HOUSTON Dayton, Texas, native Russell Hantz didn t win Survivor, but he ll be remembered by many as one of the sneakiest masterminds to ever play the game.
Hantz, a 36-year-old oil millionaire, came in second to 26-year-old Natalie White, an out-of-work pharmaceuticals saleswoman from Arkansas, in the Survivor: Samoa finale Sunday night.
Hantz was the architect behind most eliminations and was thought by some players to be a shoo-in for the win.
White was accused by jury members of riding Hantz s coattails.
I had a strong feeling that Natalie was going to win the game, but when they read her name and reality set in, I was like Wow, I really didn t win this thing. And it really broke my heart. It was probably one of the worst decisions in reality TV history, Hantz said in a satellite interview with 11 News Monday morning.
Hantz said he went into the game knowing that he wasn t there to make friends.
I had to step outside of my character to play in the game of Survivor, to get into that fantasy world. I had to step out of what I was comfortable with and then do all these things that you don t normally do on a regular day, he said.
Being the show s love-to-hate character didn t bother Hantz at all. To the contrary, the married father of four has said he got where he is today by working hard, speaking his mind and stepping on anyone who got in his way.
What he didn t enjoy was living outside.
To me, the worst thing out there was living in the elements. The weather. It was freezing cold at night, and most of the time it rained. At night. While it was freezing cold. So that was by far I can go four or five days without eating if you can promise me three days of good, warm weather to go to sleep in, he said.
Hantz told 11 News he d play the game again, and he wouldn t change a thing.
Go Longhorns! Hook em horns, he added.
