Meet the 'Survivor 44' Cast! Barbershop Owner Matthew Grinstead-Mayle Strives to Make Others Succeed

The 43-year-old from Columbus, Ohio is banking on almost three decades in customer service to succeed.

Barbershop owner Matthew Grinstead-Mayle is hoping to be a cut above the rest with his gameplay. The outdoors are of no concern to the 43-year-old, a self-proclaimed “water baby nature kid.” And after working over a decade in the service industry, he hopes his desire to help others will get them, in turn, to help him become a million dollars richer.

Read on for my interview with Matthew, and make sure to check in with Parade.com every day for interviews with this season’s contestants and other tidbits. Survivor 44 premieres on March 1 with a special two-hour premiere on CBS.

Related: Meet the Full Cast of Survivor 44

Interview with Matthew from Survivor 44

Why are you here on Survivor?
I am here on Survivor to see if I really got all the goods to make it to the end. I love to challenge myself, and I am a little water baby nature kid. So I feel like I have all these skills that really will help me survive in the game of Survivor.

What’s your history with watching Survivor?
I am a day one fan. And I’m sorry if that ages me. But I have been a super fan since day one. And I have been actively trying to get on the show for the past four years.

Give me one Survivor winner and one non-winner who you identify with the most.
The winner that I identify the most with is Ben. I felt like he went through the season and created great bonds. But you saw personal struggles, and you saw him overcome them and acknowledge them and extend an arm to others that might be feeling the same way as him. I felt like that really was encouraging. And although my situation in my life is not the same as his, I can definitely empathize and hope that someone can see some of my own successes in my journey and help them along the way.

As for a non-winner, Elaine is the one that really stands out for me. She was hilarious and genuine. She really had a sense of just going out in the game and having a great time. And I feel like that speaks to me. If I go out there and I just try to have fun every day and enjoy every moment, then I’ll get the most out of this experience.

What’s your favorite moment in Survivor history?
I love the big splashy moments. I love the moments that make your jaw drop. So for me, when Malcolm won individual immunity and used his two hidden immunity idols to play for his alliance, leaving the other alliance to feast upon themselves and just bicker and go at it, it was a moment that made my jaw drop to the floor, and I literally had to pick it up. So that is a moment that sticks out for me. I hope to create something just like that.

What’s one life experience you feel has prepared you most for the game?
Growing up, my mom worked for the YMCA. So I was literally outdoors every day at summer camp, running, playing in fields playing in the trees, climbing trees, swimming, making fires. You name it; I was doing it as a kid. So that is something that I grew up doing and really having a lot of joy in. And I feel like those skills and just the ability to have fun in that realm will help me very well on Survivor.

What excites you the most about the new era of Survivor?
The new era of Survivor is fast, and it’s dangerous. There’s no place to hide. And I think that speaks to me because I love the excitement in life. And I’m not wanting to just idly sit by. I don’t actually sit much; I enjoy living my life on my feet and experience the world through my eyes and my hands. So this is just perfect for me to be in this new era of Survivor.

What do you think people will perceive you as?
I think that people will perceive me as someone who likes to have a good time, who is genuine, and who cares about others around him. I come from almost 30 years in the service industry. So it’s very natural for me to take care of people. And as a father, I want to take care of my son. So I think that my tribemates and the audience will see me in my zone when I’m helping other people around me succeed.

What type of player are you looking for in an alliance?
I’m looking for an alliance member that has strengths that offset my weaknesses. So that when we go into a situation or a challenge, I know that that person has my back. And not only do they have my back, but they have something that I necessarily am not strong at, or they might be stronger. So together, we’re stronger. Because all of our sums, all of our parts are working in better conjunction.

What is the one thing you told yourself you wouldn’t do in this game?
I’m currently studying massage therapy. And the one thing I promised myself I wouldn’t do is use the healing power of touch to manipulate people. That would cross an ethical line for me. I want people to be able to respect what I do and not see that as me using that as a power situation where I’m using that to coerce people. I do want to play the game, and I do want to be mischievous and use trickery, but not in a sense that would spill over into my personal life and things that I set out to do in my professional life.

What’s the best advice you received before coming out to play?
The best advice I received before I came out to play was from my sister. And she told me no matter what the hard times are, just remember that they’re temporary. If the rain’s pouring down on you, and you’re freezing, and you’re cold, and you’re shivering, and you think there’s no end in sight, remember that it’s temporary. Everything that I’m going through is temporary. So I should not focus on the moment, but focus on what’s next.

Can you come up with your own weird phrase that could be said at a challenge to unlock an idol?
A word that comes to mind in my family is “shenanigans.” So I think that I would probably have to say something along the lines of, “These shenanigans are really getting in the way of me finding my way to my goal.”

What celebrity or fictional character would you want to come out for a Loved Ones visit?
I would probably have to say Paul Rudd. I get compared to him a lot. And I think that he’s hilarious and a very genuine, down-to-earth person. So I think that having Paul Rudd come and visit me on the island would mean a lot of fun and great interactions. And just feeling as though I’ve met a truly awesome genuine person in a realm where you can trust no one.

Next, check out our interview with Survivor 44 contestant Maddy Pomilla.