Survivor’s Season 49 cast list has arrived, with a new crop of tribe members hoping to outwit, outplay and outlast their competition. The eclectic group of cast members, who range in age from 25 to 52, are from all walks of life and include a former Marvel Cinematic Universe executive, a literal rocket scientist and a correctional officer. The bunch also features two players who will make their way to Survivor’s 50th season — though their identities currently remain under wraps.
That’s not the only thing that’s interesting about this lineup, though, which will be divided amongst three tribes: Hina, Kele and Uli. This year, two players were replaced just 12 hours before filming began, with their alternates having to step into the game. Though it’s unclear why the original cast members were pulled, host Jeff Probst told Parade that this switch-up is a “reminder that we take this game very seriously.”
“We want you to have a blast when you play. But we do have rules, and they have to be respected, and if they’re not, we will take action,” he said of the game, which has been played in Fiji since Season 33. “And we did, and I’m sure it will send a seismic warning to future players, and I’m OK with that, because we don’t ask for a lot.”
Last season, lawyer Kyle Fraser, 31, took home the million-dollar prize money. He told Business Insider in May, “I love my job, but Survivor opened my eyes to the fact that I could do a bunch of different things. That would be such a cool life to live.”
So, who will be the next Sole Survivor? Stay tuned to find out. Season 49 begins on Wednesday, Sept. 24. Read up on each castaway below.
Alex Moore
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The 27-year-old Illinois native is one of the youngest communications directors in Washington, D.C. According to Parade, Moore has a few rules for himself on the island that he’s picked up on his job: “Use gossip to your advantage, don’t tell anyone what you find, and don’t get suckered by a cute girl.”
Kimberly “Annie” Davis
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The Portland, Ore., native, 49, is a musician who currently lives in Texas. She’s the lead singer of the band Trashy Annie. (They have a new album coming out on Halloween!)
Jake Latimer
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The Canadian correctional officer, 36, told Parade he’s playing Survivor now because he wants his father, who is living with glaucoma, to be able to see him on TV before his eyesight goes. He told Parade that the show has been important to his family since he was a kid. “I’d like to set an example that nice people can finish first; to win $1 million for my son would be a dream come true,” he said.
Jason Treul
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Treul, 32, is one of the two alternates playing Survivor this year. The California native is a former Google software engineer who switched careers and is now a law clerk. He told Entertainment Weekly that if he’s voted out first, he’ll “wake up before work every day for a year to go to the gym because clearly the reason that I was voted out first was because I am the smallest dude and I need to up my threat level a little bit.”
Jawan Pitts
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The Los Angeles-based video editor, 28, said his experience pursuing his dreams in Hollywood prepared him for the competition, telling Parade, that “moving to L.A. with only $4,000 and my cousin in 2021” was the “leap of faith” that showed him he is “more capable” than he gives himself credit for.
In his interview with TVLine, Probst teased that in the premiere episode, Pitts “talks about Survivor as it relates to a horror movie.” The TV host noted that “it’s a perfect theme because he’s able to let you see how he views the game, and it also tells you who he is.”
Jeremiah Ing
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The Ontario-based global events manager, 39, has visited 44 countries and has worked in both fashion and beauty and the financial industry. His preferred alliance partner? “Someone who can help me forget how dirty and hungry I am,” he told Parade. “I want to align myself with loyal and fun people, preferably a Gemini!”
Ing made headlines when he was hit by a car on the day he was flying out to Fiji.
Kristina Mills
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The 36-year-old Houston native is an MBA career coach who told Parade that she was inspired to try out for Survivor after watching Season 45 helped her deal with life’s difficulties, like post-partum depression and the loss of her mom.
Matt Williams
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Williams, 52, left his finance career to work as an airport ramp agent. The Utah native told Parade that he loves to cook and would consider using the million-dollar prize to open a restaurant — though he apparently has other ideas too. He told EW that if he gets voted out first, he will “take the 500-hour required course and become a Pilates instructor.”
Michelle “MC” Chukwujekwu
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Chukwujekwu is a fitness trainer based in San Diego and one of the two alternates who was placed into the game last minute. “It definitely wasn’t exactly what I was expecting,” she told Entertainment Weekly of learning she was going on the show. “But season 47 was my first season watching and it was my first time applying. A lot of people do this for years, so I was very grateful. And you never know who might get sick or get scared and drop out. I’m 100 percent ready to go in.”
Nate Moore
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Moore, a 47-year-old from California, has worked for the Marvel Cinematic Universe for more than 10 years, producing hits like Black Panther. “I’ve worked on a number of film sets so I’m used to trying to build consensus on what we need to achieve, community from all walks of life and finding the fun in even the most challenging scenarios,” he told Parade.
Nicole Mazullo
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The 26-year-old Long Island, N.Y., native now calls Philadelphia home. She’s a financial crime consultant, meaning that she has a great eye for spotting liars.
Rizo Velovic
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The 25-year-old from Yonkers, N.Y., works in tech sales. As the son of Albanian immigrants, he told Parade he is eager to live out his dream in honor of his parents.
Speaking to TVLine, Probst said that the youngest contestant on the season spent time trying to teach his competitor, Nate Moore, some of his generation’s vernacular. “You now have a situation where Nate has to work hard to not be the guy saying, ‘Wait, tell me again. The word cinema means what?’” Probst explained. “It’s a really fun thing because it encapsulates what Survivor’s really about: taking a cross section of people that have to live together and get along on some level.”
Sage Ahrens-Nichols
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The clinical social worker from North Carolina, 30, was an alternate for Season 47 before finally joining the cast of Season 49. Her biggest pet peeve, according to Parade, is “the patriarchy,” followed by people who roll their eyes when she says “the patriarchy.”
Savannah Louie
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The 31-year-old former reporter currently resides in Atlanta. She told Parade that her former job as a journalist allowed her to build trust with people, and get them to trust her — something she hopes will come in handy during the game.
Shannon Fairweather
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The 28-year-old Massachusetts resident is a wellness specialist who runs a virtual community for women called HerVibes. She told EW that if the stars align and she’s voted out first, she’ll react with “a good 10 pages of journaling” and “maybe a strict hour-long meditation.” Though, she said, “to be honest with you, I’m probably going to do that either way.
Sophi Balerdi
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Sophi Balerdi, a 27-year-old entrepreneur, plans to approach the game with a strategic, business-like mindset. A lifelong fan, she’s playing the game in honor of her late grandmother, who learned English by watching the show and was obsessed with host Jeff Probst. Sophi shared, “She would say, ‘Mira que guapo este hombre'” [Look how hot this guy is].
Sophie Segreti
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NYC-based strategy associate Segreti, 31, was an alternate for Season 48 before making it onto Season 49. She told Parade that her business school experience, and life-long Survivor fandom, has prepared her for the upcoming season.
Steven Ramm
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The Colorado-based Ramm, 35, works as an engineer for NASA. He also grew up with hearing loss, something that he told Parade made him a great listener and communicator.