Each weekday, EW will post the answers from a different player.
Speak now or forever hold your peace.
Sadly, well never know, as the middle school teacher was voted out on day 12.
Robert Voets/CBS via Getty Images
But there is plenty more youcanlearn by reading over BrendansSurvivorQuarantine Questionnaire.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: First off, give the update as to what youve been up to since appearing onSurvivor.
BRENDAN SHAPIRO:Just prior to filmingGhost Island, I changed careers and became a middle school teacher.
I’m still at it and am really happy in my new career.
It’s crazy to think my wife and I are a year away from being empty nesters.
I don’t feel that old, but that’s the reality of the situation.
I’m probably due for a midlife crisis.
Any ideas for big life decisions?
I’m taking suggestions.
What is your proudest moment ever from playingSurvivor?
The first three days ofSurvivorare a blur.
It’s all mayhem and everyone is at risk.
I felt particularly vulnerable because I was singled out as the leader of my tribe from the beginning.
My season had the youngest cast in the history of the game.
I knew I’d be in serious trouble if I returned with disgruntled tribemates looking to shake things up.
For most of the afternoon, the consensus among the majority of the tribe was to vote Jenna.
She and Stephanie Johnson had formed an early bond and were already attracting attention.
She is as kind and sweet a person as you will ever meet.
He claimed to have won an immunity idol.
I didn’t buy it.
We were losing, but I was calling shots and without taking any heat.
I didn’t sleep well onSurvivor,but I got my best sleep that night.
What is your biggest regret from yourSurvivorexperience?
The day I was voted off, I saw it coming.
I had the chance to spend some alone time with Kellyn that afternoon.
I was pretty sure she didn’t catch me catch her tipping her hand.
At the time, the original Navitis held a 5-4 advantage over the original Malolos.
We knew we had the numbers to send Bradley packing if Michael played the idol correctly.
During Tribal Council, Jeff asked me if I felt safe.
This gets me to a point of emphasis and my biggest regret.
First, the point of emphasis: I don’t put the result of that Tribal Council on Michael.
I could have done more.
Michael is aSurvivorprodigy and I have nothing but respect for the game he played from start to finish.
It was up to me to convince him to play the idol correctly and I didn’t do it.
You end up missing important cues and imagining conversations that never happened.
Michael did the best he could for the original Malolos based on what he had seen and heard.
Oh… one other thing.
I regret not carrying a few extra pounds into the game.
By day 6, I was way too skinny.
It made performing in grueling challenges even more difficult.
By the end, I could barely remember my tribemates' names in confessionals.
I was in zombie mode.
I would leave conversations with producers frustrated, wishing I had it in me to be more charismatic.
I really didn’t feel like myself for my final week on the island.
In retrospect, I think coming into the game another five-10 pounds heavier would have done the trick.
There was so much the viewers didn’t see at the first Tribal Council.
Gonzo became suspicious and sensed she was in trouble.
She was not ready to go down without a fight.
The whole lion/sheep part was cut and all she said on the show was “sad.”
It was such a cool line.
I thought it would make the edit for sure.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little disappointed when it didn’t happen.
How do you feel about the edit you got on the show?
My edit was fair.
That said, most of the moments I’d consider personal highlights didn’t make the edit.
With only 47 minutes a week to tell a story, producers can’t possibly get to everyone.
I’d guess that viewers are seeing between 5-10 percent of the raw footage in the first few episodes.
If I had done better in the game, I would have received a more prominent edit.
My lack of highlights is on me.
I probably would have made similar decisions if I were in the editing bay.
What was it like coming back to regular society after being out there?
Was there culture shock or an adjustment coming back?
My challenge had more to do with sharing the experience with my family.
Worse than that, I wasn’t good enough at giving them the undivided attention we all needed.
My honest self-assessment is that I fell down on the job.
I applied every year from 2001 to 2016.
Putting my result to the side, the experience was amazing and left me wanting more.
It’s hard to put into words how much it all meant to me.
Whom do you still talk, text, or email with the most from your season?
Oh man… we have an awesome group!
I’m still in contact with just about everyone.
I’m sure I’m leaving people out, but you get the idea.
I think we have a really tight and harmonious group asSurvivorcasts go.
Do you still watchSurvivor,and if so, whats your favorite season you were not on and why?
I never miss an episode.
I used to sayCagayanwas my favorite.
Maybe it still is, but it’s a pretty popular pick so I’ll go with another.
I lovedDavid vs. Goliath.
It was great on so many levels.
The cast worked about as well as any group of non-returnees ever has.
The editing was awesome.
Even advantages that had significant potential to fall flat (Carl’s idol nullifier) ended up working beautifully.
Whos one player from anotherSurvivorseason you wish you could have played with or against and why?
This is a tough one.
For me, that’s Jeremy.
I think he’s the most skilled player to have won.
If you could make one change to any aspect ofSurvivor,what would it be and why?
I would ban swapping after just two vote outs.
Finally, would you play again if asked?
I’m glad you asked!
I can’t imagine a scenario where I would decline an invitation.
I loveSurvivoras much as I ever have.
I might be delusional, but I’m still convinced I can win.
I’m pretty sure I’m the most self-assured 17th place finisher in history.
It probably won’t surprise you when I say I’ve thought about this once or twice.
I’ve even come up with a sales pitch for two return scenarios.
Hear me out on this.
My first pitch is forSurvivor: Unfinished Business.This is a season of pre-merge players.
It would be awesome for a couple of reasons.
In addition to theGhost Islandall-stars previously mentioned, there are countless great candidates.
Final Tribal Council would still be the Super Duper Bowl at the end of the season.
Who doesn’t want a double shot of Super Bowls?
My second pitch is forBlood vs. Water3.
History has been kind to the first two iterations.
Let’s go for one more!
I can think of a number of players who have made-for-Survivorloved ones.
I have one in my house.
My son, Will, is the younger, smarter, more strategic, more charming version of me.
Together, we would stomp on everyone.
You know people, Dalton.
Let’s make it happen.
