Castaway Interview: Dan Kay and Ace Gordon
By Gordon Holmes
Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:03:20 GMT
One was blindsided when the Sugar in his pocket stabbed him in the back, the other was the victim of a plot to out a non-existent hidden immunity idol. Lets see what “Survivor: Gabon’s” two latest castaways have to say...
Gordon: So, what happened last night?!
Ace: I don’t know, I was watching “NCIS.”
Gordon: Ace, did you see that coming at all?
Dan: Yeah, I saw it coming!
Ace: Yes, I did unfortunately.
Gordon: I noticed on the vote that Sugar cast against you that it said “Ace”, then another word that was blurred out. Now, I’m assuming that wasn’t your last name…
Ace: I don’t really want to get into bashing comments in relation to what people write when they’re not being particularly clever.
Gordon: Yikes.
Gordon: Dan, how do you feel you were portrayed on the show? It seems they were portraying you kind of poorly based on the fact that you couldn’t find the hidden immunity idol.
Dan: You know, it is what it is. I think this year I’ve really noticed this show is really spiritual, so I know Ace can appreciate that.
Ace: (laughs)
Dan: It took me a long time to be comfortable with who I am, and I just become comfortable with who I am. So, although, I agree I did look like an idiot, I know that that wasn’t the case. I know that there was some logic to looking in that lake. So, I’m OK with it. But, whatever. It was funny, I wasn’t even close.
Gordon: You said one of your goals out there was to find yourself, and it really sounds like you’ve found a kind of peace.
Dan: I have my issues with the show that I’m trying to work through, it’s a struggle every day being on TV. It makes you even a little more neurotic or insecure.
Gordon: Issues with the other contestants, or issues with the show itself?
Dan: No, no, no…it’s just that nobody likes to hear that they might be a “former fatty.”
(Editor’s Note: Corinne theorized that Dan’s insecurity may come from being a “former fatty.”)
Dan: Also, I find that funny. But, I don’t want to hear that negative crap. You know, on some level, yeah, I guess I found myself. It was definitely a step in the right direction.
Gordon: That’s good to hear.
Gordon: Now Ace on that same note, you were treated as a villain, and yet you didn’t really do anything super deceitful.
Ace: Oh, I wasn’t offended at all. It’s preferable to be something memorable than to be forgotten. To go back to what Dan had started, I’d watched him from the day we started until today, and he’s grown exponentially. He’s someone that I respect. I look at him as a person who’s not only a competitor, but a friend of mine. He’s being very hard on himself.
Dan: You’re seeing a genuine side of Ace Gordon right now, cause I told him at breakfast that, “You never complement anyone.” It shows you a different side of the villain.
Ace: See, that’s the whole point, the show depicted a microcosm of our personalities. Nothing is untrue, but the fact is there’s so much more to the individuals that they really can’t focus on the complete package. Nobody’s truly mad and nobody’s completely happy with the depiction of anything.
Gordon: You guys got to experience life at both Fang and Kota, how would you compare those two camps?
Ace: (laughs)
Dan: Kota had a lot more food. Beans and rice make a huge difference, although they weren’t that tasty. But, energy-wise, they were great. I think personality-wise it’s really interesting to break them down, because although I think Fang had less professionalism and Kota had more professionalism with the exception of Corinne, I probably would have been better off on the old Fang.
Gordon: Were there things with you and Corinne that we missed out on? It seems there’s a little bit of a grudge.
Dan: I never lost it with Corinne, she told some stories around camp that have not been aired right now, that you can’t help but wonder how she was brought up. But I kept my mouth shut. I don’t want to bash her, she’s just different than I am.
Gordon: Now Ace, I talked to Kelly last week, and she seems to think that your accent might be a put-on. Any truth to that rumor?
Ace: Yes, it was a strategic choice to completely alienate myself by putting on a fake accent. Let’s honestly think about who said that.
Gordon: You’re still doing the accent, which shows your dedication to the character. I’m impressed.
Dan: (laughs)
Ace: I forgot to get out of character! I’m actually pretending to be a 90-year-old man. In retrospect, obviously if I had been more strategic, I didn’t think about it until after the game was over, but I should have faked an American accent for the whole camp, then gone into the confession and had my normal accent. It would have been comedic, good television and much more strategic because it wouldn’t have made me such an anomaly. And once I’d transitioned to Fang, I didn’t have the Wal-Mart mentality that really applied to the majority of my teammates.
Gordon: I don’t think the window has closed. I think if you show up at the reunion with a really good fake American accent. I think you’ll go down in “Survivor” history for the longest deception.
Ace: (fakes an American accent) Well, thank ya, Gordon! I’ll do that next time. I’ll keep that in mind, ya hear?
Dan: That’s great!
Ace: (returns to normal) It’s definitely something to think about, but I don’t understand what would have been the strategy behind having a fake accent.
Gordon: The ladies do like an accent.
Dan: He has a point.
Gordon: Now Dan, the eating too much thing, did that occur to you while you were out there?
Dan: You know, Jeff (Probst) blogged about that, like “Dan is so oblivious that eating can ruin a relationship.” No, absolutely not. I was aware of it. And it’s funny cause at one point I’m counting the same amount of scoops that Marcus is eating, and I’m having the same amount. But, Corinne is so in love with Marcus that I don’t think she noticed it. I think it goes to show you how petty things can be when you’re spending 24 hours a day with someone and you can’t get away. I was a little surprised, I love food. I really do. Who doesn’t?
Gordon: Did either one of you know that Crystal was an Olympic athlete?
Ace: Honestly, they didn’t misrepresent her in relation to her athletic competencies.
Dan: I never would have thought that. Randy told me though, eventually. Randy’s a big fan of the game and he caught a blog that said there would be an Olympic athlete on the show.
Gordon: So Randy knew?
Ace: So did Gillian, actually.
Dan: Randy does know, he told me at some point during the game.
Gordon: Now Dan, you touched on Corinne being in love with Marcus. Now, is it that the entire tribe in love with her, or just her and Charlie?
Dan: I think it’s her and Charlie.
Gordon: Well, he’s a charming fellow.
Dan: On paper…
Ace: (laughs)
Gordon: What are your final thoughts on your time out there?
Ace: It was a unique experience that I was honored to do. On that same note, I wouldn’t wish it on my best friend or my worst enemy.
Dan: That’s a good way to put it. I think I’m very fortunate to have the opportunity. It really made me reevaluate some of my values.
Subject: Survivor Castaway Interview: Dan Kay and Ace Gordon 
Fri Oct 31, 2008 10:11 pm
