Road Rules All Stars’ Interviews
Sean:
JJ Web chats with Real World - BOSTON log master SEAN.
JJ Web:Hey Sean, this is JJ Web calling from Bunim-Murray Productions.
Sean:Bunim who?
JJ Web:Very funny. A few questions, my brother. What did you think of New Zealand?
Sean:I thought it was beautiful. I think our trip was a little bit short. And we had a lot of missions that didn't deal with New Zealand itself. There were some pretty wild, extreme-sport missions. We didn't get to see a lot of New Zealand except for the horseback riding trip. I would have liked to see a little bit more of it, but it was a great trip. I would say it's probably one of the most beautiful places I've been. The landscape, the ocean, it's so cool. Where the ocean meets the land there is jutting rock coming out and it's really cool.
JJ Web:You were the first cast member to strap into the harness for the urban rap jumping. Did you volunteer?
Sean:I think Eric was going to go first, but I had my stuff strapped on and the guys in charge of the mission grabbed me and threw me in the front of the line and I was going first! I was pretty freaked out. It was a pretty scary thing, walking on the side of a building. Especially trusting yourself holding that rope. I was kind of freaked out.
JJ Web:That's what I don't understand. Exactly how much control do you have, as far as lowering yourself down?
Sean:You're in total control, except they must have a safety line on you in case you totally freak out and let go of the rope.
JJ Web:So is the pressure of your hand holding the entire weight of your body?
Sean:They have one of those lock-off clamps. You don't have to grip it that tight, just the pressure of your hand will stop you. So no, you're not stressing out, you're not using a lot of muscles -- just the grip of your hand is dictating the speed that you're going down the side of the building.
JJ Web:What was the scariest part of that mission?
Sean:The first time, leaning, taking my weight over the edge of the building and relying on that rope the first time -- that was pretty freaky.
JJ Web:Was there a point where you thought you might refuse to do the mission?
Sean:The camera was there, so I pretty much felt that I had to. But if I had been there by myself, I might have considered backing out of it. But after you get over the initial leaning over the building and the first couple steps down, it was a ball.
JJ Web:Was there any other mission that was more frightening to you?
Sean:Yes. Singing the Road Rules theme song. (laughs) That was the most frightening thing I did on that show.
JJ Web:Let's talk about the bug mission.
Sean:You better talk to Cynthia about that one!
JJ Web:I did talk to Cynthia about that one!
Sean:(laughs) Oh God...
JJ Web:She basically said she's over it now, and she's not mad at anyone, but at the time she was really freaked out. Did you have any inkling that she was going to have that extreme of a reaction?
Sean:I thought that the girls would get a little bit upset by eating bugs, but I didn't expect her to freak out the way she did. I mean, she wanted to go home! I was pretty amazed at her reaction. Because the cooks did the same thing to us. When we walked in there we got a bowl of crickets and worms in the food that we tried.
JJ Web:So everybody ended up eating bugs.
Sean:Exactly. And none of us knew the first time we tasted them that they were bugs. They played a good one on us later, too. They had us chopping the legs off the live crickets. We were like, what the hell is this?! Because usually, the crickets come in live, they freeze them, and obviously they freeze to death, and then you cut the legs off and you sautè 'em up. Well, they gave us live crickets and they're jumping around and we're trying to pin them down and cut their legs off.
JJ Web:How did it come about that Cynthia didn't leave the show?
Sean:Billy Rainey, one of the directors, sat her down and talked to her. He gave her space to cool down, because every other word out of her mouth was a swear word. But she cooled down and Billy talked some sense to her. And we knew we were doing the song coming up and we wanted her to be a part of it because she has a great voice. We would have been bummed if she hadn't finished the trip off with us for those three days. But she decided she could stand us for three more days. [laughs]
JJ Web:I know during the Zorb mission that the entire cast got into a disagreement with Eric, about him wanting to stay and play longer. But that argument was really about other things, and the day with the Zorb was just the straw that broke the camel's back. Do you think you were right in taking a stance against Eric, or do you think you overreacted?
Sean:I'm pretty upset with the editing of that show.
JJ Web:Tell me why.
Sean:I'm upset because Eric was a complete ass in New Zealand. He came on the show and basically told all of us that he was there to promote himself, and that meant positioning himself in front of the camera, taking his shirt off and selling his body. For the first couple days of the trip it was fine. But after eight to ten days, it started to wear on us. In New Zealand, we were like, OK, you just want to promote yourself and you don't want a relationship with anybody else here, so you go do your thing and we'll all go do our thing. All of a sudden, there was Eric Nies in New Zealand by himself with no one to hang out with. Then we went and did this Zorb mission and, granted, during the Zorb the girls were pissing and moaning, crying. I was getting upset at that as well. But we had Zorbed, and we were all sick, and it was getting cold out, and we had been there for a while, and all of a sudden Eric wants to keep going down this hill. And we were like, let's go. I think he wanted to bring this disagreement in the group to a head at that point. Then in editing, the folks at Bunim-Murray brutalized it. They made it seem like Eric just wanted to have a good time and everybody else just wanted to leave and not experience this like Eric did. It made me want to puke. It looked like Eric brought the group together for the horseback-riding trip and now everything is fine.
JJ Web:Rachel has commented that Cynthia and Eric had some kind of physical relationship. When I spoke to Cynthia, she said "nothing went in me or on me." Do you want to comment on this mystery?
Sean:Obviously none of us have any knowledge that it actually happened, but I know that the night that it supposedly did happen, Eric stayed in Cynthia's bed. And at the time both parties said something happened. Then Cynthia told Rachel, and Eric alluded to the fact that something went down between the two of them. I think Cynthia told Rachel a little more than Eric told myself, that they had definitely gotten together. And it all made sense after that because Cynthia had some real attitude with Eric after that evening because he kind of didn't give her the attention or the time of day that she expected after giving him looooove. So it made sense. That's what was going down. Obviously, she's going to deny it.
JJ Web:And when you guys stayed in Los Angeles, Beth was after your ass!
Sean:Oh my God!
JJ Web:How was that?
Sean:It was humorous that she was acting like that, but I just didn't know how to take it. I had never had someone that abruptly pursue me. And I was kind of flustered as well because Rachel was encouraging her, and I was with Rachel at the time!
JJ Web:We've gotten a lot of e-mail from fans who think you and Rachel make a very cute couple. What's the status of your relationship? Are you still dating?
Sean:After the final episode, we both stayed in Los Angeles for a week. And we hung out for that week. We were together the whole time. And then I went back to Wisconsin and she went back to Arizona. And we didn't have any contact for a couple months. And then I went to Los Angeles for a month before Christmas, and we hung out briefly, but there wasn't really anything going on between the two of us. And then at the end of January, she had a layover in Minneapolis, she stayed with me for a couple days, and the fire was re-kindled. And we've been seeing each other ever since.
JJ Web:But you're still living in separate states?
Sean:Yes, I'm in Minnesota and she's in California.
JJ Web:And you fly back and forth periodically?
Sean:We see each other every couple of weeks. She's a good girl. There are some differences that we have. I'm Midwest and she's like West Coast.
JJ Web:Is that a big hurdle?
Sean:We'll see what happens. Hopefully we'll be able to overcome it. You never know. We get along really well.
JJ Web:You're one of five people in the world who have been on both of these unique television shows. Which show did you enjoy more?
Sean:I have thought about it, and I've come to the conclusion that I did like The Real World better. And that's because it's twenty-two weeks long, and for me there was so much more of a special bond that took place in the Real World house. I don't know how they set it up, but it seems like on The Real World, the personalities are so much more different than on Road Rules, where it seems people are so much more alike, because they have to live in such close quarters. There is so much more room for growth in The Real World, I feel. The growth in The Real World is personal growth, where Road Rules is about adventure. And I think you get more out of life with personal growth. But definitely, the Road Rules was a ball.
JJ Web:Would you be willing to participate in either show again?
Sean:I don't know if I'd do The Real World again, but if someone said we'll give you another three-week Road Rules trip I'd definitely do it. That's adrenaline for free!
JJ Web:And what could be better?! Sean, thanks for talking with me.
Sean:No worries. It was kind of fun to vent a little bit!
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