’d be really funny,’ ” she told Twin Cities Pioneer Press.   

It wasn’t until she met a boyfriend who loves “Survivor” that she decided to apply. “His entire family has watched every season. They’ve all applied for ‘Survivor’ multiple times,” she said. “I thought, I bet my new boyfriend would think I was pretty cool if I applied for ‘Survivor.’ So I made my video, and now I’m here. I’m living his dream. He was the one who really got me to go and do it, and I wanted to make him think I was cool. I hope he thinks I’m cool now that I actually went on the show,” she said. 

For all things casting, start with the series’ website, where you can begin your application or find upcoming open casting calls. Also check the Frequently Asked Questions section to ensure you meet the show’s eligibility requirements.  

This tutorial from Tannenbaum provides tips on how to create a video that shines:  

As the “Survivor” casting website says, the powers that be simply want hopefuls to be themselves—and Probst couldn’t agree more.   

“Our only intention is to get to know who they really are,” Probst told Entertainment Weekly. “It’s one of the things I try to stress to people who are applying to be on ‘Survivor.’ You don’t have to be anything other than who you are. It sounds so simple, but it’s the absolute truth. You do not need an emotional underdog story; you do not need to be the funniest person in the room; you don’t need to have a college degree; you don’t need to be anything other than you.”

Similarly, Tannenbaum advises “Survivor” hopefuls: “Do not make a script. No scripts whatsoever. This is not a job interview. I need to see what you look like behind closed doors when you’re with your best friend, or your husband, or your wife, or you’re just having fun and laughing and telling a story, because that’s what we look for as well—great storytellers.” 

Malcolm Freberg, who competed on three iterations of the series, explained to Business Insider, “It’s not about what you’re saying at all. It’s about how you’re saying it.” And Andrea Boehlke, another three-timer, told applicants to portray “a heightened version of yourself and definitely lean into your personality, your quirks, and what makes you unique.” 

Dean Kowalski, Season 39 runner-up, told Columbia Magazine how he created his standout video. He explained, “I filmed myself walking with my phone in selfie mode on the street in Chelsea and was like, ‘Hey, guys, I’m Dean Kowalski. I’m 28, I live in New York City, and here’s why I’m going to outwit, outplay, and outlast on “Survivor.” ’ I went up to random New Yorkers, like a construction worker and a pizza guy, and asked them on camera why they thought I’d win. I guess it turned out to be a good video because I heard back the same day from the casting department and went on to the interview round.”   

Probst added that hopefuls should never try to model themselves after former castaways. “Where some people can trip themselves up a little is trying to be something that they’re not,” he explained. “If you try to anticipate what you think we’re looking for, or if you see somebody on a season that was really popular and you try to emulate what they did, it’s not going to work.”   

Two-time “Survivor” alum Stephen Fishbach created his own tip sheet, which specifically emphasizes the importance of storytelling. “If you can tell a great story about how the different aspects of your life perfectly translate to making you a great ‘Survivor’ contestant, that’s awesome. That also shows that you know the game,” he wrote.  

“That doesn’t mean lie about who you are,” he added. “Try to show the casting team that you’re full of boundless energy and therefore will be an awesome screen presence and a joy to watch. Be a badass.”