Interview with Frank from Gauntlet 3 and Preview

Last time we saw Frank on the Real World Las Vegas Reunited, he was going on multiple blind dates, breaking dishware, and teaching us the difference between gleeking and spitting (it’s all about the tongue positioning). I was lucky enough to talk to Frank about the Gauntlet 3, which airs Wednesday, January 23 at 10 pm.

Find out what Frank’s been up to, why pretending to be gay can sometimes be fun, and why this season of the Gauntlet promises to be more slutriffic than ever… after the jump.McSteeny: Hi Frank. You’re back this season for Gauntlet 3. Aside from the Real World Vegas Reunited, we haven’t seen a lot of you lately. Has the Challenge been something you’ve chosen to avoid, or have you just been focusing on other things?

Frank: You know what, I’d say it’s more like focusing on other things. I was actually working the past three years, and I had been asked to do another challenge between there, and just couldn’t do it with work. At that time I told myself, you know, everyone has to grow up sooner or later so it’s just as well. Then I left my job and decided to go back to grad school, and since then they’ve asked me to do these shows again, and I figured what’s gonna stop me? When I was younger I thought to myself, ” I don’t want to just do the challenges forever, ” but now that I’m older I’m more like, “Oh, don’t be so uptight. They’re just fun.”

McSteeny: So how does it work? You have to be asked? And then when you’re asked, do you have a choice?

Frank: Well, you do have a choice, but yes you have to be invited.

McSteeny: I was reading a little, and it looks like in the interim, you’ve done a little acting. You appeared in American Wedding?

Frank: Oh, yeah that was so much fun. I actually was never an actor; Chris Bender is a really big producer in Hollywood. He did all the American Pies and dozens of other movies. He went to college with me. He called me up, when the first Real World Las Vegas was airing and said, “Hey Frank can I ask you a favor?” He said that Sean William Scott, Alyson Hannigan and Jason Biggs were all very into the Real World, and he asked me to come to the set to meet them and answer some question. I was like, “Are you kidding me, I’d love to do that.” I ended up becoming good friends with Alyson Hannigan, and turns out they wrote a little scene for me. Not the most flattering scene but…

McSteeny: What, they didn’t mention that you’d be playing a gay bar back?

Frank: (Laughing) No, they didn’t at the time, but I mean how can you turn that down? (Mumbles something about a transvestite) But it was great, I really enjoyed it. (Laughing) I was the last person credited, and I still get $100 residual checks from that.

McSteeny: Wow, not bad. Not bad at all. Well you mentioned being younger, and your attitude towards the first season of Real World Las Vegas, and I think that became apparent in Reunited. You seemed much more relaxed and eager to have a good time.

Frank: I think back then I just thought too much of myself, and what could come of these shows, so I was reluctant and scared. Because of that, I when did the first Real World and the Battle of the Sexes, I held a lot back. After awhile I was like, “Oh get over it you jerk, just go have fun. The American public will forget about it in a month or two, and you can go back to obscurity.” And it worked, because on the first two shows (Real World Vegas and Battle of the Sexes) I didn’t enjoy myself, but Real World Las Vegas Reunited was the time of my life.

McSteeny: Yeah, it looked like it…

Frank: Yeah, it was great. I didn’t think it could get much better, but this Challenge was awesome, I had so much fun.

McSteeny: Prior to filming Gantlet 3, was there anyone you were really looking forward to spending time with, or even anyone you were really dreading having to be around?

Frank: Um, you know Katie was one of my best friends for years, when she lived out in LA. So I was really looking forward to seeing her again, because I used to hang out with her all the time. And then also I’m really good friends with Adam.

McSteeny: From Paris?

Frank: From Paris, yeah. It’s weird because I don’t think he and I are very similar, but I definitely consider him a close friend of mine. But he didn’t get along very well with CT and I had never met CT before in my life, and he projected a real negative picture of the guy. So going in I didn’t think I wanted to meet CT, but I actually got along with him on the show.

McSteeny: I’m a huge fan of the show, and it appears as though people who are not experienced with the show tend to get picked on. Did you feel that you were at a disadvantage since this was only your second Challenge?

Frank: I don’t agree that the people who are inexperienced get picked on, I think personality gets you picked on, but I’d absolutely say that the more challenges you do the closer you get with the people and the more of an alliance you get with people. I will say that I gave it my best shot to form alliances, but I haven’t done these shows for three and a half years so I pretty much sucked at it. I felt like I stepped into something with, like, 25 best friends, and then me. So it was hard.

McSteeny: In the season of Real World Vegas Reunited, we got a to see you doing better with the ladies, you know… your appeal in the women department. That being said, what percentage of the Gauntlet 3 female cast members do you think you could hook up with, and who would be your first target?

Frank: (Laughing) I could hook up with?…I don’t know, I think I’ve learned to lay back and enjoy myself, I’m not an overly confident guy. I don’t know, I just think of myself as an older guy now, so I’m not saying who I can hook up with. I’ll tell you what; I definitely did not leave the show with any regrets. I had a good time in Mexico. I swear to God, if I could have written a script for Frank, like, exactly how I wanted it to go…that’s what happened. I feel like I hit the lottery. And I’m not talking about the Gauntlet itself; just everything in general was so perfect. So, yeah, things go well for me with the ladies on this season, and I didn’t leave with any regrets. It was really fun.

McSteeny: So can we expect to see you on more shows if you’re asked?

Frank: Yeah, if I’m asked and I have time. I have about 6 months left of grad school, and hopefully I get a job right away. That’s always gonna take priority, but I will do as many of these as they want me to, they’re awesome.

McSteeny: What are you looking to do as far as post-grad school and your career?

Frank: Well I’m at UCLA getting my MBA and I’m trying to get into Real Estate and Commercial Development so we’ll see how that goes.

McSteeny: Well good luck with that, before we go, do you want to give us a sense of what to expect to see this season? It seems like a very emotionally charged, sexually charged, intense season.

Frank: I’ll tell you what, there is so much hooking up on this show, and I hadn’t done these shows in years. I was like, “Does everyone just hook up on these shows now?” But everyone else who does the shows all the time said that this season is ridiculous. It’s incestuous, there’s so much coupling and pairing off, and lots and lots of partying. Lots and lots of fun. The two guys on the show that made it so entertaining were Kenny and Evan. I freaking love those guys! I don’t know if they trash talk behind my back, but… I don’t swear much but they were fucking hysterical! They were awesome; I loved just hanging out with those two. What I love the most about them is that neither one of them were on Real World or Road Rules (they were both Fresh Meat) and all they did was make fun of everyone on the show and they were so much more witty and sharp than everyone else, and it was a great time to just watch them terrorize the whole house.

McSteeny: I just saw a preview the other day for Kenny and Evan with their own show: battling out head to head to go to the premiere of Jessica Alba’s new movie.

Frank: They should get their own show, man! They’re awesome!

McSteeny: Kenny comes across as a little cocky, I don’t know if that’s all an act, you know, all in good fun, but it’s very entertaining.

Frank: I think it is all in good fun. I wouldn’t like it if he were shallow and cocky. It does it in a friendly way, where I mean, I’m a straight male, and I still find him charming, I don’t know what it is about him, but he’s cool. And Evan is a really funny motherfucker from Canada. He’s a cool guy and tough too.

Frank: I will say this about the Challenge. Not giving anything away, but I really feel like I kick ass on the show. That’s how I feel about my time there. (Laughing) So if you want a preview that’s it: I kick ass.

McSteeny: (laughing) Well I’m glad, good for you.

Frank: I’m not an arrogant guy either; I usually don’t say that about myself.

McSteeny: Yeah, yeah.

McSteeny: Well I’m glad you had fun; I’m really looking forward to the show. Thank you very much, and good luck with everything. We’ll definitely be tuning in.

And I hope you will join me Gasmii! Just think about it: Puerta Vallarta…The return of Frank, Coral and Katie….CT with his shirt off….Lots of partying and hook ups…. que caliente!