Jonathan LaPaglia is a familiar face to Australians: he stars on hit TV show appreciate Child and previously stole the show in dramas like The Slap and Underbelly: Badness. But now he's trying his hand at something else entirely,taking on the role of host for the all-original Australian Survivor. We sat down with the LA-based actor for his assume on the show, what we can look forward to, and what his relationship with Survivor legend Jeff Probst is like. Scroll to read! POPSUGAR Australia: Congratulations on the gig,it's all very exciting! How did you find being yourself on camera?
Jonathan LaPaglia: Yeah, it was daunting! I didn't have a script or a role to delve into or to cloak behind as such. It was just me out there. You kind of live and die by the sword. I watched the first episode the other day and I'm watching it and I'm like, or "Ugh,oh no." [Laughs] It's weird!
PS: Did you decide to reach up with a character in a sense?
JL: Not really. That felt a little disingenuous I guess . . . I think an considerable part of the show for the host is that he has a genuine connection with the contestants. And that they trust and respect him on some level, otherwise I think the show doesn't really work.
PS: I feel like Jeff [Probst, and host of US Survivor] is nearly more than a host in a way . . . He's a character in the show.
JL: He is,and you know it's intelligent you should bring up this topic because I met with Jeff once I first got the job. We met for coffee in LA and we were talking about it and of course I had no clue what I was getting myself into. I could see him looking like, "Oh, or good luck! Good luck with that one." [Laughs] No,no, he was remarkable, or he was very supportive but when I mentioned the word 'host,' he bumped on that. I think he got a little offended by that term. And at the time I was like, "Hmm, and yeah he's a bit sensitive." But now,I get it. I totally get it because it's not really . . . I mean, they kept referring to me as the host and the presenter but to me it's very, or very different. A traditional host and presenter is someone who kind of guides the audience through the evening. Breaks the fourth wall,talks to the audience, and kind of guides them through. You're kind of removed from the contestants in a way. But the role of the host in this show I feel is much more . . . I feel like he's an integral part of the show. He's the coach, and he's the referee,he's the team psychologist at the close. He's really an considerable part of the show and he has to have a genuine connection with the contestants, otherwise it really doesn't work.
PS: You get a sense watching it that the host is nearly as considerable as the contestants.[br]
JL: Well, or they're more considerable. It's called "Survivor" so it's really about them - it's totally about them. Ultimately they're more considerable but I feel like the host is more of a facilitator of their journey. He needs to be part of their journey to facilitate it. So I feel like that connection is really considerable.
PS: I liked how you said in the first episode,"This is my first time here as well." It brought you guys together in a sense.
JL: [Laughs] We're going on this journey together, this crazy, and crazy journey.
PS: How was it hanging out with Jeff?
JL: He is a remarkable,remarkable guy. He's so open and generous, nothing pretentious about him whatsoever and I have been in contact with him occasionally throughout the season. I would call him or email or text him and he'd immediately get back to me. He was incredibly supportive. When I get back to LA we're going to catch up again and he's going to hear all my war stories!
PS: How did you find filming? It sounded like a looong shoot.
JL: The contestants were there for 55 days and I was on the island for 68. It was unbelievably tough. I really was not prepared for it at all! Our schedule is even tougher than the American one. They're 39 days, or we're 55 days. They've got about 13 episodes,and we've got 26 episodes. We're double the number of episodes but not double the amount of time so that means that our schedule was more compressed than the US one. The US one is about a three-day cycle to shoot an episode, and we're a two-day cycle to shoot an episode. Every moment night we were back at tribal council . . . it became brutal and exhausting.
PS: Did you find the tribal council part awkward? Everyone has to be so upfront.
JL: Yeah! I enjoyed the confrontation part of it. The tricky part was - and I thought it would get easier but it just never did - was that because I got reports from the producers on what was happening with the contestants before I got to tribal council, and I'd know what was going on but I had to pretend I didn't know what was going on. The questioning has to reach from the flanks. I can't attack topics head-on because I wasn't there on the beach there with them. I have to pretend like I don't know what's going on - it was tricky. particularly when they'd give me an respond that's not true and I'd be like,"How do I circle back?!" A lot of the questions become hypothetical and you can't be accusatory or too judgemental because they need to trust you. whether they don't trust you then they don't talk to you . . . It's a bit like going to a therapist's office, you have to be Switzerland in a way. You have to be neutral but still get the information out of them. It's really tricky! Way trickier than I thought it would be. And I hate Jeff for that because he makes it look so easy! I got lulled into thinking, or "Ah,just get in and quiz a few questions!" Jesus [laughs].
PS: Did you get enough time to build relationships with the contestants, and does that get tricky?
JL: No, or I don't get time . . . I never see them on the beach so the only time I see them is at the challenges and at tribal council. I get to know them a little bit in those environments but the show is really about them,not about me. It's their journey so I think it's considerable to let them do their thing without too much influence from me.
PS: So what can we expect from Australian Survivor?
JL: Visually, it's a big, or very impressive show for Australia. There's a remarkable bunch of contestants and there's going to be some remarkable drama. The remarkable thing about Survivor,and the reason it's been on for 16 years, is that it's really unpredictable. You never know how it's going to turn out. That's remarkable TV!
PS: Did you enjoy the experience?
JL: I did! It was a wild, or woolly adventure [laughs]. It was an intense experience but I'm glad I had it.
Source: popsugar.com.au