This Topeka comic shares experiences as contestant on new reality Netflix show 'The Trust'

It's never too late to get a call that might change your life.

Topeka comic Jay Patterson received one such call last year when she was asked to be a contestant on a new reality show called "The Trust: A Game of Greed" premiering Wednesday on Netflix.

Patterson joined 10 other contestants in the Dominican Republic for two-and-a-half weeks where they competed for a share of $250,000.

But unlike other shows where the prize money is awarded at the end, the contestants are given the money upfront. The premise, according to Netflix, is to see if they will take their fair share or be greedy for financial gains.

The first season of the eight episode mini series is hosted by veteran journalist and former CNN correspondent Brooke Baldwin.

No experience? No problem for Topeka comic on Netflix reality show

At 70, Patterson had no idea she would be given an opportunity like this.

"Especially at this age, you know, like maybe when I was younger, it was like, 'Oh, wouldn't that be cool if maybe I could be an actress or whatever?'" she said. "But no. It was a total surprise."

Through her involvement with the local stand-up comedy and open-mic scene in Topeka with Top City Comedy and appearances on Joel Marshall's "Lunch Therapy" podcast, word got out that she might have what it takes.

"I'm one of those people that if I just sit back and let things happen, that was a moment that it just happened and it was nothing I expected," she said.

Back in February 2023, Patterson and her husband, Danny, were on a cruise in the Hawaiian Islands when they first had a taste of what was to come.

A series of online interviews with Netflix producers followed and that's when the secrecy started.

"She really wanted it bad," Danny Patterson said. "You can't tell anybody that you're going. We're on the ship and people are wondering why we're not going on tours and stuff."

After coming back home, months of waiting ensued before the call came that she would be a contestant.

"And then she's off to the Dominican Republic, and I can't tell anybody," Danny Patterson said. "I made up the story that she was at her comedy workshops."

'The Trust: A Game of Greed' was a social experiment

The bottom line of reality shows have always been a game of capturing the viewers' attention.

A 2022 article in Time points out that as early as the rise of televisions themselves, such shows as "Candid Camera" in 1948, adapted from the radio show "Candid Microphone," showed that hiding cameras and watching people react in curated situations makes for great content.

The genre has expanded since then with shows like MTV's "The Real World" in 1992 bringing viewers the format viewers are now used to seeing with selectively edited scenes of cast members interacting in situations, as well as one-on-one interviews.

Netflix's "The Trust "is part of the next generation of competition reality shows that takes elements of from CBS's "Survivor" and "Big Brother" but moves the genre into more of a study of human psychology.

The show will be the latest to arrive to the streaming service followed by Peacock's show "The Traitors," which premiered January 2023, and "Squid Game: The Challenge" that premiered on Netflix in November 2023.

Topeka comic says Netflix filming was 'an interesting experience'

For Patterson, it's difficult for her to fully describe the experience.

"I don't want to use the word surreal, I really don't," she said, "but you're kind of like, am I really here?"

Upon landing in the Dominican Republic, Patterson recalled how being a "seasoned woman" might impact how others treated her.

"I'm around a lot of young people because of comedy," she said. "So it’s not uncomfortable for me to be around the age group that I was with. But it might be uncomfortable for them to be around my age, you know, like I’m their mother or their grandmother, like get (rid of) grandma."

As she pointed out, there's no telling how she will actually appear until the episodes are released.

For her husband, this is a bit concerning.

"They can edit whatever they want," Danny Patterson said. "They can create the person they want."

Overall, Jay Patterson said it was "an interesting experience" and looks forward to seeing the episodes unfold.

"I just seem ready for it," she said. "I feel comfortable., I feel happy. I don't feel nervous, and I'm glad I feel that way."

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Topeka's Jay Patterson stars in Netflix's 'The Trust: A Game of Greed'