Read on for my interview with Jackson, 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 Jackson from Survivor 42
Why are you here on Survivor? I applied ten years ago out of the blue. Then they contacted me and wanted me to do it this season. And actually, this was probably the best time. Ten years ago, I wouldn’t have done very well at all. Ten years later, I’ve grown, and this is the perfect time to do Survivor. What’s your history with watching Survivor? I actually started watching the show on a dare. I never watched reality TV; it wasn’t anything in my wheelhouse. And someone dared me to watch it on Thursday. And I did, and at that point, I was hooked. Unfortunately, back then, we didn’t have Netflix or things of that nature to watch past seasons. So I just had to start from there. And I’ve watched it every season since. Give me one Survivor winner and one non-winner who you identify with the most. One Survivor winner that I identify with would probably be Adam Klein. He had just such a passion for playing the game. And he got a lot of flack in it because he did flip and flop and move around. But he stuck to his core. And he had such a love for it, especially between him and his mother. That was beyond touching. And I think he deserved that win beyond anybody even though Ken did a great job. Adam deserved it. One of the ones that I love that didn’t win was Cirie. I loved Cirie! She had the best attitude. She was kind, but she was also a go-getter. And everybody loved her personality. I think she’s wonderful. What’s one life experience you feel has prepared you most for the game? The one life experience that helped me with Survivor would be transitioning. I’m a transgender man that transitioned later in life. I transitioned at 40. And that’s not an easy thing to do when you come from a Southern Baptist home. But I think if I can go through that kind of a transition, I can definitely do Survivor. What do you think people will perceive you as? I think people that watch Survivor, even people that play with me, will perceive me as probably a little weak in the beginning. I’m a big observer. I don’t rush to make a big move quickly. I like to see how people are going to shape out and form. But I think, in the end, they’re going to love my personality. I’m a fair player. I play to win. But I want to play right. And I want to be acknowledged for that. What will the other players dislike about you? I think other players could dislike the fact that I’m likable. That’s always a disadvantage in this game. They don’t ever want to take you to the end because they’re afraid everyone will vote for you. But I think, in a way, it helps me because it makes everyone think they can be aligned with me. And I’m okay with that. What do you desire in an alliance partner? 1. Loyalty. 2. Transparency. And 3.–this is going to sound strange–honesty, which is very difficult. I mean, I think you’re honest to a point, but you do have to break ties. But those are the things that I want. And also, somebody that can go under the radar. What celebrity or fictional character would you want to come out for a Loved Ones visit? Maybe Abraham Lincoln, that guy was absolutely a badass. That would be the best thing ever. He’d be cool and quiet. But you know he was the man. When you’re at your lowest moment in the game, what’s one happy memory you’ll pull from in your time of need? It would be a little cheesy. But like I said before, I come from a very small southern town, and being different is not viewed as a positive thing. And when I finally got to tell my mother who I was, she accepted me for who I was. That was probably a memory I will hold. Next, check out our interview with Survivor 42 contestant Mike Turner.
