Features
Andrew Savage ’85 gets “second chance” on Survivor
By Brian Sobotko ’16
September 25, 2015
On Wednesday, Sept. 23, Season 31 of the CBS reality show Survivor premiered. This season, Survivor: Cambodia Second Chance features 20 contestants who played once before and were voted in by fans to receive a second chance at the game. Andrew Savage ’85 returns to the show this year after last appearing in 2003. Savage works as a lawyer for Yahoo! He caught up with The Spectator this week about his experiences on the show and on the Hill.
How did you end up on Survivor the first time?
SAVAGE: I didn’t watch the first season because I had to work Thursday nights (I was the attorney for the Jerry Springer show and we taped two shows every Thursday night). I would get home late and my wife would tell me about these crazy people on a deserted island eating rats to survive. My wife Stephanie was totally hooked on the first season of Survivor and she wanted to apply but she wasn’t a U.S. citizen yet so she told me I should apply. I thought she was crazy, to be honest. But, I then was able to watch the second Survivor season in the Australian Outback and I fell in love with the show. I began craving the adventure of a lifetime. I went to Jerry Springer and the executive producer Richard Dominic and told them I wanted to shoot a killer Survivor audition tape and I asked if they would help me. They were happy to help and let me use the studio, and we taped what became an amazing audition tape shot by the show’s director and in which Jerry appeared. It got Survivor’s attention and the rest is history.
You’ve maintained a friendship with [Survivor host] Jeff Probst since filming your original season. Did that affect gameplay at all? Did you ever pressure him to bring you back?
SAVAGE: Probst and I are social friends but we are far from BFFs. We would speak occasionally and our #1 rule was that we would NEVER talk about the show, EVER. We both have wonderful families and are living the dream and those are the things we would talk about. So, no, I never asked Jeff to be back on the show and I never would. The friendship also never affected any gameplay. Probst is the consummate professional and would never let a casual friendship impact the game.
What is the most striking difference between playing Survivor and watching Survivor?
SAVAGE: The level of deprivation. All of us at some time have been sitting down on the couch for too long and we stand up quickly and as a consequence we feel light-headed and briefly dizzy. Well, that’s how you feel most all of the time on Survivor. Add to it that you have to perform in incredibly physical challenges, build shelters, find food, gather firewood, make fire, etc... all the while feeling light-headed and dizzy puts being on the show versus watching the show into perspective.
Your first season aired over a decade ago. Did you keep up on the show in the years after?
SAVAGE: I watched only three seasons after my season in the Pearl Islands, which translated into me knowing absolutely none of the other 19 Second Chance contestants.
For the first time ever, this season’s contestants were voted in by the fans. How confident were you that you would be one of the players selected?
SAVAGE: I was 100% certain I was not getting voted back on. I really just felt that I was not memorable enough 12 years ago. Being voted on was one of the most shocking and flattering things I have ever experienced.
The game has evolved a lot since you first played. What did you do to prepare for your second chance?
SAVAGE: I trained physically like a triathlete. Ran 100s of hills, swam many miles, lifted weights. I can honestly say I was much fitter for this season than I was for Pearl Islands. In fact, this was probably the fittest I have ever been in my entire life (including playing football at Hamilton and top level rugby for 10 years).
If you had a third chance, would you do it again?
SAVAGE: Yes, I guess it’s just the way I am wired. Survivor is every bit the adventure of a lifetime. I honestly don’t know how anyone could say no to such a massive opportunity.
Can you tell us a little more about how you chose Hamilton, and your experience while here?
SAVAGE: I first became aware of Hamilton College because my father and mother, John and Cindy Savage, worked at the college for many, many years and spoke so highly of the school, the atmosphere, its students and faculty. My dad was a carpenter and retired quite a few years ago and my mom works at the Burke Library to this day. Their experiences and stories of working on the Hill made me very interested in Hamilton. I ultimately chose Hamilton for the culture, academics and athletics. I wanted to play college football but I didn’t want it to consume my entire college experience or sacrifice academics since I always knew I wanted to be a lawyer. Hamilton is division III, so a bit less intense than division I, and it offered a superb education. Fortunately, Hamilton was as interested in me as I was in it.
Who from your Hamilton experience would have the most success on Survivor?
SAVAGE: My old roommate Tom Duff [’85]. Duffer’s from Boston, a great hockey player and one of the most social guys I know. He’s mentally and physically tough and an all-around great guy that everybody loved, so Duffer would excel on Survivor.