Meet the All-Star Cast of Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains (2024)

HEROES VS. VILLAINS

Survivor: Samoa's Russell Hantz is back! So are 19 other fierce and famous competitors, who will compete in the 20th edition of Survivor, beginning with a two-hour premiere on Feb. 11.
Keep up with every episode with our Survivor Strategy blogger, Tocantins' Stephen Fishbach.

JAMES CLEMENT: HERO

Occupation: Gravedigger
Past appearances: China; Micronesia: Fans vs. Favorites
His M.O.: Known for his smile and impressive pecs (he made it to PEOPLE's Sexiest Men issue!), James won the Sprint Fan Favorite prize of $100,000 in back-to-back seasons. He also gained notoriety for having not used his two immunity idols, which resulted in his elimination in China. About his third Survivor tour, James admits, "It's hard to prepare because you are overconfident at times."

BENJAMIN 'COACH' WADE: VILLAIN

Occupation: Soccer coach/orchestra conductor
Past appearances: Tocantins: The Brazilian Highlands
His M.O.: The self-titled Dragon Slayer, who slung his jacket over his shoulder while approaching the voting lectern during tribal councils, told wild but seemingly true stories by the campfire. "This game is going to be more like the NBA," Coach says. "The players – the cast – think they're running the show but, really, I will be subtly calling the shots."

CANDICE WOODco*ck: HERO

Occupation: Medical student
Past appearances: Cook Islands
Her M.O.: Candice's mutiny with Jonathan Penner on Cook Islands led to a few revenge trips to Exile Island – and her eventual ouster. But she recovered in the real world with an engagement and as a medical student at George Washington University. "I met my fiancé when I was doing my graduate degree," she says. "I spend my life in a library with my face in a book so I haven't gotten out much!"

COURTNEY YATES: VILLAIN

COURTNEY YATES: VILLAIN

Occupation: Waitress

Past appearances: China (runner-up)

Her M.O.: Her devil-may-care persona and easy dismissal from challenges (due to her slim frame) didn't stop the feisty Yates from getting this close to the $1 million prize money. "I got two votes from the jury," she says with a laugh, "and I still walk around resting on my laurels for that."

TOM WESTMAN: HERO

Occupation: Insurance sales rep/retired firefighter
Past appearances: Palau (winner)
His M.O.: Westman's strategy was to hide his physical ability and play the old man role in Palau, but it didn't take long for him to win several individual immunity challenges – and ultimately the big prize. "They offered Fan vs. Favorites but it was easy to say no at the time," he says. "I said no to this, too, then I started to think, and then my wife just started to work on me. I'm just the idiot she sends off to do reality shows!"

TYSON APOSTOL: VILLAIN

Occupation: Former pro cyclist/shop manager
Past appearances: Tocantins: The Brazilian Highlands
His M.O.: Tyson always had an opinion and wasn't afraid to share it. Hiding behind the guise of being Coach's "Right-Hand Man" in Tocantins, he played hard until he ran into the machinations of JT and Stephen Fishbach. Tyson says Survivor's secret of success is to get "stupid people to agitate the intelligent [people], and then fill it with a bunch of normal people and then take food away from them, make sure that they're dehydrated and that they don't sleep."

STEPHENIE LAGROSSA: HERO

Occupation: Restaurant owner
Past appearances: Palau; Guatemala (runner-up)
Her M.O.: As the last one standing in her tribe on Palau, Stephenie gained the empathy of Survivor fans, who saw her return the next season to Guatemala where she lost out to Danni Boatwright. But now, Stephenie is engaged to Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Kyle Kendrick – and has a good reason to go for the prize money. "I want to plan my wedding," says Stephenie. "I'm excited!"

PARVATI SHALLOW: VILLAIN

Occupation: TV host/Knockouts For Girls founder
Past appearances: Cook Islands; Micronesia: Fans vs. Favorites (winner)
Her M.O.: She named her all-women's alliance the Black Widow Brigade, and came out on top in a strategy that inspired, of all people, Samoa's lovable villain Russell Hantz! "I never thought, ever, in a gazillion years, that I would ever do this show again," she says. "But I feel like I am a heavyweight going back and defending my title."

COLBY DONALDSON: HERO

Occupation: TV host/cattle rancher/hot rod builder
Past appearances: The Australian Outback (runner-up); All-Stars
His M.O.: Colby stayed loyal to Tina Wesson during the second season of Survivor, taking her with him to the last tribal council, where he lost the $1 million. The upside: The sexy rancher gained a large following of admirers. "I tried to come up with one reason why I shouldn't get on the plane and go play this game again," Colby says, "but I couldn't. The reality is I just love this game."

'BOSTON' ROB MARIANO: VILLAIN

Occupation: TV personality
Past appearances: Marquesas; All-Stars (runner-up)
His M.O.: Can Boston Rob really be considered a runner-up if he ended up married to the winner? Rob proposed to Amber Brkich during the finale of All-Stars in 2004, and since then the couple has appeared on as many Amazing Race editions as Survivors. But most important to Rob is the title of Dad to Lucia Rose, the couple's first child. "It's good training for Survivor, the baby," Rob says. "You're up every three hours and she's crying and whining all the time. [It's] like these people out here!"

AMANDA KIMMEL: HERO

Occupation: Model/actress
Past appearances: China (2nd runner-up); Micronesia: Fans vs. Favorites (runner-up)
Her M.O.: Amanda hopes the phrase "always a bridesmaid, never a bride" won't apply to her third go-round on the series. "I don't like to hurt people's feelings," Amanda admits. "It's something I've been working on! I haven't been an aggressive person in life but in Survivor, it's a game, so I'm really going to remember that."

DANIELLE DILORENZO: VILLAIN

Occupation: Business account manager
Past appearances: Panama: Exile Island (runner-up)
Her M.O.: Though living in Hollywood now, Danielle remains true to her Boston roots and is a devoted fan of the Red Sox and Patriots. But in the game of Survivor, "I have an idea of whom I want to align with already," she says, "whom I don't like and whom I won't be able to trust."

RUPERT BONEHAM: HERO

Occupation: Mentor for troubled teens
Past appearances: Pearl Islands; All-Stars
His M.O.: Fans couldn't get enough of the original Survivor pirate and awarded him the America's Tribal Council prize of $1 million at the All-Stars finale in 2004. He donated much of those winnings to his charity, Rupert's Kids. "My life goal was just to get my family out of debt and show that I was good at something," he says. "Survivor gave me that. My new life goal? To show the world how if we empower our youth."

RANDY BAILEY: VILLAIN

Occupation: Wedding videographer
Past appearances: Gabon
His M.O.: Randy played up the part of the "lonely, angry mean guy" when it was discovered the people he brought as "family" to the Gabon reunion were fans he just met. "The first time I played Survivor, I felt a little gypped," he says about the inland setting. "It's Survivor. It's got to be an island!"

JESSICA 'SUGAR' KIPER: HERO

Occupation: Pinup model/actress
Past appearances: Gabon (second runner-up)
Her M.O.: Sugar deliberately played the dumb-blonde part in Gabon, and in the process orchestrated a series of blindsides, including that of her nemesis, Randy. But poignantly, she scattered some of her dad's ashes on African soil. "I brought him here, too," she says. "Wherever we end up, I'll be putting him here and there."

SANDRA DIAZ-TWINE: VILLAIN

Occupation: Bank teller
Past appearances: Pearl Islands (winner)
Her M.O.: A wife, mother of two and former chemical repair specialist with the U.S. Army, Sandra won Pearl Islands with her "I'll vote for anybody as long as it isn't me" strategy. While on the show, her girls, 12 and 14, were being cared for by her sister because "my husband left for Afghanistan, his third time," she says. Nonetheless, "my daughters told me 'good luck,' but I had to beg them to tell me, 'I love you!' They're at that age where they just want to run around with friends. They don't care about me!"

JAMES 'JT' THOMAS: HERO

Occupation: Cattle rancher
Past appearances: Tocantins: The Brazilian Highlands (winner)
His M.O.: JT is only the second person since Earl Cole of Fiji to win by unanimous vote through a combination of physical skill and shrewd game play. "It will be amazing to play alongside people like Tom and Colby," JT says. And he hopes he can give good material for his buddy Stephen Fishbach to write about for his PEOPLE.com TV Watch Survivor Strategy blog!

RUSSELL HANTZ: VILLAIN

Occupation: Oil company entrepreneur
Past appearances: Samoa (runner-up)
His M.O.: Host Jeff Probst called Russell "the best player in Survivor history." Coming straight from a grueling Samoa season, Russell says he's thrilled to play with "the best of the best." The fact that the alumni won't know his game makes him happy, too. "I think I am going to be fine for a little while," he says, "because I'll be the Shambo. I'll be the person these folks will want to take with them."

CIRIE FIELDS: HERO

Occupation: Operating room nurse
Past appearances: Panama: Exile Island; Micronesia: Fans vs. Favorites
Her M.O.: One of the masters of the social game, Cirie admits she was a couch potato prior to her first Survivor experience. On Micronesia, her husband joined her during a family visit; this time, oldest son John is hoping to get the call. "I would love for him to experience it," she says. "You can't get it from home, HD or not!"

JERRI MANTHEY: VILLAIN

Occupation: Actress/personal chef
Past appearances: The Australian Outback; All-Stars
Her M.O.: The fire-dancing former Army brat played the mean-girl role to the hilt in Australia but then did a 180 in All-Stars. Which Jerri will we see this time? Well, she put herself through culinary school but she also "became an adventure junkie, riding on dirt bikes, going into the desert all the time," she says. "I've tried everything I can to be a normal person," she says, "only to realize I'm not normal!"