Russell Dennis Hantz (born October 10, 1972)[2] is an American television personality, best known for his appearances on the U.S. reality show, Survivor.[3] He was the runner-up on Survivor: Samoa,[4][5] and the second runner-up on Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains.[5][6] He also competed on Survivor: Redemption Island and Australian Survivor: Champions vs. Contenders, where he was the second player to be eliminated both times.[7]
Hantz's performance on Survivor was very polarising.[3][8][9] This controversy has resulted in ongoing media attention and appearances, along with acknowledgement that his particular brand of ruthless gameplay can result in wins for those who employ it.[10][11][12] Most have strongly criticized his strategy, naming him one of the biggest villains in Survivor history.[13][14] Nevertheless, on both Survivor: Samoa and Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, Hantz was voted by viewers the "Sprint Player of the Season", which came with a $100,000 cash prize.[5] He is one of only eight contestants to ever make it to the finals in more than one season (the others are Rob Mariano, Amanda Kimmel, Parvati Shallow, Sandra Diaz-Twine, Tony Vlachos, Natalie Anderson, and Michele Fitzgerald).
Hantz was nominated in the 2010 Teen Choice Awards for his performance on Heroes vs. Villains.[15] In the CBS Watch "Greatest Castaways" viewers poll, Hantz came in second for "being willing to do anything to win. His villainous nature always made for great TV."[16]
After Survivor, Hantz starred alongside his older brother, Shawn, on the A&E reality documentary, Flipped Off.[17]
^"Russell Dennis Hantz". Ancestry Institute. Ancestry. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
^ ab"Russell H." CBS. Retrieved September 15, 2013.
^ abRussell Hantz a villain to tribemates but a hero to Survivor viewers, May 13, 2010, Toronto Star article.
^Natalie White wins 'Survivor: Samoa,' but runner-up Russell Hantz calls her undeserving, December 21, 2009, New York Daily News article.
^ abc'Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains' finale: Russell Hantz defeats Rupert Boneham for Sprint prize, May 16, 2010, blog.zap2it.com.
^'Survivor' villain Russell Hantz: 'Sandra's not even in the Top 20 of all time', May 17, 2010, blog.zap2it.com.
^Gomez, Patrick (March 11, 2011). "Survivor's Russell Hantz: I Let My Fans Down". People. Retrieved February 15, 2014.
^Dehnart, Andy (January 31, 2011). "Survivor Spy Exposed". The Daily Beast. Retrieved September 22, 2013.
^Knox, David (March 30, 2011). "Evil Russell voted out of Survivor". TV Tonight. Retrieved January 6, 2014.
^Stanhope, Kate (May 19, 2010). "Survivor's Russell: I Am the Best". TV Guide. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
^"Is Russell Hantz the greatest 'Survivor' player ever?". November 20, 2009. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
^Hutchins, Kathy (December 21, 2009). "Survivor: Samoa's Russell Hantz: 'I Am Really Good At This Game'". People. Retrieved October 13, 2013.
^Probst, Jeff (April 16, 2010). "Jeff Probst blogs 'Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains' episode 9". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 16, 2010.
^"RUSSELL HANTZ: 'Survivor' VILLAIN Lies About Dead Dog, Sabotages Own Team". The Huffington Post. November 18, 2009. Retrieved January 6, 2014.
^Soll, Lindsay (June 14, 2010). "Teen Choice Awards 2010: First Round Of Nominees Announced". MTV. Archived from the original on June 6, 2012. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
^"Get Insider Answers in the Survivor 30th Season Extravaganza: What you'll learn in the CBS Watch! Magazine Special Edition - CBS.com". CBS.
^"Texas two-step: Russell Hantz takes his Survivor villainy to a new venue". Uncle Barky. April 26, 2012. Retrieved September 16, 2013.
Russell Dennis Hantz (born October 10, 1972) is an American television personality, best known for his appearances on the U.S. reality show, Survivor....
accepted an alliance with RussellHantz and Danielle DiLorenzo. On day 18, the Villains lost immunity, and the alliance of Shallow, Hantz, and DiLorenzo were...
leader of the Villains with his storyline focused on his rivalry with RussellHantz and their differing views of the game. In the sixth episode, "Banana...
2012. The series features four-time Survivor contestant RussellHantz, his brother Shawn Hantz, and real-estate agent Kristen Bredehoeft as they "flip"...
Heroes thought that Villain member RussellHantz was on their side. However, Sandra Diaz-Twine warned Boneham that Hantz was not with them, which concerned...
member J. T. Thomas, who gave a Hidden Immunity Idol to a Villain member RussellHantz, were cast. Two Hidden Immunity Idols, including one given by J. T....
was opposed by an alliance of Parvati Shallow, Danielle DiLorenzo and RussellHantz. The Villains experienced an early winning streak in challenges. When...
Michael Skupin Ozzy Lusth Rob Cesternino Rudy Boesch Rupert Boneham RussellHantz Stephen Fishbach Sue Hawk Jessica "Sugar" Kiper Terry Deitz Troy "Troyzan"...
unanimous elimination. The following morning he found a third idol, tying RussellHantz in Samoa, Tony Vlachos in Cagayan, and Tai Trang in Game Changers for...
Archived from the original on January 1, 2018. Retrieved January 4, 2018. Hantz, Russell (February 3, 2015). "If you're asking me! I think CBS put whoever they...
Michael Skupin Ozzy Lusth Rob Cesternino Rudy Boesch Rupert Boneham RussellHantz Stephen Fishbach Sue Hawk Jessica "Sugar" Kiper Terry Deitz Troy "Troyzan"...
award included Juan Pablo Galavis, Omarosa Manigault, Will Kirby, and RussellHantz. In January 2013, Montag and Pratt (as a single entity) competed as...