Post by theacf12 on Nov 10, 2019 14:41:43 GMT -5
Q1: What are you doing and where are you living now?
A1: I’m still living with my parents in Jersey. Since I was a little kid, all I’ve ever wanted to do was be an actor. Since quitting my last job as an insurance agent five years ago, I’ve been trying to make that happen. The results have not been up to what I had hoped, but that’s what led into my emerging eSports career. I’ve been making my way as a host and commentator for certain video game events and things like that, working odd jobs here and there for extra income when I need it. I’m not sure how much longer I can keep at that, but I’m enjoying the ride while it lasts.
Q2: Throwing it back - what was the Endurance audition process like? How did you find out about the show?
A2: I’ll never forget: I was a freshman in high school rehearsing for The Music Man. I get home one night and my mom tells me that I have an audition the next day. Now the director I had in high school - who I still consider my mentor even today - did not take very kindly to people taking rehearsals off. He was a real perfectionist and I had a lead part (I was Tommy Djilas), so I said to my mom that there was no way I would be able to miss the rehearsal. My mom said that she told my agent the same thing when he called her. The agent, for his part responded with something along the lines of “You don’t understand. He HAS TO go on this audition.”
So I went. I just stood in front of a camera and talked for a little bit. Apparently they liked what they saw because a couple of weeks later my mom received a phone call from my agent, telling her that I had received a sort of callback for that audition I HAD TO go on. This time the powers that be wanted me to send in a VHS tape explaining why I should be chosen to be a contestant on Endurance.
Looking back on that tape - which I actually watched recently - I can only shake my head. I remember seeing the tapes that the others had sent in, and they were all explaining their athletic achievements and displaying all these feats of physical prowess... then you have this one nerd from Jersey talking about his model kit collection.
To this day I still have absolutely no idea why they chose me of all people. They probably thought, “Oh man… this kid’s gonna be a pushover - let’s put him on!”
Not that I’m complaining about the end result mind you!
Q3: Was being on a televised competition more difficult or different than you expected?
A3: All I can say is that the stuff you saw on TV was harder than it looked. I don’t know what I expected in terms of the competition, but I will admit that I expected there to be more... “luxury” to it off camera if that makes sense. I’m a real cynic when it comes to “reality” television - especially since Endurance gave me firsthand experience with how the proverbial sausage is made - but what you saw was what we had. “Roughing it” like that was actually among the best parts of the whole process to be honest. That... closeness to nature that I felt is something that sticks with me even today. That’s how nice it was.
Speaking of the closeness to nature, something JD himself said to us when we first met him is the reason why I still to this day stop and watch whenever I see a caterpillar crawling on a leaf.
Q4: Who were you closest to while on the show? Who did you keep in contact with after the show?
A4: I tried not to play favorites while I was there; I was really close with everybody who stuck around for a little bit. Really anyone who made the Top 4 saw what I was about. I started off on the wrong foot with Amelia, but as time went on we grew really close. She used to call me “Frankish.” I still remember my times with her fondly, and in hindsight it was a delight watching her relationship with Isaac blossom.
Confession time: I developed a huge crush on Daniela towards the end. In fact there were a lot of interactions between us that didn’t make it to air where it was probably painfully obvious that I had a thing for her. I was an immature teenager and really wore my heart on my sleeve - I still do - but back then I had no idea how to handle those feelings. I remember fumbling the ball really bad when it came to maintaining a friendship with her after those feelings came out. That’s on me. But that’s how we learn.
I was surprised with how much I really connected with the other contestants on the show - a lot of us clicked on day one - and the producers even told people how we were the nicest group of kids they had ever had on the show. Jon from the Purple Team (or Jawn as I called him) and I bonded over a mutual love of Family Guy, and the other guys got quite the kick out of both my Peter Griffin impersonation and the stories that I would tell about an online sci-fi role play I was a part of. Then there was Shea and Isaac. Man the good times we had...
I learned a lot about the ones that stuck around, and towards the end the bond that we had was truly special.
Q5: Do you STILL keep in contact with anyone? Lastly, is there anyone you WISH you still kept in touch with?
A5: Not really, no. We had a reunion in Georgia between a bunch of us some time after the show ended and with the exception of Costa Rica with Erika that was the last time I saw anybody. If I tried harder I know that I could’ve maintained those relationships; I admittedly pushed Erika away around that time due to my own immaturity. And I guess she of all people should’ve been a lifelong friend.
I kinda wish that I didn’t just let those relationships fall by the wayside, as I’m pretty sure that some of the others still keep in contact to this day. If I wasn’t as stubborn as I was back then I would’ve sought Erika out and kept in contact. But everything happens for a reason. That’s something that I strongly believe.
With the exception of Jeszie and maybe one other, we all found each other on Facebook half a decade ago and tried to set up another reunion. It didn’t work out. Shortly after that I know that Mikey flew out to see John (from the Grey team) and Jawn up in New York. We were supposed to meet up in Barnegat while they were together (NYC is only a two hour or so drive away from where I live in Jersey, so I was reasonably close by), but John had to cancel at the last second (as in, I was in the car starting the engine when he called me). Other than a few Facebook messages with Amelia after that, that was really the last time I heard from anybody. We’re all just too old now - grown up and scattered across the country. Some of us even have kids! Crazy where life takes you huh?
Q6. How has Endurance affected you and/or your life? What is the most important lesson you learned from Endurance?
A6. It’s easy to see how Endurance affected my life - it’s my one claim to national fame at the moment. I actually don’t talk about it much because I like when people find out on their own. When someone DOES find out (as was the case at a video game tournament I was at two years ago), I’ll tell them any story they want to hear. Apparently I’m some kind of celebrity, and people are ecstatic to know that one’s been hiding under their nose this whole time.
I’ve never been recognized because of my appearance on Endurance though... maybe it’s because I cut my hair.
The most important lesson I learned from Endurance was twofold: the first being that you can make friends anywhere, even in the most bizarre of places and situations. The second part is that sometimes, things just work out. It’s usually not going to be how you think it will work out, but 95% of the time you’ll land on your feet when it’s all said and done. Just because you’re down doesn’t mean you’re out.
Q7: If you could do Endurance again, would you? Is there anything you would change if you did it again?
A7: I’d do it again in a heartbeat. I’d be a little more open-minded for one thing. I was totally in the moment while I was there - I still remember a lot of it clear as day - but it might’ve helped to be a little less set in my ways. I learned that once I hit my 20s.
I don’t really think there was anything I could’ve done differently however. I always laid my cards on the table; you can see in that one scene where I tell Shea to his face that I’d send the Blue Team to the Temple of Fate if it was up to me. That scene was also a bit misleading because I actually really liked Shea. I missed him the most out of all the guys when he left.
But I did like that scene for the reason that it showed something important about me: I answered the question he asked me honestly. I kept no secrets, and I really think that the others appreciated that. I’m pretty sure Mikey did at least.
OK - I don’t think it’s a secret at all that Erika carried our team through all of the physical stuff. I’d change that if I could. ...But would the Red Team still win if I changed anything?
Q8: How did you feel about the way you were portrayed on the show? Was it accurate or not?
A8: Oh it was accurate all right. Watching the show back, they really portrayed me as this calculating (and somewhat awkward) chessmaster. I was the brains of the operation, planning ahead and watching the others while waiting for my own chance to strike. Just like that one episode preview implied (it was the one before the “Cubed” puzzle challenge for those keeping track), it was agreed upon that I was the one to watch out for the second that a more mental challenge was given to us.
It just so happens that the ONE challenge where I might’ve been useful was the challenge where we had the Samadhi that restricted us from entering the game until a minute had passed... and the puzzle was solved in 51 seconds. That commercial set me up for the fall!
I was also always on that swing we had hanging from the big tree. I practically spent any free time I had on it, but you wouldn’t know that from watching the show. That one scene where Isaac and Jeszie are arguing, and it cuts to me hanging my head while I’m sitting on the swing? Yeah. That was kind of a common occurrence.
Q9: Were you a fan of Endurance before being on the show? Did you watch any of the seasons after yours?
A9: Nope. Never even heard of the show until I auditioned. I tried watching other seasons after mine, but I couldn’t get through any of them. Watching the show would make me remember my own season, and the memories made me miss everybody.
I never liked watching my own work - all I ever do is criticize my own performance. In fact, five years ago was the first time I watched the season the whole way through since it originally aired. Some guys I worked with at the time found out by accident, and they insisted that we sit down and watch. We did, and sure enough all the memories came flooding back. Even almost a decade after the fact I wasn’t prepared for the experience.
Q10: Though it's been a long time since the show, are there any moments from your Endurance experience that stand out in your mind? What was your best memory or experience from the show? Do you have a worst one?
A10: What I’m about to tell you is my favorite memory from the show. It is also one of my most prized memories of my life as a whole.
I was actually the oldest contestant in the history of the show. Not sure if that changed after Tehachapi, but I turned 16 while the competition was going on. In fact, it happened just before the Blue Team got eliminated.
It was the first time I’d ever spent a birthday away from my parents, and homesickness was starting to set in by this point. I felt alone, I felt lost, and I also felt a little bored. Something was missing.
For those who don’t know me, I’m like my mom: I generally keep my birthday a closely guarded secret. It’s one of the few things where I don’t like to make a big-to-do. Come to think of it, my senior year of high school was when I started feeling that way.
Anyway, we finish filming for the day and we get our dinner (we were all minors so they had to feed us you see). So I finish eating and I’m feeling particularly mopey, but suddenly I hear people singing happy birthday. Right after that the other guys come out of our cabin, and the girls open the doors to theirs. The staff is there with a cake - and I mean PAs, the interviewers, the storyboard crew, even J.D. himself - everybody was there singing. The girls came out with handmade cards that they gave me, the staff gave me a small mini-super soaker that I still have, the cook gave me an airhorn that - when combined with the super soaker - made some people’s lives miserable the next morning, but more than anything else… it was a tremendous show of love and appreciation that I was totally and completely unprepared for. It is still. TO THIS DAY. One of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me. Certainly the nicest thing anybody outside my family has ever done.
One of the chaperones who watched us all day also brought a small kayak over for anyone to use if they wanted to. I took it out on the lake by myself shortly after... like a day or two after my birthday. I sat in the kayak smack in the middle of the lake you see on the show and just took in the silence around me. I still can’t remember any other time being as relaxed as I was at that moment. I forget whether or not the kayak belonged to the chaperone named Ryan. Even if it wasn’t his, Ryan is one person that I still hope I’ll see again one day. It would really be wrong of me to talk about all of this and NOT mention him; I looked up to him and he was a great role model to me.
I don’t really have a worst memory. ...OK, maybe the entire “Hang 5” challenge. I’m still ashamed over how that went, but just about everything else was pleasant!
I still have the cards the girls made for me stashed away in my house, along with the diary that I kept of my whole stay on the show. I actually haven’t looked at that stuff in a while. Guess I know what I’m doing this weekend.
Q 11: Is there any non-invasive way for fans of the show to contact you?
A 11: The usual stuff: follow me on Twitter and Instagram @notfrankesisto. Don’t be afraid to reach out and feel free to ask me anything you want (within reason of course!). I'm always happy to talk to fans since it gives me an excuse to reminisce on pleasant memories. I'm still making a lot of pleasant memories these days too, but the time I spent on Endurance will always hold a special place in my heart, as I'm sure it does for anyone reading this.
Oh, and if you play any fighting video games, I’m sure you’ll bump into me at some tournament eventually. Don’t be a stranger!
God Bless =).
Thank you so much to Franke for this incredibly extensive interview! It's clear he put a lot of effort into answering our questions.
A1: I’m still living with my parents in Jersey. Since I was a little kid, all I’ve ever wanted to do was be an actor. Since quitting my last job as an insurance agent five years ago, I’ve been trying to make that happen. The results have not been up to what I had hoped, but that’s what led into my emerging eSports career. I’ve been making my way as a host and commentator for certain video game events and things like that, working odd jobs here and there for extra income when I need it. I’m not sure how much longer I can keep at that, but I’m enjoying the ride while it lasts.
Q2: Throwing it back - what was the Endurance audition process like? How did you find out about the show?
A2: I’ll never forget: I was a freshman in high school rehearsing for The Music Man. I get home one night and my mom tells me that I have an audition the next day. Now the director I had in high school - who I still consider my mentor even today - did not take very kindly to people taking rehearsals off. He was a real perfectionist and I had a lead part (I was Tommy Djilas), so I said to my mom that there was no way I would be able to miss the rehearsal. My mom said that she told my agent the same thing when he called her. The agent, for his part responded with something along the lines of “You don’t understand. He HAS TO go on this audition.”
So I went. I just stood in front of a camera and talked for a little bit. Apparently they liked what they saw because a couple of weeks later my mom received a phone call from my agent, telling her that I had received a sort of callback for that audition I HAD TO go on. This time the powers that be wanted me to send in a VHS tape explaining why I should be chosen to be a contestant on Endurance.
Looking back on that tape - which I actually watched recently - I can only shake my head. I remember seeing the tapes that the others had sent in, and they were all explaining their athletic achievements and displaying all these feats of physical prowess... then you have this one nerd from Jersey talking about his model kit collection.
To this day I still have absolutely no idea why they chose me of all people. They probably thought, “Oh man… this kid’s gonna be a pushover - let’s put him on!”
Not that I’m complaining about the end result mind you!
Q3: Was being on a televised competition more difficult or different than you expected?
A3: All I can say is that the stuff you saw on TV was harder than it looked. I don’t know what I expected in terms of the competition, but I will admit that I expected there to be more... “luxury” to it off camera if that makes sense. I’m a real cynic when it comes to “reality” television - especially since Endurance gave me firsthand experience with how the proverbial sausage is made - but what you saw was what we had. “Roughing it” like that was actually among the best parts of the whole process to be honest. That... closeness to nature that I felt is something that sticks with me even today. That’s how nice it was.
Speaking of the closeness to nature, something JD himself said to us when we first met him is the reason why I still to this day stop and watch whenever I see a caterpillar crawling on a leaf.
Q4: Who were you closest to while on the show? Who did you keep in contact with after the show?
A4: I tried not to play favorites while I was there; I was really close with everybody who stuck around for a little bit. Really anyone who made the Top 4 saw what I was about. I started off on the wrong foot with Amelia, but as time went on we grew really close. She used to call me “Frankish.” I still remember my times with her fondly, and in hindsight it was a delight watching her relationship with Isaac blossom.
Confession time: I developed a huge crush on Daniela towards the end. In fact there were a lot of interactions between us that didn’t make it to air where it was probably painfully obvious that I had a thing for her. I was an immature teenager and really wore my heart on my sleeve - I still do - but back then I had no idea how to handle those feelings. I remember fumbling the ball really bad when it came to maintaining a friendship with her after those feelings came out. That’s on me. But that’s how we learn.
I was surprised with how much I really connected with the other contestants on the show - a lot of us clicked on day one - and the producers even told people how we were the nicest group of kids they had ever had on the show. Jon from the Purple Team (or Jawn as I called him) and I bonded over a mutual love of Family Guy, and the other guys got quite the kick out of both my Peter Griffin impersonation and the stories that I would tell about an online sci-fi role play I was a part of. Then there was Shea and Isaac. Man the good times we had...
I learned a lot about the ones that stuck around, and towards the end the bond that we had was truly special.
Q5: Do you STILL keep in contact with anyone? Lastly, is there anyone you WISH you still kept in touch with?
A5: Not really, no. We had a reunion in Georgia between a bunch of us some time after the show ended and with the exception of Costa Rica with Erika that was the last time I saw anybody. If I tried harder I know that I could’ve maintained those relationships; I admittedly pushed Erika away around that time due to my own immaturity. And I guess she of all people should’ve been a lifelong friend.
I kinda wish that I didn’t just let those relationships fall by the wayside, as I’m pretty sure that some of the others still keep in contact to this day. If I wasn’t as stubborn as I was back then I would’ve sought Erika out and kept in contact. But everything happens for a reason. That’s something that I strongly believe.
With the exception of Jeszie and maybe one other, we all found each other on Facebook half a decade ago and tried to set up another reunion. It didn’t work out. Shortly after that I know that Mikey flew out to see John (from the Grey team) and Jawn up in New York. We were supposed to meet up in Barnegat while they were together (NYC is only a two hour or so drive away from where I live in Jersey, so I was reasonably close by), but John had to cancel at the last second (as in, I was in the car starting the engine when he called me). Other than a few Facebook messages with Amelia after that, that was really the last time I heard from anybody. We’re all just too old now - grown up and scattered across the country. Some of us even have kids! Crazy where life takes you huh?
Q6. How has Endurance affected you and/or your life? What is the most important lesson you learned from Endurance?
A6. It’s easy to see how Endurance affected my life - it’s my one claim to national fame at the moment. I actually don’t talk about it much because I like when people find out on their own. When someone DOES find out (as was the case at a video game tournament I was at two years ago), I’ll tell them any story they want to hear. Apparently I’m some kind of celebrity, and people are ecstatic to know that one’s been hiding under their nose this whole time.
I’ve never been recognized because of my appearance on Endurance though... maybe it’s because I cut my hair.
The most important lesson I learned from Endurance was twofold: the first being that you can make friends anywhere, even in the most bizarre of places and situations. The second part is that sometimes, things just work out. It’s usually not going to be how you think it will work out, but 95% of the time you’ll land on your feet when it’s all said and done. Just because you’re down doesn’t mean you’re out.
Q7: If you could do Endurance again, would you? Is there anything you would change if you did it again?
A7: I’d do it again in a heartbeat. I’d be a little more open-minded for one thing. I was totally in the moment while I was there - I still remember a lot of it clear as day - but it might’ve helped to be a little less set in my ways. I learned that once I hit my 20s.
I don’t really think there was anything I could’ve done differently however. I always laid my cards on the table; you can see in that one scene where I tell Shea to his face that I’d send the Blue Team to the Temple of Fate if it was up to me. That scene was also a bit misleading because I actually really liked Shea. I missed him the most out of all the guys when he left.
But I did like that scene for the reason that it showed something important about me: I answered the question he asked me honestly. I kept no secrets, and I really think that the others appreciated that. I’m pretty sure Mikey did at least.
OK - I don’t think it’s a secret at all that Erika carried our team through all of the physical stuff. I’d change that if I could. ...But would the Red Team still win if I changed anything?
Q8: How did you feel about the way you were portrayed on the show? Was it accurate or not?
A8: Oh it was accurate all right. Watching the show back, they really portrayed me as this calculating (and somewhat awkward) chessmaster. I was the brains of the operation, planning ahead and watching the others while waiting for my own chance to strike. Just like that one episode preview implied (it was the one before the “Cubed” puzzle challenge for those keeping track), it was agreed upon that I was the one to watch out for the second that a more mental challenge was given to us.
It just so happens that the ONE challenge where I might’ve been useful was the challenge where we had the Samadhi that restricted us from entering the game until a minute had passed... and the puzzle was solved in 51 seconds. That commercial set me up for the fall!
I was also always on that swing we had hanging from the big tree. I practically spent any free time I had on it, but you wouldn’t know that from watching the show. That one scene where Isaac and Jeszie are arguing, and it cuts to me hanging my head while I’m sitting on the swing? Yeah. That was kind of a common occurrence.
Q9: Were you a fan of Endurance before being on the show? Did you watch any of the seasons after yours?
A9: Nope. Never even heard of the show until I auditioned. I tried watching other seasons after mine, but I couldn’t get through any of them. Watching the show would make me remember my own season, and the memories made me miss everybody.
I never liked watching my own work - all I ever do is criticize my own performance. In fact, five years ago was the first time I watched the season the whole way through since it originally aired. Some guys I worked with at the time found out by accident, and they insisted that we sit down and watch. We did, and sure enough all the memories came flooding back. Even almost a decade after the fact I wasn’t prepared for the experience.
Q10: Though it's been a long time since the show, are there any moments from your Endurance experience that stand out in your mind? What was your best memory or experience from the show? Do you have a worst one?
A10: What I’m about to tell you is my favorite memory from the show. It is also one of my most prized memories of my life as a whole.
I was actually the oldest contestant in the history of the show. Not sure if that changed after Tehachapi, but I turned 16 while the competition was going on. In fact, it happened just before the Blue Team got eliminated.
It was the first time I’d ever spent a birthday away from my parents, and homesickness was starting to set in by this point. I felt alone, I felt lost, and I also felt a little bored. Something was missing.
For those who don’t know me, I’m like my mom: I generally keep my birthday a closely guarded secret. It’s one of the few things where I don’t like to make a big-to-do. Come to think of it, my senior year of high school was when I started feeling that way.
Anyway, we finish filming for the day and we get our dinner (we were all minors so they had to feed us you see). So I finish eating and I’m feeling particularly mopey, but suddenly I hear people singing happy birthday. Right after that the other guys come out of our cabin, and the girls open the doors to theirs. The staff is there with a cake - and I mean PAs, the interviewers, the storyboard crew, even J.D. himself - everybody was there singing. The girls came out with handmade cards that they gave me, the staff gave me a small mini-super soaker that I still have, the cook gave me an airhorn that - when combined with the super soaker - made some people’s lives miserable the next morning, but more than anything else… it was a tremendous show of love and appreciation that I was totally and completely unprepared for. It is still. TO THIS DAY. One of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me. Certainly the nicest thing anybody outside my family has ever done.
One of the chaperones who watched us all day also brought a small kayak over for anyone to use if they wanted to. I took it out on the lake by myself shortly after... like a day or two after my birthday. I sat in the kayak smack in the middle of the lake you see on the show and just took in the silence around me. I still can’t remember any other time being as relaxed as I was at that moment. I forget whether or not the kayak belonged to the chaperone named Ryan. Even if it wasn’t his, Ryan is one person that I still hope I’ll see again one day. It would really be wrong of me to talk about all of this and NOT mention him; I looked up to him and he was a great role model to me.
I don’t really have a worst memory. ...OK, maybe the entire “Hang 5” challenge. I’m still ashamed over how that went, but just about everything else was pleasant!
I still have the cards the girls made for me stashed away in my house, along with the diary that I kept of my whole stay on the show. I actually haven’t looked at that stuff in a while. Guess I know what I’m doing this weekend.
Q 11: Is there any non-invasive way for fans of the show to contact you?
A 11: The usual stuff: follow me on Twitter and Instagram @notfrankesisto. Don’t be afraid to reach out and feel free to ask me anything you want (within reason of course!). I'm always happy to talk to fans since it gives me an excuse to reminisce on pleasant memories. I'm still making a lot of pleasant memories these days too, but the time I spent on Endurance will always hold a special place in my heart, as I'm sure it does for anyone reading this.
Oh, and if you play any fighting video games, I’m sure you’ll bump into me at some tournament eventually. Don’t be a stranger!
God Bless =).
Thank you so much to Franke for this incredibly extensive interview! It's clear he put a lot of effort into answering our questions.
