In both of its seasons, Deal or No Deal Island has utilized a model of “hybrid” casting. The vast majority of the players on the NBC reality series have been brand new to the world of television. But among them are a select few who have graced our screens before, looking for their latest adventure in the world of unscripted TV.
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Season 1, for example, brought in six-time Survivor player “Boston” Rob Marino, as well as actress and former Deal or No Deal case model Claudia Jordan. Season 2, which airs its finale tonight at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT, upped the ante by bringing in three reality TV winners. The group included Big Brother villain Dr. Will Kirby, Survivor legend Parvati Shallow, and Australian Survivor champ David Genat. The latter of whom, by the way, is still in the hunt for possibly winning millions of dollars in the final face-off against the Banker.
“It gives you the opportunity to watch tried and true, tested greats at these types of games. And then you get to see their superpowers on display,” Manganiello explains to Parade about the casting choices. “But because they’re mixed in with newbies, I mean, you get to see character arcs that you wouldn’t necessarily see. You get to see players emerge. Players get better. It’s a really fun game in that there’s a mix of these personalities.”
While it’s currently unknown if we’ll see DONDI back for a Season 3, the True Blood and Magic Mike actor is, of course, looking ahead to that possibility. And so, during our extended sitdown, we had to ask what celebrity casting – reality or otherwise – he would like to see next season. And his first choice isn’t a distant one, as he namedrops a newfound reality star.
Related: Everything to Know About Deal or No Deal Island Season 2
“I mean, you watch Traitors this season, and you see someone like Dylan Efron,” Manganiello says. “He actually came over to my house. I throw screening parties every week. And Dylan came with Boston Rob one week this season.”
It would be perfect synergy to have the producer and brother of actor Zac Efron continue to stay under the NBCUniversal umbrella, considering how his antics as the biggest “Faithful of the Faithful” made him one of the fan-favorites of Season 3. After all, as revealed at The Traitors reunion, shortly after becoming one of the winners of the game, Dylan said he actually watched Season 1 of DONDI on the plane ride to the Scottish set. So it’s a game he’s recently been acquainted with, and he could possibly continue his reality TV winning streak on the Banker’s Island.
“I’d like to see a former poker champion play,” Manganiello goes on. “Because they’re good at reading people. And I’m fascinated by reads: When people know that someone’s lying, when they’re giving a tell. And I want to then see the confessionals and get into their brains. So a Phil Hellmuth, who is like the ‘bad boy of poker.’ Or a Daniel Negreanu, who notoriously knows what is in everyone’s hand. I want those people who have a foot in the invisible, the metaphysical.”
The host then went on to go into more general occupations that he would want to see picking cases on a future DONDI season. Specifically, he wants to see some people from Wall Street shed their suits in favor of bathing suits, those who are good at forecasting trends.
After an absolute roller coaster of a second season – culminating in what is sure to be a pulse-pounding finale – whether they be a stockbroker, a poker player, or an Efron, we hope we get to see them hit the shores of the Banker’s Island to play one of the most high-stakes games on TV today.
Related: Joe Manganiello Teases Wild ‘Deal or No Deal Island’ Finale: ‘The Most Insane Thing I’ve Ever Seen’ (Exclusive)
