Russell Hantz. The name is synonymous with Survivor, as he is one of the series' most infamous and divisive players. Hantz made his first appearance on Samoa before immediately transitioning to Heroes vs. Villains. On both occasions he made the final three. Unfortunately, Hantz has not performed as well on subsequent appearances, primarily due to the massive target on his back.

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Being one of the most famous players in Survivor history, many people want to know more about Mr. Hantz. Well we're here to provide some answers.

These are ten things you probably didn't know about Russell Hantz.

He Played On An International Version

Hantz has appeared three times on the American version of Survivor - Samoa, Heroes vs. Villains, and Redemption Island. But what you may not know is that Hantz competed on the fifth season of Australian Survivor, titled Champions v Contenders. You can probably guess which side Hantz fell on. Unfortunately, the target on his back proved too much, and he was just the second person eliminated from the season.

He Originally Auditioned For Pirate Master

Hantz originally applied for Pirate Master, a short-lived CBS reality show that aired throughout the spring of 2007. Like Survivor, Pirate Master was created by Mark Burnett and saw sixteen people competing for a cash prize of $1 million. He was never called back for Pirate Master, but CBS executives loved his personality and offered him a spot on Survivor instead. He accepted, was cast for Samoa, and the rest is history.

He Was A Last Minute Substitute On Heroes Vs. Villains

Heroes vs. Villains would not be the same without Russell Hantz. And to think, he nearly wasn't a part of it. That's because Samoa and Heroes vs. Villains filmed back-to-back, and by the time Samoa was filming, Heroes vs. Villains had mostly been cast. Producers loved Hantz so much that they desperately wanted him to be a part of Heroes vs. Villains, so they sidelined Panama contestant Shane Powers to make room for him.

He Was Accused Of Spoiling Samoa And Heroes Vs. Villains

In 2010, a man named Jim Early was sued by Mark Burnett for spoiling both Samoa and Heroes vs. Villains on a Survivor fan site.

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However, the charges were dropped when Early allegedly proved that Russell Hantz was the source of the spoilers. Despite Survivor contestants facing $5 million in damages if they leak information, Hantz was never faced with legal action. He later denied the allegations that were cast against him, calling them "100% false."

He Was A First Time Hall Of Fame Inductee

The Survivor Hall of Fame was started by Xfinity TV back in 2010, and Russell Hantz was a first-time inductee. He was one of five players who were immediately placed within the Hall of Fame due to their contributions to Survivor history. The others were Parvati Shallow, Rob Mariano (Boston Rob), Richard Hatch, and Sandra Diaz-Twine. Russell would play with three of his fellow inductees on Heroes vs. Villains.

He Owns His Business With His Father And Brother

You probably know that Russell Hantz is/was the owner of an oil company. This little facet was plastered all over Samoa and became an important part of the storyline in the latter half of the season. What you may not know is that Russell owns the company with his father and brother. It's called Hantz Tankering Service, and it allegedly made Hantz a multimillionaire.

His Relatives Have Also Competed In Various Reality Shows

Russell seemingly kickstarted an entire Hantz tradition, as his relatives have also competed on various reality programs.

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His nephew, Brandon Hantz, competed on Survivor: South Pacific and Caramoan. He placed sixth and fifteenth, respectively. His younger brother, Willie Hantz, competed on Big Brother 14 but was expelled from the house for throwing pork rinds and instigating violence.

He Now Has A Podcast And YouTube Channel

While we haven't seen Hantz on Survivor in some time, he is still very active in the Survivor community. In 2017 he launched a podcast called The Russell Hantz Show and launched a YouTube channel of the same name. Hantz uses this platform to recap episodes, interact with his fans, and give his opinion on the weekly performances of the players. He is currently recapping the show's fortieth season, Winners at War.

He Has Embarked On Numerous Business Ventures

Russell Hantz is not one to sit idle and wait for life to pass him by. Since leaving Survivor behind, Hantz has embarked on numerous business ventures, some of which were documented for reality TV. In 2012 he hosted an A&E reality show titled Flipped Off which saw him and his older brother Shawn flipping houses in the Houston area. He also started Holding Hantz, which saw Hantz and his family pooling their money to open a restaurant.

He Lost 60 Pounds In Samoa

Russell Hantz leaning against a tree

The Russell Hantz of Heroes vs. Villains looks a lot different than the Russell Hantz of Samoa. That's because he allegedly lost a whopping sixty pounds throughout his time in Samoa, a fact that he documented in an episode of The Russell Hantz Show. Contestants are known to lose a lot of weight throughout their time on Survivor, but sixty pounds has to be some kind of record!

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