'Survivor' Jenna Proud She Played Game
Lewis Said Show Doesn't Air Physical Condition Of Castaways
Suzanne Ellis, Staff WriterAugust 1, 2000, 11:25 a.m. EDT
TORONTO -- Ask former "Survivor" castaway Jenna Lewis, and she'll tell you that how she played the game was more important than whether she won or lost.
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| Jenna Lewis at Toronto's Windsor Arms Hotel |
Though she admits that her refusal to take part in island politics may have cost her the $1 million prize, she's proud to have left with her integrity intact.
"(Given the chance to do it again), I wouldn't do anything differently. I went there with something to prove, and I proved it. I was strong, (and) I managed to physically survive easily," she told NewsNet5. "It became all about politics, and that's where I exited, and I'm very happy with that."
Being stranded on the tropical island for seven weeks gave Lewis a new perspective on life, and a newfound appreciation for her family and her twin 4-year-old daughters, Sadie and Sabrina.
"I'm much more mellow now. Going through something like that, you realize that your microwave, your cell phone, aren't the important things," she said. "Seeing my daughters again -- I've never taken them for granted -- yet seeing them again was like having the umbilical cord reattached. It was wonderful.
"Also, I learned a lot about other people. Some people will do anything to win or get ahead, and I'm not willing to do that."
When the 16 castaways were plunked down on the island for the adventure game show, they left behind the defining aspects of their lives -- their homes, jobs, family and friends. At first, Lewis had trouble coming to terms with that concept.
"I felt I knew who I was," she said. "Before I had children at 18, I knew that I could handle it. I was very grounded, and I had a good sense of responsibility. So my daughters just added to that.
"But being stripped away from all the people who know you and love you for who you are, and then being thrown into a very stressful situation, I couldn't come to terms with it right away.
"I actually went through a period where I felt like I was put in a blender. It was like, 'Oh my God! Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing here?'
"But then I remembered I was there to see if I could do it, and I did. And I gained strength from the fact that I knew who I was. I knew I was a happy person, and I didn't let the island politics bring me down. I never said anything negative about anyone. I would say some people weren't doing as much as they should, but I'd never out-and-out call someone a jerk. Never."
One of the most dramatic moments on the show was the worst personal moment for Jenna in her entire time on the island. During one episode, host Jeff Probst told her that her family hadn't sent a video postcard from home. She learned that after sitting through all the other castaways' tapes, hoping each time that the next one would be for her.
"It literally felt like my heart broke when Jeff looked at me and said, 'Jenna we have no tape for you,'" she said. "If I could have asked CBS for one thing, I would have asked that they tell me at the beginning (of that segment). Because it was just the anxiety, every time (a new tape went in), I thought, 'OK, this is it. I'm going to see my beauties' faces fill the screen.' I was definitely missing them.
"To have seen them would have carried me on. But I carried on anyway, thinking it would be all the sweeter when I finally did get to see them."
Jenna had some pretty amazing moments on the island as well, including the barbecue feast that she shared with Colleen in last week's episode. But Jenna's favorite moment on "Survivor" was when she got to be a tribal ambassador with Sean when the two led the merger of the two tribes.
"I wasn't expecting it, so it was just such a reward," she said. "Getting there and seeing there was this huge spread of dinner they'd set up. Everything seemed very positive, and there was big new hope for the merger."
Jenna told NewsNet5 that much of what the 16 castaways went through wasn't caught on tape.
"We didn't have razors. Luckily, (the sun) bleached most of our hair, but I had long leg hair," she said. "But the most physical thing was probably the bug bites. I ended up having major staph infections on my legs. They were so swollen I could barely walk when I got kicked off (the island).
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EPISODE 11 HIGHLIGHTS:
Discussion:
SHOW OVERVIEW:
THE OUTCASTS: |
Video about the TV show and cast members on "Survivor."
Who Knows The Most Survival Trivia?Asked what she thought about how her island adventure, which finished taping in April, was being edited for television, Lewis said: "They're doing a good job at capturing what they want to -- the conflicts and the interpersonal dynamics. But you're missing out on how despaired we really were. It would rain for 12 hours straight, and we would just lie there in the shelter. You can't capture that in the time element they have."
The "Survivor" cast will reunite live on TV after the winner is announced on the final episode Aug. 23. It will be the first time that all 16 castaways have assembled since leaving the island.
Although Lewis has been turned into the media darling of the moment, getting shuttled around North America to do publicity for the show, she remains down-to-earth.
"I still don't consider myself a celebrity. I mean, I grew up with myself," she said. "Watching people come up to me and ask for my autograph, I'm thinking, 'I didn't do anything special. I didn't cure cancer.'
"But I am proud of the experience I had, and I'm proud that I got to do it on a show like 'Survivor' where I get to be strong emotionally and physically and showcase who I really am."
Previous Story:
- July 27, 2000: 'J' For Jenna Gets 'B' For Boot
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