Endurance players in the entertainment industry

[Cruise meerkat Youssy]

So I got her curious about which players went on to do work in the entertainment industry... perhaps inspired by Endurance, but way more likely that Endurance was a "stepping stone" to get to an acting/modeling/hosting career. Not to say that there's anything wrong with that, because advertising the show to teen actors ultimately gave us a lot of great characters, but I was curious to see just how many went on to do work in the entertainment industry.

Endurance 1
It's speculated that all, if not the vast majority, of contestants on this season were in some way involved in acting or the entertainment industry. How else would they find out about the show? Most of them probably had agents or had parents who were involved in the entertainment industry who recommended that they apply.

Shane Peltzman - Shane works in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles and has also acted a couple times as an adult. He was more into music as a teenager, but still likely found out about Endurance through an agent or his parents.
Ron Neurauter - In Ron's description from the show, he is demonstrated to be into making music and films. Ron doesn't appear to have pursued anything in the entertainment industry post-Endurance, but it's still likely that because it's the first season he was referred to the show from an agent or parents.
Alejandro Rose-Garcia - Alejandro has acted extensively post-Endurance and also has a career as a musician. He was only in one short prior to the show, but it can be said almost with certainty due to his post-Endurance accolades that he found out about the show from an agent and went on it due to his interest in acting.
Lacey Elick - A 2010 blog entry from Lacey describes her lifelong passion for arts and film and mentions various appearances in film and TV (including Endurance!) Therefore, Lacey probably had an agent who referred her to the show.
Heather Ichihashi - Heather has appeared in a few productions post-Endurance and has referred to herself as an actress. She therefore had an interest in the entertainment industry prior to Endurance.
Cree Howard - Cree doesn't appear to have been in any productions pre- or post- Endurance, and didn't seem to have an interest in acting. Of course, she could still have had an interest and may have just appeared in commercials or plays. However, out of most E1 contestants she appears to have been the one to go on the show with the least desire for the entertainment industry; however, due to it being E1 she still likely had connections in the entertainment industry just to find out about the show.
Max DeLeo - He has been extensively involved behind the scenes of many productions after the show, and before E1 had a passion for film making. His mother is an actress and discovered the opportunity for him to audition.
Jenna Jimenez - Jenna has been acting and modeling since she was 2 months old. She continued to act after the show, and has recently started to act in films and shows.
Brandon Hendrix - Brandon was trying to be an actor and had an agent that helped him find out about the show. It is unknown what Brandon is up to now.
Layla Brisco - Layla had done acting and modeling prior to the show, as well as being an avid dancer. Therefore she probably had an agent help her find the show. She also pursued these things after Endurance, though currently struggles with her health.
Skyler Russell - As mentioned on Intervention, his mother really wanted him to be an actor and pushed him in that direction.
Chelsea Myers - Despite her shy personality, Chelsea did appear in a TV series 2 years after her Endurance stint, so she probably did pursue acting at one point while a teenager.
Trevor Wilkins - I can find no evidence that Trevor was involved in acting/modeling/the entertainment industry, but still due to the fact that it was E1 he likely was involved in some way.
Lana Neiman - Despite a reference on IMDB that states Lana took part in another program (the validity of which is disputed), I can find no evidence that Lana was involved in acting/modeling/the entertainment industry. Still, due to the fact that it was E1, she probably was in some way.
Christian Justice - Christian was in 2002 attempting to be an actor and appeared in at least one independent film post-Endurance.
Ashley Gudzak - I can find no evidence that Ashley was involved in acting/modeling/the entertainment industry, although it was likely that she was, again due to it being E1.
Jon Crocilla - Jon was contacted by his modeling agent with the opportunity to audition for Endurance. He did do some modeling post-show as well.
Sabrina Lloyd - Sabrina was also contacted by her modeling agent for the audition. She modeled post-show as well, as told in her "Where Are They Now?" video on DK. ("I've just been modeling, and I started modeling in Texas, and then I went to Japan and I started modeling over there, and yeah I've just been doing a lot of modeling and being a model") LOL
Aaron Thornburg - Aaron's mother and aunt had been extras for a TV series in Montana, and discovered an ad for Endurance through their agency. His mother encouraged him to apply. Aaron did theater a little bit in school but did not really pursue being an actor.
Jonna Mannion - Jonna had actively pursued being an actress and model since she was young. Prior to Endurance, she had been in several commercials and gone to several acting schools. After Endurance, she appeared on the Real World and many spin-offs, and also some commercials and music videos.

Endurance 2
This was the first season that audition commercials were aired on TV and audition information was posted online for "regular" teens to look up and find. Therefore, some people who applied were fans of the show but the producers still likely pulled from auditions disseminated in acting and modeling circles.

David Cofresi - I can find no evidence that David was involved in acting/modeling/the entertainment industry. It is unknown how he found out about Endurance.
Glen Powell - Glen obviously became one of the most prolific actors post-Endurance. Due to this, it is almost certain that he found out about Endurance as an acting opportunity.
Trey Griffin - It is known that Trey was/has been trying to become an actor. He probably had an agent/acting contacts to find out about Endurance.
Sarah Ruckriegle - I can find no evidence that Sarah was ever involved in the acting/modeling/entertainment industry. It is possible she auditioned as a fan from the first season.
Abbey Konz - I can find no evidence that Abbey was involved in the acting/modeling/entertainment industry, although if my memory serves right I think she did do some acting or behind the scenes stuff in the past. It is unknown how she discovered Endurance.
Simone Bouffard - Simone is a professional actress, dancer, and model and also went to school for theater. It is likely she found out about Endurance from an agent.
Wayne Williams - Wayne does appear to work in the entertainment industry currently, although it is unclear if he was involved with it while on Endurance.
Maryelle DeVitto - Her father is a famous drummer and her sister is a famous actress, so she probably was involved with acting and had an agent around the time of Endurance. However, she is no longer involved in the entertainment industry except sometimes behind the scenes as a makeup artist or hairdresser.
Phil Morelli - I can find no evidence that Phil was involved in the acting/entertainment/modeling industry either pre- or post- Endurance.
Jacquelynn Pointer - She did model several years after the show, and may have been involved in acting/modeling while on the show but this is unclear.

This is all I have time for right now. I will come back and update this!

[amplify26]

Revisiting this list, especially as some Endurance contestants have become more high profile...

--Chelsea mentioned her family was on an audition kick at the time of Endurance, which led to her and her brother auditioning for a number of things.
--Lana mentioned in the podcast a classmate found an audition for Endurance in a newspaper, and then everybody went into the studios to do so. Hence she has no real connection to the entertainment industry.
--Ashley and her brother auditioned for a number of commercials and roles, and her parents drove over to Orlando for the E1 audition.
--Jacquelynn found out auditions because she had a modeling agent at the time.


How convenient you stopped before...

Scooter Magruder: He cited that Endurance caught his interest in video production and filmmaking, which 20 years later, translated into a career in making viral videos! That said, he found out about auditions through Universal Studios, and didn't watch the first season.

Others I know of:

Jeff Phillips: Probably one of the most immersed in the entertainment industry, as he works as a camera operator for a variety of shows. Heck, one of his first industry jobs was Endurance: High Sierras!

Annie Kim: She produced a few shorts after Endurance, though I'm not sure if that continued as a career. She lives in LA, last I heard... (EDIT: Annie auditioned for E2 because she was a fan of E1.)

Tyler Burkhalter: He's trying to hack it as a singer and/or actor, though I'm not sure how far that has gotten him.

Keetin Marchi: If I remember correctly, Keetin got a job as a Survivor Dream Teamer through Lilly, and eventually worked her way up to become a producer and a hostess for a number of events! That said, she auditioned for E2 as a fan of E1.

Endurance: Hawaii:

Brandon Johnson: Brandon appeared in a number of productions post-Endurance, including as a minor character in Grownish. I'm not sure how this influenced how he got onto the show, though he did mention singing and acting in his profile.

Alex Reid: Her profile mentioned singing, and she has pursued that a lot post-show, to the point where she was the first African-American member of a K-Pop group! Though I'd like to imagine she auditioned as a fan of the first two seasons.

Tom Maden: Has become an actor post-Endurance, though I'm not sure how immersed he was in it beforehand.

Vanetta Smith: She did theater before Endurance, and some acting afterward, most notably with Freedom Writers.

Sarah Baker: She did a lot of performing arts before Endurance (dancing, in particular), and did modeling afterwards. She found about the show through an agent.

Reece Bors: He worked to become a musician, though that has tapered off.

Nicole Clark: Got a number of modeling jobs post-show, which led to her influencer career with Cool Girls Connection. Though I imagine she auditioned as a fan of the show, seeing she was in the final forty for Endurance 2.

Chris Vandeweir: Did some modeling post-Endurance.

Lindi Oest: Did some modeling and acting post-Endurance, though that has tapered off and she retreated to a more private life.

Endurance: Tehachapi

Keith Walker II: Probably one of the most anonymous contestants on the show, but Keith has garnered a number of acting roles, albeit small ones.

Kendall Yorkey: Has done some theater productions in Wisconsin post-Endurance.

Julie Dubela: Her attempts to get a music career is pretty notable on this thread, most notably her audition for American Idol. That said, she probably auditioned for E4 as a fan of the first three seasons (and made the final 40 for Hawaii)

Christopher Tavarez: He was encouraged to audition to a lot of productions as a child, which meant an agent found out about Endurance for him. After the show, he was on a number of productions incluidng Big Momma's House 2 and Avalon High, though getting arrested for domestic violence put a damper on these roles.

Amelia Land: Kind of unexpected here, but if you check out her IMDb page, Amelia has been involved in the entertainment industry as a wardrobe specialist and costume buyer.

Franke Sisto: He's really into acting, though he only heard about Endurance because his mother told him of an audition he had to go to--while he was a lead role for a school musical. Since then Franke has auditioned for things, though he's probably better known now for his role in e-Sports, most notably with Windjammers.

Endurance: High Sierras

Rafael Liriano: He does some theater work in New York City and some multimedia performance stuff, even studying it at university. I'm not sure how he got interested in the show, but I assume it was because he was a fan--he made the final 40 in Tehachapi's auditions.

Lilly Brown: Another contestant who's really into the entertainment industry, she auditioned as a fan, but Endurance helped her get her foot into the industry. Since then, she worked as a story producer and editor, most notably on Karma!

Max McFarland: He has pursued performance post-Endurance, particularly with his music. I'm not sure if that is related to how he got onto Endurance or his time before the show.

Cameron Uranick: He was very involved in acting and modeling early on, so he probably heard of Endurance through an agent. Since then, he has moved onto cinematography, directing, and photography.

Aeriel Miranda: Like her teammate, she was involved in acting and modeling early on, so she probably found out about Endurance through an agent. Of course, she became a notable working actor on her own right, most notably in Pretty Little Liars.

Connor Finnegan: He was very involved in band and theater at the time of Endurance, and cited Endurance as a window to the entertainment industry. However, he has not pursued that, and probably auditioned as a fan of the previous four seasons.

Taylor Sico-McNulty: She was very involved in theater at school and in her local community, and found Endurance auditions through a casting agent (though she's a big enough fan to say "Be Monroe!" haha). A year after Endurance, she got cast onto a pilot for a show on HBO, though that was not greenlit. She also did some modeling, though that was pretty small-scale.

Dakota Fisher: He did a lot of theater at the time of the show, and pursued acting as a career, though we only really saw him in those Burlington Coat Factory commercials. He probably auditioned as a fan (E5 was his third time auditioning for the show, and he was in the final 40 for Tehachapi).

Kelsey Schultz: A year after the show, Kelsey appeared in the film Queen Sized, along with some advertising campaigns and other small roles. She found out about Endurance because auditions were held in the same building she was in Dallas.

Endurance: Fiji

Matthew Jones: He mentioned dancing in his profile, which is something he still does to this day, though his currently focusing on directing and screenwriting. He found out about auditions as a fan, and previously tried to get onto Endurance: High Sierras through the casting call.

Connor Konz: He does theater and cosplay in Chicago, and tried to get into some other productions as well. He found out about auditions because of E1 and his sister's involvement on the show.

Jonathan Young: He was on season 42 of Survivor, and made it quite far!

Hannah Gross: She tried to start a music career, though has stopped on that to focus on being a workout instructor. From what I remember, she auditioned for Endurance as a fan of the previous five seasons.

Will Cuddy: He works as a director and a cinematographer, and his short films appeared in a few festivals! He probably found out about auditions through an agent. (EDIT: I found an article from 2007 in which it mentions how Will "tried out for a part in the Gus Van Sant movie that was shot in Portland, “Paranoid Park.” Though he was passed up for a spot in the film, his bio and stats interested producers of the teen reality show, who convinced him to try out."

Leslie Powell: She does music for films and TV; apparently you could hear some of them in The Challenge! She probably heard of Endurance through her more famous brother/being a fan of the show.

[fanofe2]

Regarding Lana, I've wondered a little bit about that video. It's possible she's in the background of some scene, but it also doesn't seem like her. But for all I know, it's true. Likewise, it could also be 100% fake. Many years ago, someone did tell me some information that suggested it could be her, but who knows.

Annie used to block people on AIM the moment they'd mention Endurance. Wasn't there a screenshot of her getting mad at someone? It seems the less said about her the better.

Keetin got her job through Lilly, who obviously knew Jeff. Weren't Keetin and Lilly both on that podcast? They'd seem like a cool duo.

As far as Lindi goes, I've found out what she does for a job, but it's quite possible she wants to remain private. It's sad, because she could definitely give a lot of insight, but yeah...it is what it is.

We know Monroe is not on any social media other than LinkedIn. I believe he's a financial/tax expert of some sort.

Leslie... It's hard to believe she's Glen's brother. That's gotta be so cool!

[amplify26]

Apr 9, 2023 15:54:56 GMT -5 fanofe2 said:

Regarding Lana, I've wondered a little bit about that video. It's possible she's in the background of some scene, but it also doesn't seem like her. But for all I know, it's true. Likewise, it could also be 100% fake. Many years ago, someone did tell me some information that suggested it could be her, but who knows.

Annie used to block people on AIM the moment they'd mention Endurance. Wasn't there a screenshot of her getting mad at someone? It seems the less said about her the better.

Keetin got her job through Lilly, who obviously knew Jeff. Weren't Keetin and Lilly both on that podcast? They'd seem like a cool duo.

As far as Lindi goes, I've found out what she does for a job, but it's quite possible she wants to remain private. It's sad, because she could definitely give a lot of insight, but yeah...it is what it is.

We know Monroe is not on any social media other than LinkedIn. I believe he's a financial/tax expert of some sort.

Leslie... It's hard to believe she's Glen's brother. That's gotta be so cool!

RE Annie: Yeah, I do remember that screenshot! It's kind of disappointing come to think of it (Annie's one of my favorite contestants), but apparently, she felt bothered by the interaction. I didn't know she used to block people on AIM; somebody mentioned Willa did the same and I thought you might have mixed them up.

Yeah, Keetin and Lilly worked together on the Endurance/Karma podcasts!

Yep, Monroe hasn't been involved in the entertainment industry either before or after Endurance. Though there's some rumors of him being on Survivor and/or Big Brother (though that said, wouldn't we all like to see him kick butt on another competition show?)

[fanofe2]

Annie definitely blocked people.

I'd LOVE to see a Monroe/Reece reunion on Survivor.

[fanofe2]

So who wants to ask Lana about that IMDB? (I mean, I'm slightly interested, but don't want her to get mad.)

Can we say it's probably her and not some sort of goof/error/prank?

Disclaimer: Myself, the admins or staff of this website and/or forum software aren't responsible for any comments/reaction if someone were to ask.

[multiyapples]

Apr 8, 2023 17:20:44 GMT -5 amplify26 said:

Revisiting this list, especially as some Endurance contestants have become more high profile...

--Chelsea mentioned her family was on an audition kick at the time of Endurance, which led to her and her brother auditioning for a number of things.
--Lana mentioned in the podcast a classmate found an audition for Endurance in a newspaper, and then everybody went into the studios to do so. Hence she has no real connection to the entertainment industry.
--Ashley and her brother auditioned for a number of commercials and roles, and her parents drove over to Orlando for the E1 audition.
--Jacquelynn found out auditions because she had a modeling agent at the time.


How convenient you stopped before...

Scooter Magruder: He cited that Endurance caught his interest in video production and filmmaking, which 20 years later, translated into a career in making viral videos! That said, he found out about auditions through Universal Studios, and didn't watch the first season.

Others I know of:

Jeff Phillips: Probably one of the most immersed in the entertainment industry, as he works as a camera operator for a variety of shows. Heck, one of his first industry jobs was Endurance: High Sierras!

Annie Kim: She produced a few shorts after Endurance, though I'm not sure if that continued as a career. She lives in LA, last I heard... (EDIT: Annie auditioned for E2 because she was a fan of E1.)

Tyler Burkhalter: He's trying to hack it as a singer and/or actor, though I'm not sure how far that has gotten him.

Keetin Marchi: If I remember correctly, Keetin got a job as a Survivor Dream Teamer through Lilly, and eventually worked her way up to become a producer and a hostess for a number of events! That said, she auditioned for E2 as a fan of E1.

Endurance: Hawaii:

Brandon Johnson: I'm not sure of this, but doesn't he work in the entertainment industry?

Alex Reid: Her profile mentioned singing, and she has pursued that a lot post-show, to the point where she was the first African-American member of a K-Pop group! Though I'd like to imagine she auditioned as a fan of the first two seasons.

Tom Maden: Has become an actor post-Endurance, though I'm not sure how immersed he was in it beforehand.

Vanetta Smith: She did theater before Endurance, and some acting afterward, most notably with Freedom Writers.

Sarah Baker: She did a lot of performing arts before Endurance (dancing, in particular), and did modeling afterwards. I assume she found about the show through an agent.

Reece Bors: He worked to become a musician, though that has tapered off.

Nicole Clark: Got a number of modeling jobs post-show, which led to her influencer career with Cool Girls Connection. Though I imagine she auditioned as a fan of the show, seeing she was in the final forty for Endurance 2.

Chris Vandeweir: Did some modeling post-Endurance.

Lindi Oest: Did some modeling and acting post-Endurance, though that has tapered off and she retreated to a more private life.

Endurance: Tehachapi

Keith Walker II: Probably one of the most anonymous contestants on the show, but Keith has garnered a number of acting roles, albeit small ones.

Julie Dubela: Her attempts to get a music career is pretty notable on this thread, most notably her audition for American Idol. That said, she probably auditioned for E4 as a fan of the first three seasons (and made the final 40 for Hawaii)

Christopher Tavarez: He was encouraged to audition to a lot of productions as a child, which meant an agent found out about Endurance for him. After the show, he was on a number of productions incluidng Big Momma's House 2 and Avalon High, though getting arrested for domestic violence put a damper on these roles.

Amelia Land: Kind of unexpected here, but if you check out her IMDb page, Amelia has been involved in the entertainment industry as a wardrobe specialist and costume buyer.

Franke Sisto: He's really into acting, though he only heard about Endurance because his mother told him of an audition he had to go to--while he was a lead role for a school musical. Since then Franke has auditioned for things, though he's probably better known now for his role in e-Sports, most notably with Windjammers.

Endurance: High Sierras

Rafael Liriano: He does some theater work in New York City and some multimedia performance stuff, even studying it at university. I'm not sure how he got interested in the show, but I assume it was because he was a fan--he made the final 40 in Tehachapi's auditions.

Lilly Brown: Another contestant who's really into the entertainment industry, she auditioned as a fan, but Endurance helped her get her foot into the industry. Since then, she worked as a story producer and editor, most notably on Karma!

Max McFarland: He has pursued performance post-Endurance, particularly with his music. I'm not sure if that is related to how he got onto Endurance or how he got onto the show.

Cameron Uranick: He was very involved in acting and modeling early on, so he probably heard of Endurance through an agent. Since then, he has moved onto cinematography, directing, and photography.

Aeriel Miranda: Like her teammate, she was involved in acting and modeling early on, so she probably found out about Endurance through an agent. Of course, she became a notable working actor on her own right, most notably in Pretty Little Liars.

Connor Finnegan: He was very involved in band and theater at the time of Endurance, and cited Endurance as a window to the entertainment industry. However, he has not pursued that, and probably auditioned as a fan of the previous four seasons.

Taylor Sico-McNulty: She was very involved in theater at school and in her local community, and found Endurance auditions through a casting agent (though she's a big enough fan to say "Be Monroe!" haha). A year after Endurance, she got cast onto a pilot for a show on HBO, though that was not greenlit. She also did some modeling, though that was pretty small-scale.

Dakota Fisher: He did a lot of theater at the time of the show, and pursued acting as a career, though we only really saw him in those Burlington Coat Factory commercials. He probably auditioned as a fan (E5 was his third time auditioning for the show, and he was in the final 40 for Tehachapi).

Kelsey Schultz: A year after the show, Kelsey appeared in the film Queen Sized, along with some advertising campaigns and other small roles. She found out about Endurance because auditions were held in the same building she was in Dallas.

Endurance: Fiji

Matthew Jones: He mentioned dancing in his profile, which is something he still does to this day, though his currently focusing on directing and screenwriting. He found out about auditions as a fan, and previously tried to get onto Endurance: High Sierras through the casting call.

Connor Konz: He does theater and cosplay in Chicago, and tried to get into some other productions as well. He found out about auditions because of E1 and his sister's involvement on the show.

Jonathan Young: He was on season 42 of Survivor, and made it quite far!

Hannah Gross: She tried to start a music career, though has stopped on that to focus on being a workout instructor. From what I remember, she auditioned for Endurance as a fan of the previous five seasons.

Will Cuddy: He works as a director and a cinematographer, and his short films appeared in a few festivals! He probably found out about auditions through an agent. (EDIT: I found an article from 2007 in which it mentions how Will "tried out for a part in the Gus Van Sant movie that was shot in Portland, “Paranoid Park.” Though he was passed up for a spot in the film, his bio and stats interested producers of the teen reality show, who convinced him to try out."

Leslie Powell: She does music for films and TV; apparently you could hear some of them in The Challenge! She probably heard of Endurance through her more famous brother/being a fan of the show.

Cinnamon has released a book.