The Jeff Probst Demo Reel, Before Survivor, Is Amazing
Before making it big with the help of CBS and Survivor, Jeff Probst was slumming it as an actor with a highly questionable demo reel.
Honestly, I don’t know how people have the mental fortitude to make it in Hollywood. With thousands of people scraping by on acting gigs and waiting tables, determination separates a possible Jeff Probst from an inevitable Joe Whatsyername. That’s why you need to be putting your best foot forward to casting agents and directors by maintaining a professional demo reel.
Such a demo reel for Jeff Probst was “uncovered” while the man was sitting in on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, as Fallon’s producers “found” the demo reel and played it for millions of Americans watching at home and on the internet.
Not only does it feature a moving Ken doll-like Barbie of Probst complete with his voice over, but it shows our favorite host in a ridiculous Barry Gibb get up, falling over a bench, drinking beer and eating tacos, and successfully getting a truck driver to honk his horn. I’m sure there’s a better way to describe that last one.
More from Jeff Probst
- Survivor 41: Takeaways from Survivor season 41 episode 4
- Survivor 41: Takeaways from Survivor season 41 episode 3
- Survivor 41: The big takeaways from the Survivor season 41 premiere
- Survivor Season 41: CBS teases the monster is hungry
- Survivor season 41 officially underway: Jeff Probst offers production update
The thing about late night talk shows (with the exception of the immeasurably talented Craig Ferguson) is that all of these segments are typically planned ahead of time with the producers to rehearse the show every day it’s on. For all the people who falsely claim that Survivor is rigged or faked for the cameras, Jeff Probst has to play along with what The Tonight Show is pretending is a startling revelation. In this moment, Survivor is less scripted in its essence than an interview on a comedy show.
Jeff Probst was on late night television to promote Survivor Game Changers, which debuts on March 8 at 8 PM ET with a two-hour episode titled, “The Stakes Have Been Raised.”