MTV is prepping for another season of catfights, hot tub make-out sessions and drunken debauchery.
To cast the roles for the 26th season of the Real World, MTV held open auditions for people between the ages of 18 and 24 at the Lazy Dog on Saturday.
Hopefuls like Brandon Wray, a 22-year-old geography major, said they waited patiently in the cold for their chance at reality TV fame.
“I thought it’d be a fun opportunity,” Wray said. “I have no expectations. My friends are here, I came with them and I’d love to be on TV.”
Jennifer Dickinson, the MTV casting director, said the upcoming season would follow the same formula used in past seasons.
“Same as always, we are looking for people with charisma,” Dickinson said. “[We want to] put [people] all in a house…have them come together and have a good time.”
The Real World is MTV’s longest-running reality TV series, which documents the adventures of seven strangers who are brought together to live in the same house in a new city, according to an MTV news release. The location for the 26th season is yet to be determined, Dickinson said.
Dickinson said Boulder’s unique atmosphere attracted MTV to hold a casting call in the city.
“[Boulder] has an interesting feel,” Dickinson said. “[MTV] hasn’t been here in awhile and we were interested in the area. It’s a slice of Americana, especially with the university. It has a unique feel.”
To audition, applicants needed to bring a recent photo, an I.D. and fill out an application, which asked questions such as, “what’s your most embarrassing moment?” and “what is your current relationship status?” The Real World hopefuls were then interviewed in groups of 10, where Dickinson said she asked each person several questions.
“It depends on the table on how many questions we ask [per person]…we just have a conversation,” Dickinson said.
Crockett Williams, a 19-year-old freshman geography major, said he was curious to see what the audition process would be like.
“I wanted to see what it would like and wanted to know what the audition experience would be like,” Williams said. “She asked us like ‘what’s your best quality’ and ‘what’s something people don’t know about you?’”
Applicants who moved on to the second round were called back on Sunday, Dickinson said.
Students who auditioned said they thought being on the Real World would be a fun experience.
“Getting to go somewhere else and meet people and party it up without the responsibility of work [would be cool],” Wray said.
Carolyn Michaels, a 22-year-old news editorial alumna, said auditioning for the show could be her worst or best idea.
“It could be fun, it could be a disaster, it could be a fun disaster,” Michaels said. “I would just really like to go somewhere new…I need an adventure.”
Some students chose to watch from afar rather than participate. Tasia Gurule, an 18-year-old open-option freshman, said she didn’t want to audition because she thought her chances of getting a call back were low.
“I don’t think I’d make it,” Gurule said. “To get on the show you’d have to be pretty crazy. I’d much rather watch and see everyone be crazy.”
MTV will also hold open casting calls in cities across the country throughout March, according to its website. To see the full list of participating cities, click here.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Rose Heaphy at Josephine.heaphy@colorado.edu.
