Meet the 'Survivor 46' Cast! Musician Ben Katzman Will Be Perceived as a "Cartoon Character"
Ben Katzman calls himself a real-life Dewey Finn (and, ironically, got into Survivor when School of Rock writer Mike White was on the show). And indeed, talking with the guitar player turned music teacher, he seems like a character brought to life, with "shred" being his verb of choice for just about everything. But despite being larger than life, the 31-year-old contains an authenticity and adamancy to not be a "poser," a quality he hopes will have him going from plucking strings to pulling them.
Read on for my interview with Ben, and check in with Parade.com daily for interviews with this season's contestants and other tidbits. Survivor 46 premieres on February 28 with a two-hour premiere on CBS.
Related: Meet the Full Cast of Survivor 46
Interview with Ben from Survivor 46
To start, give me your name, age, and occupation.
Ben Katzman. 31. Musician, teacher. [Laughs.]
What do you teach mainly?
I'm kinda like the real-life Jack Black, Dewey Finn [from School of Rock]. I teach how to play guitar, and I teach student rock bands.
Well, shout out to Mike White if he's reading!
[Laughs.] I know! The thought that he might is intense.
So, I believe I read in your bio that you started as a producer and then became a teacher.
No, I had a moment in time where I ran a label out of my dorm room. And I helped start a few of my friends' careers, and [that] went further than I expected. [Laughs.]
Is music something you have always wanted to work in?
I think so. I mean, I know music's always been a big part of my life. I was asked this a few weeks ago: When's the first time when you knew music hit? It was the Power Rangers theme. [Laughs.] Just being three years old, like, "Yes!"
Was there a particular moment that made you feel that you wanted to go into teaching?
Definitely not. I never wanted to be a teacher. I had a bunch of teachers who were not positive role models, no disrespect. But I think we live in this time where spirituality is more common. And I think my approach to teaching is more emotional than it is technical. And so I just became the teacher I never had. And not saying I didn't have good teachers, but I fell into teaching. I kind of had a quarter-life crisis, if you will. And I was like, "I don't know if I want to do this grind anymore." So, I quit everything and worked at Whole Foods. And it was graveyard shifts, no connection to the outside. And then my friend opened a music school and was like, "Would you like to teach?" I had so much hesitancy. And my first student that I had, I still have now. It's a few years later. It rips. I love it.
Are you excited for your students to watch you become a Survivor player?
To be honest, it's probably one of the main things that was like, "Alright, you've got to do this." I definitely had some hesitancy because life could change. Do I really want to starve? Do I really want to be deceived? I had my student recitals last week. And, if I could get anything across in my teaching, it's just to approach your music or whatever you do as yourself. There's a million Metallicas and Eagles and whatever. Be you. And in the recitals, there was a moment where that really came across, and I was like, "Okay, I gotta." I gotta do it for myself, for sure. But I want to do it for the students, too.
Well, what got you out here in the first place? What made you decide the next song to play was "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor?
Funnily enough, one of my first musical obsessions was the Rocky soundtrack, Rocky 3 specifically. Even now, at the island, I have a bunch of mixtapes with movie quotes interspersed in it. I've got "Eye of the Tiger." I've got Sam's speech from The Two Towers. I got "The Ecstasy of Gold" from The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. The long story short is, I've been getting hit up to do some reality TV stuff. Because I know I'm a character. And I always avoided those things because they're always scripted. They feel like you're selling yourself if you're doing a music one or something. But I was every time I got offered one, I'd be like, "I would do Survivor, though."
And then, as I said no to one contract, the season 43 finale aired. And then there's a video where Jeff was like, "If you think you got what it takes!" And I'm in this phase of my life where I'm trying not to write the goals out and live some narrative that's beyond me. I'm trying to let life write itself. It was like, "Screw it. I'll apply." Worst case, I don't do it. Best case, hey, what's up? We're here.
You talk about watching the season 43 finale. What's your history with watching the show?
I'm a more recent convert, five, six years or something. But I've binged a good chunk of the show. But I do remember when I was really flipping on the channel, and it was an earlier season. And there were two players, and they're standing on the sticks in the ocean. And Jeff comes out and tempts them with peanut butter and Oreos or whatever. And that only stuck in my mind for some reason. I hope I do not cave to that. I came on board around the time of David vs. Goliath. Which, ironically enough, is the Mike White season. I feel like I'm maybe the reality of what School of Rock will do to an 8-year-old. And that's still my favorite season, I think.
Give me one Survivor winner and one non-winner who you identify with the most.
Wow, that's hard. Because if I could give a long story, there are the characters that speak to me. I wouldn't say I associate [with them] or something. I'm sure you're gonna get Carolyn a million times today. But I was interviewing around the time that was airing. And I remember seeing her and how she felt that first couple episodes where nobody's listening to her. But she was still going for it. And that's how I felt my whole life, from being a kid and everybody telling you who you are and to be like, "I'm not that." And then some non-winners, Mike White. [Laughs.] I'm kidding. But I really liked Christian Hubicki. I really liked Cody from 43.
You do give me a lot of that Cody vibe, even though you're from opposite coasts. I very much see a similar easygoing nature.
Totally. And I don't know if the easygoing comes from feeling like life is easygoing. But I just work on what I call Transcendental Shreditation. And it's just embracing it all and finding the time to breathe and be in the here and the now.
"Transcendental Shreditation." Henry David Thoreau is rolling in his grave right now.
Henry David Thoreau is like, "Damn, David Lee Roth outdid me!"
So what does that involve? Just finding your center, even outside of a musical perspective?
I mean, obviously, shred is a musical term. You'll probably hear it on the season. It's my verb for everything. Like, "Yo, let's go shred a fire or whatever."
So it's your Smurf, essentially.
10,000%. So it's pretty much just finding your center. My day-to-day, a big part of my routine is listening to my favorite music or walking my dog or working out, definitely being in my comfort zone. I moved back in with my parents right at the beginning of the pandemic. I'm 31 now. So, I constantly think about how crazy my life has been and then to still be in the confines of my parents' home. It's a bit of just finding your center, reminding yourself who you are. And I wonder how that's gonna play out when I don't have my Metallica songs or my Oasis songs.
You can pull a Gabler and hopefully find someone out here who also listens to Metallica.
I saw that scene. And I have this motto I tell my students, and it's like a creed. The older version of me lives by what the younger version of me did. Don't be a poser to yourself. I saw that, and I was like, "Ooh, somebody who's pretending to be a metalhead is gonna get caught real quick."
What's one life experience you feel has prepared you most for the game?
I mean, if it isn't dealing with children in a rock band setting, then definitely being a starving artist. Even now, I just came back from playing a few shows in Europe, and I feel so grateful for it. But you never know what it's going to be. You spend eight hours in a car, not talking, showing up at a venue, hoping that it's going to be packed. Sometimes it's packed, sometimes it's 20 people. But you still have to give it your all. And you never know if the promoter is going to stiff you. You never know if nobody's going to care. So it's really just a matter of just sitting back and being like, "Okay, not gonna attach myself to the outcome. "That's the downfall of life. Trust that who I am in this moment is going to open the door it needs to open.
Do you feel your biggest superpower is authenticity and trusting the process?
In my most recent years, I feel so. Because I feel like who I am now as a result of being somebody I wasn't happy with. Being a poser, maybe! I think when you're young, and you're trying to make it in any business that's maybe in the public eye, you tend to play a character sometimes. Not everybody, but I definitely did. And I am who I am, but I would definitely take this up a notch sometimes. Now, I've learned to just kind of let go of that. So hopefully when I'm starving, I won't get hangry. I'll be like, "It's okay. Your hunger will lead you to food in the next challenge."
Going from starving artist to hopefully starving 26 days on an island. On the other side of that, what would you say is your biggest piece of kryptonite?
I mean, I'm very sensitive and vulnerable. I think maybe some people wouldn't say so because of how I carry myself. I'm very stoked on life. And I try to be, you know, happy all the time. But life isn't full of sunshine and stuff like that. And for the longest time, I had this fear of rejection for being myself. So I hid behind my sunglasses and whatever persona. And maybe that's my kryptonite, my vulnerability. But you've got to make your kryptonite your superpower.
Well, we just saw that with season 44, people are able to use that emotionality to their advantage. It's just going to be tough to play the game when there are so many emotions involved in those tough decisions.
And I think the thing is, obviously, we all want the money. It could change our lives. But you've kind of got to play like the money's the afterthought. The game's the personal journey. Like I said, trust in who you are, [and] hopefully it works out.
What do you think people are going to perceive you as? Because you will have a lot of experience coming from the business, knowing that people will look at you as a brand. How does that carry over to the beach for you?
Cartoon character. This is like the unmade Pauly Shore movie. Outwit, outlast, outshred. I try to not be so judgmental these days. And hopefully, people just enjoy the entertainment. And I hope, if there's some kid out there who's insecure about picking up the guitar, or is attached to the outcomes of life, to just remember everything's a journey. And I think the journey is more important than the outcome.
How are you going to use that perception to your advantage? Are you going to be like, "I'm the easygoing rocker guy. No one's gonna see me coming?"
Definitely. How I've lived my life is kind of like that tarot card "The Fool." You're unabashedly yourself; you're super stoked. And I'm not gonna hide behind my catchphrases or ever or anything. But it is who I am. I'm not putting on a front. But I feel like there's a chance people are gonna see me as this one-dimensional cartoon character and forget that, there's a self-aware and self-conscious human being under. And maybe the time to reveal that won't be when I'm in the middle of judgment.
Related: Everything to Know About Survivor 46
What are you looking for most in an alliance?
I worry that if you find somebody you "survive" super hard with, there's a target. But in an ideal situation, it'd be cool to meet somebody who you click with. Maybe it's your background. Maybe it's your personal story. Maybe it's something you can't explain. And maybe it's this greater good, like the Three Stooges Alliance. They were obviously on a tribe, but they also were able to look around and be like, "We are not these 'Goliaths' on the outside." But they came into themselves.
I wish I could give you an answer on what I'm looking for. But I think my feelings, for lack of a better term–I know I sound maybe a little bit like Samwise or something–I hope my feelings will attract the right vibe. But a ride or die would be sick. I have this crazy idea. I would love to do a Travolta/Cage blindside like Face/Off. Where it's like you have an alliance, like a ride or die. You pretend there's this huge fight right before Tribal, so everybody's focused on the drama between the two people. And then that gives you the power in the vote because everybody's distracted.
That is maybe the cleanest comparison to Face/Off I've heard. [Laughs.] Well, let's get into some of your competition who may end up being your Castor Troy. Is there anyone in particular here you've been vibing with before the season begins?
Everybody's been asking me what's my thoughts on the competition. And I think a 25 or a 20-year-old me would have all these judgments and assumptions made. But I saw some person reading a book on astrophysics or whatever. And I'm like, "They don't look like a physicist." Somebody else is playing a Game Boy, myself included. I can't read the surface-level vibe. And I know there's part of me that wants to. But I'm also reminding myself that you can't judge a book by its cover. And I don't want to go into this game with any assumptions or expectations. Because I feel like when you set up those kinds of things in life, you get knocked down, and hopefully, you get up again. And then you get knocked down again. [Laughs.]
Well, when it comes to people you may not want to work with, are there any qualities that are turn-offs for you in terms of allies?
It's weird, because confidence is a great thing. But the thing that I always look out for with anybody who's too sure of themselves. Are you so sure of yourself that you're not open to another perspective or another variable? I'm definitely drawn to people who are thinkers and feel and have emotions. Everybody does. I don't know where I'm trying to go with this. But I'm drawn to the here and the now. Because let's say you are sure of yourself, but then some advantage pops out. And then it's like you didn't weigh out every option because you went in blind. Like in life, you can never have your feed too grounded.
Let's talk about advantages. Are you hungry to look for them? Are they more of a curse than a blessing to you?
In the more recent seasons, it definitely feels like it's more of a curse than a blessing. Matt in [season 44] lost a couple of votes. He found a fake idol. But then there's that birdcage one. That's super dope. I mean, definitely, if I'm presented with the opportunity, I think I'm going to take it, because no risk, no reward. But a risk can bring you to your end, too. But I think you don't come here to play a safe game. Maybe a safer game and some options. But I definitely want to have one.
Let's say a boat shows up at your camp on Day 2, asking one person to go on a journey. How would you approach the situation?
I have already thought, "What's my alibi gonna be?" I haven't come to it yet. Because I think, again, it depends on who you're with. But, if everybody views me as a fool, I'm gonna say I didn't take a risk. Because it depends on who the other players are in that situation. Sometimes, when the boat comes, and then you go to that island, and it's the "risk your vote," those people end up chillin' hard after the merge. I feel like you want some more solid answers.
I get it. It's tough in the new era! As Jeff would tell you, never settle into a hard and fast strategy. Because the second you do, it goes out the window.
100 percent. And that's the thing I keep coming to. Everybody's like, "What's your strategy going to be?" I feel like I've been trained enough through my life experiences to have no expectations for any situation. To be thrown into a variety that I'll understand the body language, or the mannerisms, or the expressions around me enough to make some sort of calculated decision in the heat of the moment.
Have you been doing any specific preparation for the show?
I've been working out. I'm from Miami Beach. So I swam two miles. I did all the South Beach the other day. Now, it was not all of it. But like Ocean Drive to the pier. And I've just been working out. And in my workouts, I'll be "shreditating" on some simple mantras, just being like, "You are who you are. You won't know until you're there. "Because I guess a bit of my life story is I've always been so goal-driven. And I've accomplished a lot of those goals and felt empty after. Because you get to the goal, and then you're not celebrating in the moment. It's like your ego kind of benefits from it. And then your emotions in your soul were already on a high before it happened. And I very much focused on literally the present.
When you make a decision, is there a typical process you undergo?
I mean, I think about it hard. It's like in The Queen's Gambit. She's playing chess in the ceiling and weighing out every option. I kind of do it like that. I just sit there, see what comes up, and be like, "Which one feels the most chill? which one feels the most dangerous?"
What celebrity or fictional character would you want to come out for a Loved Ones visit? I know you've invoked a certain hobbit's name a number of times, but I don't want to jump to that conclusion.
Here's the thing. Imagine Frodo and Sam are on the island. Don't you think everybody would be like, "Yeah, we gotta break that up"?
Sam also can't swim. So I feel like that's going to be a liability in challenges.
[Laughs.] 100%. Though I could see him holding on for dear life. That is one challenge I really want to do, Last Gasp. I don't know why, but it's just something I really want to go for the gold.
Well that's the ultimate form of "shreditation," right? It's all mind over matter.
Yeah. Because if I bring David Lee Roth, that's a terrible idea. He'd be like, "All right, guys, let's party!" And everybody would be like, "Dude, we're just trying to chill."
[Laughs.] They might need that in that moment, though!
I know, but I think that would be me. I have like five in my mind. Obviously, Nicolas Cage would be insane. That would be would be so sick. Then I would like to have Conan the Barbarian. Arnold, '82, when he's up against the wall, and he's praying to Crom, and he's like, "Two men stood against many." Because my mixtape is nothing but epic movie quotes. Then I would probably have Junior from Cool Runnings. So he could tell me, "Look in the mirror and tell me what you see," and remind me who I am.
And then, if I had to go with two more, I'm gonna throw Mike White a bone and go with Nacho Libre, Jack Black's character. Because, in that movie, it seems like he's motivated by greed and fame. It sounds like me in my early 20s. And then later in the movie, he finds a higher power, a higher purpose now to be reminded of who you are. I feel like that movie is kind of a north star for me. And number five, this wouldn't be so much an emotional one, but a marker of insanity. Ellen Ripley from Aliens. That movie is the ultimate thrill and adrenaline.
Maybe my most important answer is I have a dog named Splinter because he looks exactly like Master Splinter. Master Splinter quotes are all over my mixtapes. Keeping your emotions in check for the right reason, allowing yourself to feel. I think if I could have one fantastical guest above all, it has to be Secret of the Ooze Master Splinter. No CGI, no Willy Wonka crap. Straight-up Master Splinter would be my choice.
Next, check out our interview with Survivor 46 contestant Venus Vafa.
