Brian Heidik

Brian A. Heidik (born March 9, 1968) is an American actor, used car salesman, and television personality best known for winning the reality TV competition show Survivor: Thailand.

Brian Heidik
Heidik in 2002
Born
Brian A. Heidik

(1968-03-09) March 9, 1968
Burtonsville, Maryland, U.S.
Alma materNorth Carolina State University
Occupation(s)Actor, used car salesman, television personality
Known forSurvivor: Thailand (Winner)
Spouse
Charmaine "C.C." Costigan
​
​
(m. 2000; div. 2006)​

Personal life and career

Heidik was born to a Finnish mother and a German father.[1] He attended Paint Branch High School in Burtonsville, and played quarterback on the high school football team. He later enrolled at North Carolina State University. He was once married to Charmaine "C.C." Costigan from 2000 to 2006; between them, they have one son, Logan.[2] He has been married to his second wife Courtney since 2006; with her, they have three children of their own.

Heidik once lived in New York City while working as an actor.[2] He has guest starred on such television shows as Doogie Howser, M.D., Baywatch Nights, and Days of Our Lives,[3] as well as Melrose Place.[4]

Survivor
Further information: Survivor: Thailand

In 2002, Heidik competed on the fifth season of the American version of Survivor, entitled Survivor: Thailand. In the end, Heidik beat out Jordan in a 4–3 vote to become the Sole Survivor. He managed to gain the votes of Billingsley, Rogers, Glover, and Gentry. Heidik was benefited by a usual occurrence on Survivor when two of his votes came from a vote against Jordan, particularly Glover and Rogers, whom Heidik himself betrayed in the game, but still voted for him over Jordan. Rogers mentioned that he was voting for Heidik, because he was "the lesser of two evils". Heidik officially received his million dollar check on December 20, 2002.[2]

Reception

Heidik has generally been regarded as one of the least likable Survivor winners ever. Probst would later describe Heidik's game as "so sleazy" and said that "you felt like you needed a shower after watching Brian play."[5] In 2007, Brad Wolgast and Survivor expert Mario Lanza called Heidik "the most cold-hearted player of them all," and they went on to compare him to a "detached gunslinger," an "emotionless, unempathetic cyborg," and a "sociopath." In the years following Survivor: Thailand, Heidik was never even talked about in a nice way by any of his fellow castaways. According to Wolgast and Lanza, no one who had ever been on Survivor had even bothered to mention Heidik in interviews or chats.[6]

Controversies

While taping Survivor in 2002, Heidik claimed that he was a used car salesman. But it was later revealed that he had also worked as a soft-core porn actor alongside his then-wife C.C.[7] As an adult film star, he went under the name "Dave Roth."[8]

After Survivor: Thailand finished taping, Heidik got a restraining order against C.C. over an assault which he claimed she perpetrated against him in November 2002. But a few weeks later, on December 16, his wife's scheduled court date, he did not show up for the hearing. Prior to the court date, the restraining order had been lifted.[7]

On July 5, 2006, Heidik was arrested in Douglas County, Georgia, on charges of shooting a dog with an arrow. When police came to his house, he tried to flee in his car, but was quickly apprehended.[9]

References
  1. "Selviytyjät-voittaja on puoliksi suomalainen". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). September 22, 2003. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  2. Lobb, Annelena (March 24, 2003). "Survivor: Investing a million". CNN Money. Time Warner. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
  3. "Brian Heidik wins 'Survivor: Thailand'". USA Today. Gannett Co. AP. December 20, 2002. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
  4. "Selviytyjät-voittajan suonissa virtaa härmäläisverta". BlackRain's TV Dome (in Finnish). September 22, 2003. Archived from the original on December 7, 2016. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
  5. "Jeff Probst: "Survivor" seasons I loved – and hated". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 1, 2014.
  6. Wolgast, Brad; Lanza, Mario J. (2007). "The Rise of the Heartless Mercenary". In Gerrig, Richard J. (ed.). The Psychology of Survivor. Dallas: BenBella Books. pp. 20–21. ISBN 1-933771-05-4.
  7. Morales, Tatiana (December 17, 2002). "Porn-Star Winner Talks Of Acting". CBSNews.com. Viacom. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
  8. "X-Rated Survivor". Fox News. News Corp. August 20, 2002. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
  9. "'Survivor' champ arrested". Los Angeles Times. AP. July 6, 2006. p. E.5. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
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