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Michael Snow (CBS)

Quick Note: We’re going to be bringing you all kinds of “Survivor” fun this season including episode recaps, exit interviews, and Power Rankings with Michael Skupin. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute news and info.

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So…Stealth R Us Too was going to split the vote between Reynold and Eddie in case one of them had an idol. Then after the tie they were going to vote for Reynold. BUT, Malcolm was trying to get Sherri and Dawn to vote for Andrea. HOWEVER, Dawn is a strategy machine who is crushing dreams left and right so she told Andrea and they decided to target Malcolm instead. WHEN SUDDENLY, Eddie tells his giiiiirlfriend Andrea that she’s in trouble, so she decides to focus all of the votes on the one person they know is idol-less.

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Michael becoming the first member of the jury.

I never promised you rhymes.

I spoke with Michael the morning after his elimination and had a chance to get the scoop on last night’s craziness, his former alliance with Sherri, and spying on the Caramoan lovebirds…

Gordon Holmes: OK, what the hell happened last night?
Michael Snow: (Laughs) It’s so convoluted, even that day. I think what happened was Eddie, Reynold, and I were working with Malcolm and we were trying to get a foothold and not get voted out. Dawn had come to me, she and Malcolm had talked, so we thought we may have a chance to flip things. We were hoping that they’d split the vote and we’d have five and take Andrea out. I didn’t know if it was going to work, I didn’t think it was going to work. But, if someone was going to get voted out, I thought it’d be Eddie or Reynold.
Holmes: Did you know that Reynold had an idol?
Snow: I did. He told me. I didn’t know he had it on the other beach, we were still searching. But, he told me when he came over for the merge.
Holmes: And did you know that he and Malcolm had a relationship that was close enough that he’d hand over the idol?
Snow: Not really. I didn’t know if Reynold would really give it. But, Reynold had offered his idol to me that day as well. But, it didn’t surprise me that he gave him the idol. I think he would have given the idol to anyone he was working with. He’s kind of like that. I knew they were close, but I didn’t know they were “bro-type” like that.

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Holmes: Before the swap, your alliance was taking out Reynold and Eddie’s cool kids’ alliance. Did they have trouble trusting you after merge?
Snow: After the merge it was fine. We never had a contentious relationship. When they arrived on the beach we knew we were down in the numbers. We knew we were screwed. They weren’t immediately like, “What do we do?” But we were checking in with each other. And when we went to the first vote and voted for Sherri, we were all on board. But, we never had a problem. We hung out at the other beach, so it wasn’t a surprise to be hanging out with them and laughing on the new beach.
Holmes: You and Sherri used to be in an alliance. Then, last week you voted for her and she wasn’t thrilled with that…understandably. But, it seems like she’s not doing a great job of staying on the good side of people who could potentially end up on the jury.
Snow: Well, right when the merge happened, I felt like she was a little nervous in trying to figure out where she was going to fall in. So, I think she was just kind of scrambling, but not too hard. But after Corinne was voted out, she was in with those guys totally. They knew they had her vote. Phillip and her were spending a lot of time talking. I don’t think they saw her as a threat.

Holmes: Now that you’re at home watching this and you see that Dawn had a key role in taking out Julia, Corinne, and yourself, are you a little shocked that she’s turned into the Grim Reaper?
Snow: (Laughs) Shocking? No. I knew she was playing hard and I knew she was having a tough time. She was really a Nervous Nelly. I was starting to notice it before Corinne was voted out. We didn’t think she was so ruthless, because she was so upset so often. So, it’s not shocking, but “Wow, good job, Dawn.”

Holmes: Last night we saw Eddie and Andrea scoot off for a little rendezvous…
Snow: (Laughs) I watched that happening, Gordon. At that point in the afternoon, I knew they were off together. I started watching them. I thought, if he’s going to flip, I need to keep an eye out for that. So, I’m scooting up over the hill and I’m popping my head up spying on them. It was so fun, I was laughing. It was exactly what I wanted to be doing. I was watching them canoodling because I was worried about Eddie.
Holmes: You could make the argument that him letting Andrea know she was a target led her to target you instead of Malcolm.
Snow: Absolutely. I think that was part of it. That probably got Andrea to be a little more ruthless and getting away from splitting the vote. But, I really attribute it to Dawn and Andrea. I think it was a combination of all of those things. Dawn had come to me earlier that day and asked if I was voting with the guys. I said, “Dawn, what do you want me to do? I’ve been telling you I’ll work with you, but you’re not pulling me in.” And she said, “I’ll come back to you. I think it’s time for me to make a move.” So, she was the one leading us down the path and making us think she was going to make a move. So, I really give Dawn a lot of credit.

Holmes: Alright, let’s do some word association. We’ll start with Malcolm.
Snow: Gamer.
Holmes: Reynold?
Snow: Generous.
Holmes: Eddie?
Snow: Jersey (Pronounced “Joy-zee”).
Holmes: Sherri?
Snow: Cinnabon.
Holmes: Corinne?
Snow: Awesome.
Holmes: Andrea?
Snow: Conniving.
Holmes: Cochran?
Snow: Great player.
Holmes: Phillip?
Snow: A douche-alist.
Holmes: Dawn?
Snow: Ruthless.
Holmes: Brenda?
Snow: The most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, inside and out.
Holmes: She is gorgeous.
Snow: Gorrrrgeous.
Holmes: Erik?
Snow: I want to say surprising. He was doing all these things that were kind of outside the box. I never knew he had it in him. He’s kind of a rebel. He sees things in different ways.
Holmes: What’s an example?
Snow: He was always looking for something or push the boundaries of what he could do and get away with. I try to play within the rules, and how can I bend them. He plays outside of the rules. I thought that was really admirable.

Holmes: When you play “Survivor” you assume you’re going to starve. You assume you’re going to lie and be lied to. But you never assume that you’re going to become best friends with a bearded, bike riding, front man from Ohio.
Snow: (Laughs) Everyone says, “You’re so different.” But, I think we’re very similar in a lot of ways, and that’s why we got along. We both have very broad senses of humor. We’re both very open to people and respond to different kinds of people. It’s really been fun to get to know someone who is like that. I intend on keeping Matt in my life for a long time. He’s good people.
Holmes: Always good to hear about the long-term alliances.

Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes

Michael Snow (CBS)

I had a chance to sit down with all twenty of the “Fans vs. Favorites” competitors the day before they left for the Caramoan Islands. I’ll be posting exclusive interviews with each contestant every weekday until we get through all of them. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for tons of updates.

Name: Michael Snow
Age: 44
Hometown: New York, NY
Occupation: Event Planner

Note: The “Survivor: Caramoan” pre-game interviews are unlike the pre-game interviews we’ve done in the past. Usually, the interviews take place on location, this time they took place in Los Angeles before the players flew out. At this point, all the “Fans” know is that they’re flying out in the next few days. They have seen each other, but haven’t seen the returning players.  They don’t know for sure where they’re going, and they don’t know any of the season’s twists.

Gordon Holmes: Are you a “Survivor” fan?
Michael Snow: I’m a huge “Survivor” fan. I’ve been watching for a number of years now.
Holmes: When did you start?
Snow: I want to say four or five years ago. It wasn’t because I wasn’t interested in it, I just never had a television. So, when I started watching television I found this show and said, “Whoa! This is crazy.” I immediately thought, I want to do this and started sending tapes in.
Holmes: How many times did you apply?
Snow: I’m bad with little, minor details, but I think four or five.
Holmes: Are you bad with names?
Snow: No, I’ll be fine out there with names, but if I see you four years later I’m going to be like,  “Oh, yeah…you…” I used to be good, but as I get older it’s flitting away. If I’m ever with you and don’t introduce you to people, it’s because I don’t remember your name.
Holmes: I’m the worst. I had a girlfriend where we had a cue that if I squeezed her hand three times quickly, she knew to introduce herself to people whose names I didn’t remember.
Snow: See, I’ve already forgot your name…
Holmes: Gordon.
Snow: Michael.
Holmes: Don’t feel bad about it, if I didn’t have these bios in front of me, I’d have forgotten.

Holmes: You don’t like crazy.
Snow: (Laughs)
Holmes: I have a hunch that some crazy is coming your way soon.
Snow: Oh, I anticipate running into crazy people. I don’t like crazy, but don’t we all live with crazy every day? I’ve had roommates, friends, coworkers who were just bananas, but it’s not a problem. It drives me crazy when people aren’t making any sense.
Holmes: You’re a theater guy, as am I. There seems to be a ton of crazy in that industry. Does that background help you at all?
Snow: Absolutely. I’m very easy-going. I have a long line of patience. But, I do reach that point where I just can’t take it anymore. I’m not worried about it. I’m not going to seem like a jerk because I’m not just going to fly off the handle if someone acts crazy. It’d have to build up.

Holmes: Do you have any concerns about how you’ll be able to handle the lack of food, lack of sleep, or lack of water?
Snow: Well, if I’m not eating my fuse is much shorter. That’s just something that I’ve known going into this that I’m going to have to really keep in check. It’s easier for me to handle that when I’m around people that I don’t know so well. With a bunch of total strangers, I’ll be on my best behavior.

Holmes: Why do you think you were cast?
Snow: That’s a good question!
Holmes: That’s why I asked it.
Snow: I’ve actually been wondering. I think there’s a lot to me. I’m serious, but I’m also a giant goofball. I’m empathetic, but I can be very frank. I think they saw a lot of different things. Here’s a guy that will say what’s on his mind, but he’s not a blabbermouth.
Holmes: I don’t see a giant goofball when I look at you.
Snow: You don’t?
Holmes: You seem perfectly respectable.
Snow: I’m not going to be goofy for goofy’s sake. It comes out in moments.

Holmes: As a “Survivor” fan you are surely aware that lying happens in this game. Have you set any limits for yourself as far as deception goes?
Snow: No, I’m surprised when people think that can play without lying. I’m not going to tell lies just to tell lies. I think the best lies come out of some truth. You bring out a lie when you need one. And if anyone thinks they can go through the game without lying, they’re fooling themselves. Even not saying something is a form of a lie.
Holmes: Is there anything about your personal life that you’ll keep a secret?
Snow: The one thing I considered doing was keeping my age under wraps. But, I don’t want to get caught in any kind of lie that’s stupid like that.
Holmes: I don’t think you need to lie about your age.
Snow: Yeah, but I think I’m the oldest one here.
Holmes: But you look perfectly fit. As long as you can contribute in challenges you should be fine.
Snow: But, people are so savvy now, they’ll find any reason to vote you out.
Holmes: Sophie from “South Pacific” is a good example. She’s very young, but she struck me as an old soul. The question is, can you talk to a young person and make it seem like you’re equals.
Snow: Right.
Holmes: Do you deal with younger people well?
Snow: Yeah. I work with, not kids, but this past couple of years I’ve been working with people from 23 to 30 years old. That isn’t a kid, but they’re from a different generation.

Holmes: What mistakes have you seen on the show lately that you’re hoping to avoid?
Snow: As a viewer, I find it frustrating when you see people who need to make a big move and they don’t do it. Hopefully, I’ll have the wherewithal and not be exhausted if that time comes for me.

Holmes: Any plans for the million bucks?
Snow: My partner and I want to get a house in New York.
Holmes: Oh, real estate in New York is so affordable.
Snow: I know. We might be able to afford a nice one-bedroom apartment if I’m able to win the million dollars.
Holmes: Is he also a “Survivor” fan?
Snow: He is. He loves watching it with me and talking about it.

Holmes: If there is a twist, what do you think it will be?
Snow: Returnees? The returnee thing…do I want to play against returnees? Yes. But, I also don’t want to because I think they have a huge advantage. If we have to play against returnees, we have to be really smart about it.
Holmes: Are there any returnees you’d want to see?
Snow: I don’t think they’d send “Boston” Rob out again. I’m a big fan of the show, so I’d like to watch them play. Maybe some of the good players like Russell.

Holmes: Do you have any experience roughing  it?
Snow: I grew up in Maine, so we did a lot of work on a farm. I come from a place of having to rough it a little bit. Shovel (expletive deleted) and take care of animals. We went fishing and hiking and camping. But, I don’t do it anymore, that’s going to be the interesting part.

Holmes: Any first impressions of this cast?
Snow: Well, the one thing I like is there’s a huge guy. I hope he’s on my tribe. He looks like he’s going to be really fun to play with. There’s a lot of younger people. I wasn’t thinking that I’d be worried about my age, but everyone looks so much younger. I don’t want them to see me as the old person right away.
Holmes: What do you think their first impression of you will be?
Snow: Here I am, a guy from New York City…I don’t look like I’m from the country. They may see me as kind of a smart guy. They might think, “Oh, let’s make him do the puzzles.” Which might not be their best choice.

Don’t miss the two-hour premiere of “Survivor: Caramoan – Fans vs. Favorites,” Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.