Official Survivor: South Pacific Cast

We've known for a few weeks now, but they just made it official:

A Harvard law student, a rising country singer, a former NYPD detective, and a mortician are among the 16 new castaways of Survivor: South Pacific.

What do a Harvard law student, a rising country singer, a former NYPD detective, and a mortician all have in common? They’re all vying for the million dollar prize on the twenty-third edition of CBS’s hit reality series, Survivor. Set in the South Pacific, this season’s crop of contestants, who range in age from 19 to 51, will be divided into two competing tribes: Savaii and Upolu.

In alphabetical order, the 16 new castaways are:

Mark Anthony Caruso is a 47 year-old retired NYPD morgue detective turned registered nurse from Forest Hills, New York. This “Santa Claus” look-a-like wants to be the father figure on his tribe.

Sophie Clarke is a 22 year-old pre-med student from Willsboro, New York. Young and accomplished, Clarke comes off as cocky, which could be her undoing the game of Survivor.

John Cochran is a 23 year-old Harvard law student from Oakton, Virginia. Cochran completed his undergraduate studies at Columbia University. This huge Survivor fan knows how to play the game and says that 99% of his strategy is based on adaptability.

Albert Destrade is a 25 year-old high school baseball coach and dating coach from Plantation, Florida. Destrade says that others will think he’s a dumb athlete, although he’s very calculating.

Whitney Duncan is a 26 year-old singer/songwriter from Nashville, Tennessee. This rising country star says that she craves adventure and is always looking to do something crazy… even though her family thinks she’s nuts.

Brandon Hantz is a 19 year-old oil tankerer from Katy, Texas. This season’s youngest competitor, he is also married with one son, and has a daughter on the way. Brandon’s last name will no doubt be familiar to Survivor fans. He is the nephew of notorious Survivor villain Russell Hantz, who previously played the game three times, finishing in the Final Three twice and then departing early on in his most recent stint.

Edna Ma is a 35 year-old anaesthesiologist from Los Angeles, California. In addition to her duties as a doctor, Ma is also an entrepreneur who created a numbing cream for women to use before getting a bikini wax. While she admits that she lacks physical strength, Ma says that she is good at earning peoples’ trust since she does it on a daily basis.

Dawn Meehan is a 40 year-old English professor from South Jordan, Utah. This Mormon wife and mother of 6 adopted children teaches at Brigham Young University and has gotten into excellent shape through her quest to compete on Survivor.

Rick Nelson is a 51 year-old cattle rancher and horseback riding guide from Aurora, Utah. Nelson won a nation-wide casting contest back in February 2011, which helped to get him onto the show. The same contest was won last year by Jimmy Tarantino of Survivor: Nicaragua.

Stacey Powell is a 44 year-old mortician from Grand Prairie, Texas. The eldest woman this season, Powell does not want to take on the role of being “mother” of her tribe, even though she has children in real life.

Jim Rice is a 34 year-old medical marijuana distributor and professional poker player from Denver, Colorado. Rice has a high opinion of himself, believing that he is the smartest member of the cast and an “excellent player.”

Christine Shields Markoski is a 39 year-old teacher from Merrick, NY. She plans to “lay low in the beginning and kick butt in the end,” but what she didn’t count on was missing her family even before the game started. How will this affect her ability to play the game?

Semhar Tadesse is a 24 year-old poet from Los Angeles, California. Originally from Washington, this Eritrean beauty previously lived in war-torn Africa for a year. Does that give her an advantage? Not according to Tadesse, who claims that she lived in the city, not in the wild.

Keith Tollefson is a 26 year-old environmental field technician from San Diego, California. Originally from Edena, Minnesota, this “nice guy” was born with a heart condition and now has a pacemaker. He worries that his condition may lead to an early exit if his tribemates feel that he’ll garner sympathy votes.

Elyse Umemoto is a 26 year-old model and go-go dancer from Las Vegas, Nevada. She was crowned Miss Washington USA 2007 and was the first Native American to win the title.

Mikayla “Miki” Wingle is a 21 year-old model, bartender, and lingerie football player from Tampa, Florida. Even though others may think of her as manipulative, Wingle says that she just knows how to get what she wants out of people.

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As spoiled in May 2011, the 16 new castaways are joined by two returning players. Although their identities have yet to be officially revealed, those returning players are Oscar “Ozzy” Lusth of Survivor: Cook Islands and Survivor: Micronesia, and Benjamin “Coach” Wade of Survivor: Tocantins and Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains. A separate announcement on Wednesday, August 24th is expected to confirm their return.