Read on for my interview with Mike, and make sure to check in with Parade.com every day for interviews with this season’s contestants and other tidbits. Survivor 42 premieres on March 9 with a special two-hour premiere on CBS.
Interview with Mike from Survivor 42
What’s your history with watching Survivor? I’ve been a fan since the first season. When I first heard about it, it was a very intriguing premise. You really just heard, “We’re gonna throw these people on an island, and we’re gonna have them fend for themselves. And then the winner of it’s going to get a million dollars.” And the million-dollar prize grabs your attention right away, obviously. But then once you watched it, and then as the seasons morphed on and on, it turned into this human chess match that was unbelievable. But it also hit me on a different level. It let a lot of people that really didn’t know themselves find themselves. It peeled away all the layers they used their whole lives to protect themselves. Out there, you’re not protected by anything other than who you are. And that, to me, was the most amazing thing about watching the show and learning from the show. And obviously, it intrigued me to be a part of the show. Because at the end of the day, we sit back on our couches, and we’re the best Survivor players of all time. But now I get a chance actually to put that to the test. Give me one Survivor winner and one non-winner who you identify with the most. It’s crazy, but if you look at me, you would never think that I identify with Tai. I just think he was a beautiful person. And I don’t mean about saving chickens. You can read his heart on his face, which is kind of hard to understand. And even though he flipped-flopped a ton, I don’t think he did it maliciously. I just think he was torn because he wanted to make people happy. I identify with that because I want to be happy, and I like people to be happy. My fiance always says to me, “You need to learn how to say no.” And it’s a hard word for me sometimes. This game’s obviously going to test that because not only am I going to have to say no, I’m going to have to do things I probably wouldn’t do in my normal life. The winner that I probably most think I’m like is Tony. And I’m not sure if the exact reason is that we’re both from the same county. He’s from Jersey City; I’m from Hoboken. Or that we’re civil service workers. I’m not sure if that’s the reason. But the way he plays is the way I think. I’m not sure that I can be a Tony. I know I’m going to be a Mike. And I want to be a Mike. But I think that I most identify with his style of play, his sharp wit, and his sharp thinking. What’s one life experience you feel has prepared you most for the game? It’s hard to say there’s one thing. I’ve been playing Survivor since I was five years old. I had a very humble beginning. So life was always about surviving. I come from a background where we didn’t have any money or anything, and we weren’t looked upon as the echelon of our town. So I was always using my social game to get ahead, knowing how to talk to people and when to talk to people. So there’s not one moment. My life is just knowing how to play the game. I say this to my kids all the time, “You need to know how to play the game. You need to know where you are and how to act in certain situations.” When you’re with your friends, you can act a certain way. When you’re talking to your boss, you act a certain way. When talking to peers, you need to act a certain way. I think your social game is your life, and you have to act a certain way through your life to get ahead. Unfortunately, sometimes that’s the way it is. What do you think people will perceive you as? I think at first glance, they’re going to try and read the book by the cover, which can sometimes make people think troublemaker or mean-looking guy. I don’t know if you realize it or not, but I don’t have that typical GQ look. I’m more stoic with my bald head. And look, I can be a little intimidating at times. But I think if they take the time to read the book, they’ll realize that I am a person that enjoys people. I like being liked; I like being nice. It’s free; you give it away. You don’t have to charge for it. You don’t have to pay for it. And hopefully, that’s how they’ll come away. They’ll say, “Wow, I had the wrong impression when I first saw him. He’s a good dude.” What do you desire in an alliance partner? Loyalty. That’s it. Listen, if you say to me, “You’re gonna stick with me till the Final Four,” and then you cut my throat at four, I’m good. You say you’re going to cut my throat when we get down to six or the merge, I’m good. If you look at me, you shake my hand, and you say, “I’m with you,” do the right thing until it’s time for us to both make our move. What’s the best advice you received before coming out to play? Shut the hell up. Stop being so damn loud. I have what we call the “Hoboken Whisper.” We only know how to talk the way I’m talking right now. The people back at camp can probably hear me. However, I don’t know how to be anything else. I’m going to try like hell. But if I’m blindsiding somebody, they may hear me from a couple of hundred feet away. So I gotta learn to shut the hell up and talk low and just stay within myself. When you’re at your lowest moment in the game, what’s one happy memory you’ll pull from in your time of need? The happiest day of my life. The day my daughter was born. She changed my world forever in an extremely great, great, great way. She’s just turned 25. And I couldn’t spend her birthday with her because I was quarantining myself, so I wouldn’t let something stupid happen like catch COVID before I got here. She’s a big Survivor fan. When she was little, we used to watch Survivor every Wednesday night. Then when she went to college, we watched separately and then talked about the whole show the next morning. What celebrity or fictional character would you want to come out for a Loved Ones visit? Wow, that’s cool. I never thought of that. Matthew McConaughey. He’s the one dude that men and women love! Listen, as a guy, I’m jealous of how good-looking and suave with his swagger is. But on the other side of the coin, he’s a man’s man. He’s a guy who I can respect because he marches to his own beat. He says what he believes, and he doesn’t let his fame dictate who he is. He’s a cool dude, man. I could sit down and have dinner with him, have a beer with him, and laugh and tell stories. I could tell him stories that he would love to listen to. I don’t think he needs to hear his own stories all the time. You know, he’s become a fan of the show during the pandemic. He’s binged the show with his family. You know what? That lights a little fire under my ass to do well! I will take the call from Matthew if he calls. “Hey, I want to speak to Mike the Survivor winner.” I’ll definitely take that call. Next, check out our interview with Survivor 42 contestant Lydia Meredith.
