The Mole Interviews

Manuel was the easygoing player who became The Mole's first victim.
ChubbyCheeks: What is it like being on the mole?
Manuel: The most incredible experience of my life! It's an experience for me. I'm from a little town called Oxnard, CA. I grew up poor, in the projects, and I've never been anywhere or done anything. And to jump off a plane, and be in Paris...that's just incredible. Once in a lifetime, let me tell you!

Funnynails: Did you think you would be the first to leave?
Manuel: I had every intention of winning that money! I needed a car SO bad. I have a little Toyota with 196,000 miles on it! One purpose of being on the show was to buy a car, and take care of my parents, who raised 12 kids. My dad had three jobs - a day job, a night job, and a weekend job. Before I left for the Mole, I told them "I'm coming back a millionaire, and I'll take care of you." Little did I know I'd be the first one out! I have seven sisters... my mom had seven girls in a row, and then she had me. She must have liked me, because she had four more boys, all in a row.

NancyE: Hi, I really enjoyed the show. Were you scared of the free fall?
Manuel: My strategy was to PRETEND to be afraid. I thought that if they thought I was afraid, they'd think I was pretending to be afraid, and then they'd think I was The Mole. And when I took the test, they'd get the answers wrong. But when I got up in the plane, I WAS scared!

Squeak: Did you get to see how the other players reacted after you left?
Manuel: I didn't see that until last night; that was the first time I'd seen the show and the first time I'd seen their reactions. After I left the show, they put me on a plane, and I was out of there. I didn't have any other contact with any of the other contestants. I was humbled... they started to cry! For me to be able to touch people like that made a great impact on me. I've seen the other reality shows, and I never remembered seeing other people cry. So it's very, very humbling.

Mike: Are some of the conflicts and fights that have already surfaced encouraged by show producers?
Manuel: No, not at all. They allow us to be ourselves, and whatever happens, happens. They didn't coach us at all, in any way. We acted however we acted. What you saw, is what you got.

DozinoffZZZ: What was it like being the first victim of the Mole?
Manuel: I was depressed! I went there to win, to take care of my family. I had mixed emotions; one minute I was so happy -- I grew up in the projects, on welfare, so I'd never been anywhere, or done anything. So I was happy just to be there! But then, I had this dream, to win the million dollars, and that went out the door. But I have a new goal now, to be the most famous loser in TV history!

ABC: Everyone should have a goal!
OutSider: I am 51 and have always thought about skydiving, but think when it came right down to it I would chicken out. How was it and would you do it again?
Manuel: It was incredible, and absolutely, positively YES! I would do it again! I encourage everyone to do it. It's facing your fears -- and a matter of going out there, getting focused, and just doing it.

Notthemole: What are the rules of the game? What kind of information did you receive prior to starting "The Mole?"
Manuel: Basically, the only rules are the rules of the game that you saw on the Mole site, where there are ten players and missions to complete. You have to work as a team and complete the missions in order to have the prize money go into a pot. At the same time, you have to try and figure out who The Mole is. Other than that, there isn't a script; they don't tell you what to do or how to act, and that's the great thing about reality shows. It's real people acting in a real way.

Blade49: Who, with your personal experiences, did you really THINK was the Mole at first?
Manuel: I had narrowed it down to three, maybe four people. I thought maybe it was Charlie, because he was a retired detective who had trained others on what to do when going undercover. He was also egging on Wendy, if you recall, and made her reveal information she wasn't supposed to. That cost us $10,000. So people began thinking it was Wendy, but I thought, "no, it was Charlie, because he MADE her." Then I thought it was Jim, but Jim was too obvious. Then I thought it was Steve, because he WAS an undercover cop. He was really low-key, and I thought it could possibly be him. But that's the great thing about it; you just don't know!

Say: Why didn't the show articulate who told The Mole to leave the note in Steven's napkin? Who controls The Mole?
Manuel: I wish I knew! I don't know. The really neat thing about this, and I'm sure it will be even more as you tune in to more episodes, is you never knew when something would happen. That note threw us totally off-guard. When Wendy spilled what she wasn't supposed to say, these little things started to happen! And JUST when it was getting exciting, they got rid of me. Go figure!

ActionJackson: How did you feel about not getting the chance to explore Paris?
Manuel: Well, as you saw by the show, I was the only one willing to give up $10,000 to party in Paris! And through all the conversations I've had today, a lot of viewers expressed the same thing. They say, "if we'd been there, we would have partied with you." It turned out a lot of the fans were impressed by that; the fans really enjoyed that!

Chris G: Usually Mexicanos aren't represented positively on TV and I want you to know that your represented us very well and hopefully our image can be enhanced partly due to you on The Mole. Viva la raza!
Manuel: Wow! You know, that is the biggest compliment anyone has paid me so far today. One of my purposes in life is to make an impact on people. I really believe that. I don't know if many of you know this, but I'm a huge fan of Oprah. And the reason is that she's such a good person and she helps so many people. She made a difference in my life, and I thought, if this works out for me, and I win the million dollars, I'll use it as a stepping stone to help people of my nationality. We're all one race, and one people. I do realize that I represent Mexicanos as well. And if I'm not mistaken, my claim to fame will be being the first Mexican-American on a reality show! Other shows had Puerto Ricans, and other nationalities, but I believe I was the first Mexican on a reality show. But that wasn't enough... I'm also the first Mexican-American to be kicked OFF a reality show!

Michelle Marko: Rosie really likes the show, have they contacted you?
Manuel: It's funny you should ask! Just about 30 minutes ago, I got confirmation that Rosie wants me on her show! It's excellent news, and I believe I'll be on the Rosie show this coming Monday.

Moderator: Congratulations! We'll have to look for you!
Manuel: Here's a question for everyone.... will that make me the first Mexican-American on the Rosie show?

ABC: I'll get our research department right on that!
Molefan: Did you win any prizes for being on the show?
Manuel: Molefan, there will be a financial prize at the end of the series. Believe it or not, I don't know what it'll be; they didn't tell us! One reason they didn't tell us is because we each signed a confidentiality agreement, and they're holding my prize money ransom!

le_nubian: why do they use the term "executed?" That seems rather extreme
Manuel: Yeah, and I didn't like that, either. I don't know. I guess they wanted to have a really good impact. So, ladies and gentlemen, I got executed!

Real18world: Who do you think is least likely to be The Mole?
Manuel: The thing is, the person who is least likely to be The Mole, probably IS The Mole! To me, I think the least likely is Kate. She was the older woman. I say she's a good candidate because she's older, like your mother. And somehow, I can't picture my mother as The Mole! Which is probably why she IS The Mole!

Pheen: Were the producers as secretive with you as it appeared to us?
Manuel: We did not know from one moment to the next where we were going, who was going; they were always throwing things at us, trying to throw us for a loop. But that's what made it really interesting, and what gave it the intrigue. It's a good, good strategy on their part.

Shroud: Are you personally any closer to figuring out who The Mole is?
Manuel: Absolutely not! I'm as confused as everyone else! It's going to be too hard after only one or two episodes. It isn't until you start getting into the game that you'll see clues. In the beginning, it's like rolling the dice.

Iamthemole: Who took care of your kid/kids while you were away? The show said you were a single father.
Manuel: Right. I am divorced and I have joint custody of my son, and his mom took care of him while I was gone.

Chantelle: Do you have a job?
Manuel: I actually work for a cable company in Oxnard, California, but I do a lot of work in my community. I believe in giving back. I recently was appointed to a citizens' advisory board by the mayor of Oxnard. I also do work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and for you boxing fans out there, I was also instrumental in helping a youth boxing club in Oxnard. That gym produced two great boxers. They were ready to condemn the gym back in 1990, and had no funds to keep it going. I went back and volunteered for one year, and ended up staying for eight years -- and with the help of many others, raised funds to rebuild the gym and get the kids on track, and we got two world champions out there.

Liz: Was it tough being on camera all of the time?
Manuel: It's funny, but there comes a point where you just forget that the cameras are there. Like anything else, it becomes habit. You get used to them being there, and you don't know they're there. Luckily, they edit things! You just forget they were there.

Whitbug727: Was it tremendous pressure being in a large group and not knowing who you could trust and not trust?
Manuel: That was the interesting part, because there were times when I was just having so much fun that I had to wake up and say "wait a minute, somebody here is the traitor!" So I couldn't get too close to anyone there. Maybe that was my downfall... I love people, and I trust people, and I got so close to these people that I made an impact on them. Maybe I'm too nice!

Crystal: I don't really get how it is decided who knows the least about The Mole. What questions were asked that decided your fate?
Manuel: They actually asked questions like "what did The Mole have for breakfast?" Or "what color is The Mole's shirt today?" One question they asked really threw me; "what astrological sign is The Mole?" It isn't until you interview people and get to know them that you could know this. So I wasn't able to really find out.

Paul: At the end when it showed clips of you after you left, what was Steve doing to your neck?
Manuel: We were waiting for the van to come back. If you recall, we were waiting for people to change our luggage, and we were wasting time, and like I said, I enjoy people... and I said "hey, you're a cop, let's see what kind you are." And he showed me what kind of cop he was -- he got me in a hold, and I couldn't move!

Real18world: When you saw the show was there anything that happened differently then how it was portrayed?
Manuel: Not really. Obviously, a lot was edited. If I'm not mistaken, for every hour that you see, a hundred hours will have been shot. There's a lot of downtime while they set up the next mission. They let us hang out. That's when we really get to bond. I noticed people were starting to form cliques, like Steve and Jim started hanging out together, and Wendy and I got to know each other. Little things were forming like that. You didn't get to see stuff like that.

Spleen: What did you have to do to land a spot on the show?
Manuel: Originally, my wholepurpose for being on the show was that I needed a car, and I needed to do something to get the money. I was watching these reality shows, and I thought "here's a great opportunity for some quick money." I was watching "Who Wants To Be a Millionaire," and there was a commercial asking for contestants for The Mole, asking people to go to ABC.com. I had to send in a videotape of myself, and an application. I knew I needed a hook, so I added my son into the videotape, and the two of us did the audition. A few days later, they called, and said they liked it... and then they called me and asked me to send another tape. They liked that, and brought me to Hollywood, and kept auditioning. I made it to the end, and they told me I got the spot.

ABC: How did your son feel about the video?
Manuel: My son loved being in the video; he was really jazzed. I think one of the reasons I got picked was because of him. I love my little boy to death.. I call him Mini-Me, because he's exactly like me, only he's 10 years old. I think having us both on the tape got me selected.

Duck: did you feel attached to the other players as well?
Manuel: Yeah, very much so. See, we spent 16 or 18 hours per day together. Everything we did, we did as a group. Everything. We traveled as a group, ate as a group, and you really get to know people when you're side-by-side with them so much.

MoleFanGirl: What was your reaction when Jim announced that he had planned to "keep the money hostage?"
Manuel: When he said that, I really wanted to get up and pound the table, and say "how can you do that???" "Here we are, a team, and confided in you, and now you pull this?" This is when I realized people were here to win at any cost. My strategy was to show that *I* was The Mole, so I had to keep my mouth shut. So I stayed quiet, kept my mouth shut.

Guru: I like this show 100 times better than Survivor. How do you think this show rates to that show?
Manuel: I don't really compare it to "Survivor." We're not in a jungle -- if anything, we were in $1500 a night chateaus! One of the rooms was bigger than the house I live in now! It had chandeliers, fireplaces, a sunken bathroom, everything.

Coltsdome: Did ABC tell you what to pack for the adventure?
Manuel: They weren't specific, but they DID say that you need to wear everything from layered clothing, you need to wear shorts in case we swim, they said to take jackets, take boots, but they never said "you're going hiking," or "you're going skydiving."

whodamole: Have there been any endorsements?
Manuel: Not yet, but my phone is waiting for the calls! It would be neat -- I don't mind making a couple endorsement deals. I did get a proposal from one of the radio shows. Some girl called a radio show and said she understood I was single, and wanted to know if we could meet! So there was my first proposal.

Gepsep5: Did you think the mission to get the money from the ATM would get ruined by one of the two people sent out to find it?
Manuel: I figured this is really the first opportunity that The Mole would have to sabotage the mission. The first mission, jumping off the plane, I mean -- how do you sabotage that? If you tear someone's parachute, you end up in prison. I didn't think anyone would try to sabotage the first mission -- and besides, it was too early in the game. But on the second one, yes, there was the opportunity. That's why I suspected Jim -- he had the opportunity. But it was too obvious, so I don't think it's him.

RubDubDoly: Who do you think will be the next person to get kicked off?
Manuel: I've actually been thinking of that. I hope it's Wendy, only so that I can cry for her. (laughing) Actually, I honestly thought that the first person to get kicked off would be Kate. I don't know why, but I really thought she'd be the first one out. Obviously she wasn't, so I think she'll be the second one.

Saleen281: Will the contestants be punished if they tell who The Mole is, because we all know all the episodes have already taken place?
Manuel: We signed a contract that, if we reveal the identity of The Mole, we could be liable for up to $10 million.

WHOistheMOLE: Is being on television what you thought it would be like?
Manuel: It sure was! As far as seeing myself on TV, that is the weirdest feeling. I don't know; just to see me on there feels so strange! Not only that, but I've been interviewed on other shows today, by people I'm used to seeing on TV, and now I'll be on with them! It's strange, but very, very exciting. It's a dream come true!

Jgreen: Is your profile on ABC.com true?
Manuel: I believe it's true, yes. If anyone out there knows Oprah, could you tell her to call me? (laughing)

Jose: Manuel, do you think that The MOLE could have been one of the people crying when you left, to throw the others off?
Manuel: That's a very, very good question. As a matter of fact, in some other interviews today, they brought that up. It didn't dawn on me at first, but then I realized maybe one of them DID cry for the dramatic effect. Then I thought "Wendy didn't really cry for me? It was an ACT?" But maybe it's possible.

ABC: We're just about out of time...do you have any final thoughts for us?
Manuel: I want to thank each and every person who's taken the time to ask me these questions. You've all made me feel so much better, and you've really humbled me and made me feel good. Keep watching the show, because now it's time for me to be a viewer like each of you. Thanks for everything, and I appreciate your help! I hope I touched and inspired someone out there.