Stephanie admits that her strong personality and work ethic can sometimes cause others to mistake her for a bitch.
"Hi, my name is Stephanie. I am 25 years old and I am from Long Beach, California."
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"I am a server at Yard House and I audition and go to acting school."
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"I think being a server isn't who I really am. I think that's just what I do to make money, it's the easiest for me - when I need a shift covered, I get it covered, it's quick money - so that aspect of my life, I think, just dealing with ignorant people and not knowing what they're talking about, I deal with it every day at work. That will help in the game, just having to deal with different personalities, people who are stubborn, being patient, learning to deal with people. Other than that I think it's just who I am personally that will help me through the game. I don't quit. I'm not a little be-yotch (laughs). I like to keep busy. I'm a hard worker. I think that will help me more than my title of server."
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"I decided to get into acting. It's something I used to do a lot when I was younger. It was something I felt most comfortable with. I felt liberated. I started going back to acting about 2 years ago. Auditioning is just like another job to me. I want to get something, I want to get somewhere. It can be nerve-wracking at first, but once I'm in there I feel comfortable. I think that'll help me too. It takes a lot of balls to go in and go 100% into some character. You're basically gonna make a fool out of yourself. You go in, - you don't know these people - you do a good job and you walk out. I think that's gonna help me out. A lot of people are afraid of auditioning. A lot of people are afraid of being onstage. They find it intimidating. To get over that, to me, it's like a job. Keep busy."
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"My work ethic will be very beneficial out here. I can't just sit there and do nothing. I'd rather be doing something, be helpful, and put in even more than people expect. I'm little, and I'm girly, so they don't think I want to do anything. They think I want to sit around. I want to go fishing, I want to make sure everyone's OK. It's another way for me to control things. If I'm doing it...I'm one of those people who feel if I'm not doing it, it's not being done right. And that's usually the case. It's not something like I want to take on all the responsibility. It's like, I'm going to give you a task and you don't complete it, therefore you're incompetent, and I'm going to do it. End of discussion."
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"I'm not afraid to be considered a bitch. I don't think it's a bad thing, especially since I've been the same person my entire life, and I don't think it's necessarily a bitch. I think it's because I'm a girl, I know what I'm doing, and I think some people have trouble, looking at me, or they look at my size and I'm dressed up girly. They have trouble, saying, like, well 'Why am I gonna listen to you? She's a little bitch.' I'm just like, fine, if you're gonna say little bitch, I'm gonna live up to it. That's what you think it is, but really, it's my getting my way because I'm right and you're wrong. So...(laughs) it's not my fault. I'll embrace it if that's what it is. I think I'm just strong. I think a lot of people who get their way get a label of being arrogant or bossy, but really, they just know what they want and are gonna go get it."
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"My strength would definitely be my will to survive and my will to win. My weaknesses would be more of my temper. When something rubs me the wrong way, I'm very patient, and I try to, 'OK, let it go, let it go.' If it continually...I don't say anything until I know I'm right. That's when the other person is in trouble. If I'm biting your head off it's because that's it, off with your head. You're done. You got me to this point and now, boom boom boom boom, this is what you did, you pissed so many people off, you're dumb, blah blah blah blah. That would be my downfall. Like I said, I'm really patient with it, but if that ever happened, I don't know."
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"I'm excited. I'm anxious. I want to start. I need to keep busy, like I said. I'm excited because I want to see if I can spear fish, I want to know if I can start a fire. I want to do so much already. I want to know how I'm gonna deal with the elements, first and foremost. I want to see how my brain's gonna react to having no food, no water, and the heat. I think I've mentally prepared myself that I won't freak out. That would be a nightmare. I'd rather someone else freak out and I could keep to myself. I could freak out but I have it under control. You can't show people your weaknesses. I want to be able to be a person people look at like, 'OK, she's doing it. This is crazy. I don't know how she's doing it, I can't believe it.' I'm really excited. (laughs)"
Surprise a Lot of People
Steve feels that others will underestimate his abilities because of his age.
"My name is Steve. I'm 51, single, living in Huntington Beach, California. Retired NFL player of 13 years. Started with the Dallas Cowboys in '81, went with the Baltimore Colts in '83, went with them to Indy, then went out here to play with the Los Angeles Raiders from '87 to '94."
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"I believe my years of experience in the NFL with staying agile, mobile, and hostile, and it's basically gonna be the same thing out here. I've had my ass kicked in front of 60,000 people and learned how to live through adversity and tough situations. It's gonna be the same thing out here. I'm gonna get my ass kicked, I'm gonna be in some ugly positions, and I know that I'm gonna be one of the older guys out here. I think my life experiences and professional career's gonna see me through this."
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"I think I'm gonna surprise a lot of people out here. Being 51, I actually feel like I'm 35. I've got a 9 and a half % body fat. I'm in super-shape, no injuries. I think I'm really gonna excel in a lot of the physical part of this game. Being a little older and wiser too I think I'm gonna excel in the social part of this game. I've run companies and know how to get people from different backgrounds together for the same goals, without pushing too many buttons. I think I know how to manipulate people to get what I need out of them, which is definitely gonna help me out here."
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"There's a lot of young studs, guys and girls, here. Looking at this big old gray-haired guy and most likely underestimating my athletic ability, my strengths, my flexibility, my tenacity. They're gonna get the whole can of whoop-ass when this starts."
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"My experience in camping, high school for spring break, three other guys and I went up to the Minnesota Boundary Waters canoe area, went out there for 2 weeks (something I don't hear). They loaded you up with food, but we were four hungry guys, and we went through two weeks of food in about a week, so we were screwed, and had to fish our ass off just to stay alive. We were eating berries and trying to catch animals. Besides that, been up to Montana camping a few times. Otherwise I'm pretty much a beach guy."
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"I've tried to study and research a lot of this. What I'm going to be up against, from starting fires to shelter-building and trapping. Everything else. Hopefully some of the book work is gonna get me through."
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"I think I'm pretty good at reading people. I think being a little older and wiser is gonna help me a lot. I can read a lot by someone's eyes and tell if they're talking the truth to me or if I've gotta be aware of a plot to get me."
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"I think my downside could be things are too rosy, having the Pollyanna glasses on of positivity, and then just get blindsided. The old clip at 15 yards, and I'm out of the game. I've gotta be aware of that."
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"I'm here because for one, it's the opportunity of a lifetime. It's a crazy adventure, just another chapter in my life of dealing with adversities and rising to the top, coming out a winner. My first year in the NFL, 110 free agents, 3 of us made the team, and I came from a little school in Iowa."
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"It's gonna be another adventurous challenge that I think is the reason I'm here. I couldn't pass something like this up."
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"What really pisses me off? I hate to say it, but kind of not getting my way. That's where the leadership thing is gonna be delicate. Trying to push what I think is the best agenda, and yet listening to other opinions. If it's not going my way that's when I can stomp around a little bit and get pissed off, especially if it doesn't work, and I know my way always works. (laughs)"
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"I'm ready to start kicking ass and build a solid team here, for the (looks at buff on wrist) Zapateras or whatever we're called. I'm really ready to get to camp and get through the to-do list of shelter, fire, hunting spears, and just get everybody working on the same program."
My Faith is Everything
Matt's faith is very important in his life and he hopes that if he is kind to others then they will be kind to him by awarding him the million dollar prize.
"My name is Matt Elrod, I'm 22, and I'm a student in Nashville."
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"Pre-med. My dad's a doctor and I kind of grew up with it, had a knack for it. I guess I have a sciency, nerdy type of brain. It clicked best, that's the way it went, and that's what I followed."
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"I think if I let them think I'm a surfer from Nashville, they'll probably think I'm a little naive and think there's not much going on upstairs. That'll probably work to my advantage that they don't know what I'm trying to accomplish."
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"I'm very, very single. Girls can be a lot of trouble. We'll see what happens. I don't know. I'm open to anything, but I'm looking to win a million dollars, not come home with a girlfriend."
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"My faith is everything. My entire life kind of revolves around it, as I strive to become more like my Savior. It will be interesting. I'm excited to see where everyone else is in their walks in life, and just talk with them about how they feel about religion and faith, and really explore those ideas. I'm looking forward to that. Yes, I am a virgin. I don't know. It seems to be a very important thing to me, not to be taken lightly. I guess that's why I still have it. (laughs)"
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"I'm saving myself for marriage. I think it will be a precious gift I can give to my wife one day."
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"My strategy for playing this game...I feel like I have a leg-up on everyone, as far as maybe athletics and maybe even intellectually and socially. I'm a really friendly guy and feel like I'll be well-received by mostly everyone. Those three areas are gonna be areas I'm gonna try to excel in. As far as strategy goes, everyone always comes in thinking I'm gonna start in the middle of the pack and make my break towards the end, but it doesn't always work out that way. I'm hoping I can just kinda stay, I guess not unnoticed, but be around and be friends with everyone. When it's time to make a big move, it'll pay off, and hopefully I'll have the discernment to take that chance."
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"I struggled with the idea of the game being immoral a lot when I first considered being a part of it. It was hard to get across in my head that I'm gonna have to lie to these people. I kept on going back and forth like, oh, I won't tell a lie, I'll play it straitlaced. Then I kinda came to the realization that it's a game, this isn't real-life. Everyone here signed up for this. If they were too upset about being lied to or blindsided, it's like being upset about going in the shower and getting wet. It's gonna happen. You can't trust anyone. I'm gonna be true to my word to the best of my ability, but when it becomes necessary to advance myself in the game, it's gonna be necessary for me to do."
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"I do have outdoor experience, but not outdoor experience in the tropics. That'll be a little bit more interesting to see. I do love camping. I love backpacking. I can start fire and fish. Hopefully I'll be able to maybe provide some fish for us and be a strong person who knows how to build a shelter, secure everything, collect water, boil water. I'm used to being around a campfire. Hopefully they'll see that and wanna keep me around a little extra longer."
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"I don't know anyone who couldn't do without a million dollars. Have I thought about what I want to do with the money? My mind's gone a thousand different places. Being from Tennessee, I love the outdoors, I thought maybe I'll just buy a farm (laughs). I don't know. I think a lot of good could be done with this money as well. Something that's been on my heart is all the people who die because they can't get clean water. That's gonna be a real issue we face out here, having to get our own water, clean it, boil it, do all that. I'm thinking about starting a non-profit to build wells. There's no telling. I'm gonna enjoy it as well, maybe enjoy a motorcycle. I don't know."
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"I think the reason I'll win, that will probably set me apart, is my genuine nature. I love people, I really do. I genuinely care about them. I think they'll come to find that, it's not a facade or anything. I think if I make it down to the end, when I make it down to the end, people will have a hard time not voting for me, just because of how I've treated them throughout the game. I have to keep my head on straight, play hard, be kind to everyone, and it will kind of take care of itself."
Nothing I Wouldn't Do
David is on Survivor to win money, not make friends.
"My name is David, I'm 31 years old, and I'm a criminal defense attorney from Los Angeles, California."
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"Growing up as a child, I took a series of career placement tests, I guess is the best way to describe it. The three things they gave me were king, president, and attorney. Realistically the only one of those that was gonna work out was attorney, so I went that route."
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"I've defended just about everyone from little minor juvenile incidents all the way up to terrorists and serial killers. I've got experience with every type of person you can imagine in a professional capacity."
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"I think in the context of the game it works well for me because I am here to play a game. I have obvious compassion for people but I'm not gonna sit there and do things that are nice for people that act to the detriment of me in the game. It's not about making friends. It's about deceiving people into thinking you're friends."
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"That's the thing that aggravates me the most when I'm watching it on TV. The people who get very emotional and feel cheated and betrayed, when the situation is that you're here to win money. You're not here to walk away with a new best friend. If you do, great, but at the end of the day, if someone completely screws me over, am I gonna be pissed about it, yeah, but I'll pat them on the back and tell them they did a good job, because they outplayed me. They didn't lie to me, they didn't break my heart. They played a smarter role than I did."
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"You have to look at it as that or you're gonna get so emotionally wrapped up in it. The problem is that people aren't that logical. Everyone works emotionally. If you can turn the emotion off and turn on logic you've gotta hell of a lot easier road in this game. Dealing with the people who run on emotion is not only an obstacle but is pretty annoying."
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"There's nothing that I would say in the context of the game that I wouldn't do, flat-out. It's a game. If people's feelings are hurt, so be it. It's a game."
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"I think I have an advantage in terms of..."
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"The ability to detach myself from a situation, the ability to look at people. I'm not a psychic but I can get a pretty good snap judgment as to whether or not they're trying to BS me or not. I think a lot of people write everything on their face when they're talking to you, especially in a situation like this where everything is a loaded question, everything is intended to either plant a seed in my mind or see who's listening. Nothing is completely innocent. Bearing that in mind, I think it's a huge advantage to me is to listen to what people say and determine the credibility of it."
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"I don't want to be perceived as a threat right off the bat. (gestures at suit) This is a threat enough to some of these people, probably. I've gotta downplay it. I've gotta downplay my job."
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"I've gotta lie, to some extent, about what I do. Minimize it. I obviously can't avoid the issue altogether."
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"I don't wanna be obnoxious, but I'm trying to bring myself down to what I presume is the level of everyone else."
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"In order to shrink the target that's already on me."
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"I think first and foremost is just be as nice as I possibly can, which doesn't necessarily come naturally for me. I think that's gonna be the first step. I think the second step is to do my best to explain away this whole thing (opens his suit jacket) and my job, and try and..."
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"It's better to have extra clothes than not enough. That's the best I can do to try and deflect that."
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"I think I'll be perceived as definitely more of a mental threat than a physical threat, but I think that perception may quickly change. I'm not necessarily the most visibly athletic person, but I've played sports my entire life, and short of the sheer brawn I have as much athletic ability as most of the people out here. I'll be able to hold my own that way but I think I'll perceived as more of the strategist or the mental threat."
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"I grew up in the woods, actually. I wear a suit to work but I grew up in a suburb in Indianapolis. My parents house is obviously not tropical and close to the beach but is not in an area too dissimilar to this."
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"I'm pretty comfortable outside. I'm not exactly a camper but I think I'm smart enough to get by with the little things."
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"Going into the game I'm cautiously optimistic about my chances for success. I think my biggest obstacle is getting through the first few days. Once that happens and I have one or two solid relationships developed, I think I have a chance of going deep and possibly winning the game. Nothing short of that will be acceptable."
