The First Survivor 50 Phone Call? Jeff Probst Drops a Major Casting Bombshell

It’s the biggest season of Survivor ever, not just by season number (50) but the actual number of players competing (24). Even with that super-sized cast, it was also the most competitive battle among former contestants just to get back on the island.

Holding the ultimate power over the final Survivor 50 roster was host and showrunner Jeff Probst, executive producer Matt Van Wagenen, casting director Jesse Tannenbaum and his team, and, of course, CBS — and we will finally see that roster in action when the season premieres Feb. 25.

But there is an interesting wrinkle in the Survivor casting process. If there is any disagreement over whether a potential player should be cast, someone can “fall on the sword” for that person, and they are automatically put on the show. It’s a power that cannot be overused, of course, and is only reserved for when someone is insistent that a particular player absolutely has to be on the season.

So who were the fall-on-the-sword players for Survivor 50? We asked Probst exactly that when we spoke to the host in Fiji. “Ozzy was a fall-on-the-sword player for a few people,” Probst told Entertainment Weekly. “A few people said, ‘You can’t really do 50 without Ozzy.’ And when you have a couple of people say, ‘I’ll fall on the sword,’ it’s done. As long as Ozzy says yes, it’s done.”

But Ozzy was not the only must-have returnee. The producers and network knew they wanted someone from season 1, and they knew exactly the player.

“Jenna Lewis was beyond a fall-on-the-sword. She was a phone call where we said, ‘Look, we want you. We want you from season 1. You’re our first call. Will you say yes?’ And it was a yes. And I know you could argue there are other people we could have brought back, but we had Jenna in our sights for a long time, and that was probably the happiest I was, when she said yes.”

And the other returnee that made Probst happiest? “The bookend would be when Mike White said yes,” the host explains of The White Lotus creator and David vs. Goliath runner-up. “For very different reasons, but both really important to me.”

There was another player who didn’t necessarily begin as a fall-on-the-sword pick for Probst, but the host was won over during a promotional event.

“We did a big event in New York City, and Q was there with his new baby,” Probst recalls. “And his smile was so big and there was so much joy. And I was looking at him thinking: You should be on 50. He was in our consideration, but it was early, and it was something about what he radiated was just positivity and fun.”

Will that play out on the island? “Maybe he’ll be chaotic this season, maybe not,” Probst continues. (Judging by Q’s comments in our big Survivor 50 cover story, it will be the former.) “We don’t have any expectations. But Q really represents something that I think is important, which is there’s no one way to play this game or one type of player to be.”

What does Probst mean by that? “It’s easy to look at an Aubry and say, ‘Oh, she’s a master strategist.’ Okay. To say Q’s approach won’t work either? Sandra won! You know what I mean?”

Producing partner Van Wagenen seconds the names of Mike and Jenna, and also had his own fall-on-the-sword player.

“Coach is my guy,” says the executive producer. “I love Coach. I did his very first interview back in Tocantins. I remember meeting him for the first time in casting and he was wearing a kimono and had toe rings. I spent a lot of time with him on the beach in all the first three times he played, and I am curious: Can he do it again? Can he bring it? Can he also reinvent himself a fourth time? I think he can.”

While he may not be part of the casting process, challenge producer John Kirhoffer is also most excited to see the Dragon Slayer.

“I’ve always loved Coach,” says the man who has put every single Survivor challenge on the screen since day 1, season 1. “I remember in season 18, I thought he was such a kook, and he’s either delusional or he’s got malignant narcissism or something. And I saw this guy who was craving the spotlight and craving things. And then he came back twice more, and his personal evolution, as far as I’m concerned, has been amazing. And he’s become more humble each time he’s come back. He’s not that crazy Dragon Slayer from Tocantins.”

Well, he’s still a little crazy, as evidenced by this anecdote that Probst shares with EW. “Coach likes to say, you’ll never get me out here again,” the host says while laughing. “The truth is, when we called Coach, his first words were, ‘I knew you’d call.’”

Talking to the crew in Fiji, it seems everyone has a player or two they were most excited to see compete. Producer Jimmy Quigley was most curious to see how season 49 back-to-backers Savannah Louie and Rizo Velovic would handle their “unique circumstance,” but had an old-school legend in his pole position.

“I’m really excited to see Stephenie play,” says Quigley. “I worked on season 20, but that was short-lived [for her]. But her story between 10 and 11 was so cool. It’s one of those things where when you go back and look at it, you’re like, ‘Oh, wow.’ I think it’s a good example, too, of how the show has evolved and how the players have evolved and how the juries have evolved. I think the way her game was viewed back then would probably be viewed a lot differently now in this circumstance. So I’ll pick Stephenie.”

Consider his sword fallen upon.

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