When Jack decided to film a quick audition video for a reality show last summer, he didn’t expect much. “I did it mostly as a joke,” he admits.

Fast forward two months, and he was dropping his summer internship, packing his bags, and flying out to compete for a $5,000,000 prize.

That show is Beast Games, the massive competition series from YouTube titan MrBeast, premiering Wednesday, January 7th on Amazon Prime. We sat down with Jack to get the behind-the-scenes scoop on what it’s really like to be one of 200 people selected from a pool of over 400,000 applicants.

“Competition on Steroids”

How does Jack describe the scale of the show? “Think of the craziest competition show you’ve ever seen, and then put steroids into it,” he says. The premise is simple but intimidating: 100 of the strongest people in the world, 99 of the smartest, and… Jack.

“It was excitement throughout the application process,” Jack recalls. “But the moment that acceptance email came through, reality hit. I had to put my money where my mouth is. I couldn’t say ‘would have, could have, should have’ anymore. I had to go compete.”

The Reality of Reality TV

While viewers see polished, high-octane challenges, the actual filming process is a test of patience. Jack shared some surprising insights into the production:

  • The Waiting Game: “Some days we didn’t film at all… it takes a long time to get 200 people miced up and ready.”
  • 18-Hour Days: When it is competition day, the clock doesn’t stop. “An 18-hour shoot looks like five minutes on TV. You’re up all day and all night.”
  • Flying Blind: The contestants are kept in total darkness. “The only thing I studied was Season 1. You show up, they give you a challenge, and you have a few minutes to decide your strategy.”

Alliances and Paranoia

Jack’s strategy wasn’t about being the strongest or the fastest—it was about being the most liked. While others played a solitary game, Jack focused on building a network.

“My main strategy was the more friends, the better. There were plenty of people there playing for themselves, and they saw the door a lot earlier than they thought.”

That social strategy paid off in more than just gameplay. Jack walked away with “lifetime friends” from all walks of life—from priests and biology teachers to DJs from Thailand. He’s already invited to three weddings next year!

Why He Took the Leap

For Jack, Beast Games was about more than just the money; it was about overcoming the fear of failure. “There’s been so many times where I decided not to take an adventurous leap because I was scared of what would happen if I failed,” he says. “This was one of the first times I decided, ‘Why not see what I’m capable of?'”

When things got tough on set and he felt like throwing in the towel, he remembered the odds: “For the 1,999 people that could have had my specific spot, what would they do? They wouldn’t give up. So I decided to pull up my pants and give it everything I got.”

How to Watch

  • Show: Beast Games (Season 2)
  • Where: Streaming on Amazon Prime
  • When: Tomorrow, Wednesday, January 7th
  • Release Time: 3:00 AM ET (Episodes 1-3)
  • Watch Official Trailer Here

Go Brothers!