“Hey Mitchell, nice job!” called a man stopped at a red light last week when he saw Union City resident Mitchell Olson of “Survivor” walking down Washington Street in Hoboken.
“Yeah, I get that a lot,” said Olson, who was kicked off the reality television series on the Feb. 15 episode. While aspiring actor, singer and songwriter was unable to talk to the media while he appeared on the show, Olson, who used to live in Hoboken, will be tied up for the next couple of weeks being interviewed on various television talk shows, and even the local hometown newspapers.
Olson, the aspiring actor, singer and songwriter from South Dakota, moved to Hudson County to pursue his career.
Getting on the show
Being on the hit television reality series “Survivor” was one of the goals Olson had on his list of “Things to Do.”
“I put it on the list mainly so that I could put on the application that it was on my list of ‘Things To Do,'” said Olson recently. “They thought it was funny.”
In fact, the producers at CBS, the network that airs the show on Thursday nights, must have found Olson extremely funny after choosing his audition video as one of the 800 people they would interview. A number narrowed down from the 50,000 videos the network received.
“It was very funny,” said Olson about his audition videotape that ran a series of interviews with random South Dakota residents. “It was kind of like a Tom Green type thing.”
After the first series of interviews, and a trip to Los Angeles where Olson was interviewed by the network’s president, Olson was chosen to be one of the 16 cast members for the shows second series.
“I wasn’t as surprised as I should have been,” said Mitchell, who never doubted his getting chosen for the show. Next, Olson had to decide on the one luxury item that he would bring with him to Australia. The network told Olson he could bring along up to five items he felt best described his personality, but they were not to be a comfort or a pleasure item. The producer then selects one of these for him to take along to Australia.
“I didn’t have very many good ideas,” said Olson who brought a jump rope, walkie-talkies and a journal with him to Australia as well as a songbook.
The songbook, which was his selected item, contained many popular songs heard on the radio as well as some Christmas carols.
Never again
Not even the extra tanning and eating that Olson did in anticipation for the trip to Australia could prepare him for the weight loss and other challenges he would experience once he got there.
“It was a good experience,” said Olson. “I am grateful for the opportunity. But I am able to put myself back in those shoes and realize how much I suffered.”
Olson, who was only on the show for 12 days, said he lost 12 pounds.
But Olson said that the hardest thing that he had to do was vote to kick other people off.
“I knew I had to do things that I wouldn’t normally do,” said Olson – things such as eating a live bug. “I knew they would push us to our limits. And they definitely did.”
The members of the tribe, however, formed a special bond and still keep in touch now that they have been back home since Dec. 5.
“Very stressful experiences really bring people together,” said Olson, noting that he felt the strongest bond with Jerri, who is also an aspiring actress.
After watching the edited version for the first time with the rest of the show’s viewers, Olson said that some of the footage surprised him.
“We knew that they could make you be who they wanted you to be,” said Olson. “The conditions really break you down and you say things that you wish you hadn’t. They definitely put some lines out there that I wish I hadn’t said.”
While there is some truth to the press that says that Olson wanted to be kicked off the island, he also remembers the good times that the tribe shared while on the island.
“We had concerts every night,” said Olson. “Of course you don’t see that, but we had a lot of fun.”
“There is a lot that happens in three days,” said Olson explaining that each episode includes three days of activity. “They have to cram it into 45 minutes. There is a lot you miss.”
Discovering the East Coast
Although Olson has no problem interacting with many different types of people, he grew up on a farm. In coming to Hudson County to pursue his acting care, he realizes he will have to deal with a faster pace. He also knows he is unlikely to find the kind of life he knew back on the farm.
“I came from a college of 8,000 people where just a handful of them were black Americans,” said Olson who graduated from South Dakota State University. “It was interesting to come to an area where there are different types of people.”
Olson spent his first year in the New York area working at Johnny Rockets in Hoboken, where he also lived before moving to his Kennedy Boulevard apartment in Union City.
Unable to cope with Hoboken’s legendary high rents, Olson and a co-worker moved to Union City six months ago where they found less expensive rents and a quick bus ride into New York City.
“I wanted to find a place where I could work less, pay less for an apartment and audition more,” said Olson about moving.
However, if you haven’t been able to spot the 7-foot tall “Survivor” around the city, it’s because he hasn’t had a chance to spend too much time there yet.
Olson traveled to Utah as part of a musical theater over the summer and then was off to Australia.
“I’ve only actually been living in Union City since Christmas break, said Olson.
But, Olson has also found time to get back to South Dakota every couple of months for a visit.
Pursuing his goals
Today, Olson can’t seem to go anywhere without people making references to his favorite foods or the television show.
“When they first asked me all of those questions I didn’t know what they were for or where they would end up,” said Olson, referring to his answering questions about his favorite things. These details can be found on CBS’s “Survivor” website. “I’ll walk into a movie theater and people will say ‘I’m sorry we don’t have any Chardonnay here,'” he added. Chardonnay, as most of America knows, is what he listed as his favorite drink.
“It is kind of weird,” said Olson, startled by his sudden role as a national celebrity.
Yet this South Dakota native who moved to the New York City area to pursue a career as an actor can only benefit from this type of exposure.
“Now I will be able to meet with agents and read scripts,” said Olson.
While his acting career is very important to him, Olson is also an aspiring singer and songwriter who describes the music he writes as “very mainstream top forty-type music.”
Olson, who currently works in the marketing and advertising department of “Entertainment Weekly” magazine, has not forgotten about his “Things to Do” list.
After deleting “Survivor” from his list, Olson plans to add visiting each of the seven wonders of the world. The list also includes being on “The Rosie O’Donnell Show,” which may happen in the near future.
Olson also intends to run for the President of the United States.
“Just to say I did,” said Olson.
As an aspiring mainstream popular artist, Olson cleared up the question on everyone’s mind about which pop singer he likes better: Britney Spears or Cristina Aguilera.
“Britney Spears definitely,” said Olson. “Although Cristina is growing on me.”