Tony Vlachos

Last updated
Tony Vlachos
Born
Anthony Vlachos

(1973-09-10) September 10, 1973 (age 51) [1]
Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. [1]
Occupation(s)Police officer, Reality Television Personality
Television Survivor: Cagayan (winner)
Survivor: Game Changers
Survivor: Winners at War (winner)
SpouseMarissa Vlachos (2012 – present)
Children2

Anthony Vlachos (born September 10, 1973) is an American police officer, best known for competing on the reality television competition series Survivor , of which he is the second person to win two seasons. He won the show's 28th season, Survivor: Cagayan , as well as the 40th season, Survivor: Winners at War . He also competed in the 34th season, Survivor: Game Changers , where he was the second person voted out. He is set to compete for a fouth time of Survivor, where he will represent the USA on the upcoming Australia V The World season of Australian Survivor , set to air in 2025.

Contents

As a Survivor player, he was noted for his strategic, dominant gameplay, with which he was able to manipulate other contestants while avoiding being voted against at Tribal Council, as well as his humor. [2] [3] [4] Vlachos is also known for his long-lasting "Cops R' Us" partnership with fellow contestant and police officer Sarah Lacina, who won Game Changers, the two participating in the same three seasons they appeared on. [3]

In February 2015, following Vlachos' first season on the show, Survivor host Jeff Probst published a list of his "Top 10 Survivor Winners of All Time," ranking Vlachos fourth, stating that he had "never seen anyone play with that much energy and juggle that many balls at once, and pull it all off." [5] Upon winning the 40th season and its accompanying $2 million prize, Vlachos became the first man to win Survivor twice (and second person altogether after Sandra Diaz-Twine). He has won the most money from Survivor among all contestants, totaling just over $3 million across his three seasons. Martin Holmes of Vulture called Vlachos the "King of Survivor", and he is widely considered the greatest Survivor contestant of all time. [3]

Personal life

Vlachos was born on September 10, 1973, the son of Greek immigrants. [1] He grew up in Jersey City, New Jersey, idolizing law enforcement officers, and dreamed of one day becoming one. He graduated high school in 1992, and spent several years working in various different jobs while "partying" with his friends and working on his automobiles. He states that despite this recreational period in his life, he did not smoke, drink alcohol, or do drugs. [1]

He began bodybuilding when he was 20, an activity with which he says he was "obsessed". He began working out in his basement with plastic weights filled with sand, and graduated to iron weights in about a year. [1] In 2000, Vlachos became a Jersey City police officer. [1] [6] On February 5, 2014, he saved a 69-year-old man who had a heart attack on his lawn in nine inches of snow. [7]

In 2007, Vlachos began dating a fellow police officer named Marissa Ann. They dated for approximately three years before he proposed to her on July 24, 2010. They married on June 2, 2012, and their daughter, Anastasia Marie, was born on February 16, 2013, five months before Vlachos left to film Survivor: Cagayan . Two months after arriving home, Vlachos and Marissa discovered she was two months pregnant with their second child, a son they named Constantine Anthony, who was born on June 9, 2014. [1] [8]

As of 2019, Vlachos is a resident of Allendale, New Jersey. [9]

Survivor

Cagayan

Vlachos was cast on the 28th season of the reality television show Survivor , Survivor: Cagayan. The theme of the season was "Brawn vs. Brains vs. Beauty", with participants split into three tribes based on these features. Vlachos was cast on the Aparri "brawn" tribe. Before the first tribal swap, Aparri dominated the immunity challenges and did not go to tribal council. During this time, Vlachos formed an alliance, dubbed "Cops-R-Us", with fellow police officer Sarah Lacina. Despite this alliance, Vlachos lied to Lacina about his profession, claiming he was a construction worker. Vlachos also became close with Trish Hegarty and was wary of the popularity of former NBA All-Star Clifford Robinson. Vlachos was able to find the Aparri tribe's hidden immunity idol with help of the clue he found in the reward they received after winning a challenge. [10] At the final tribal council, the jury ultimately chose him as the winner with a vote of 8-1, beating martial arts instructor Woo Hwang. [11]

Aftermath

In a 2015 interview, host Jeff Probst listed Vlachos as one of his top 10 favorite Survivor winners ever, and one of his top 6 favorite male winners, commenting, "I like Tony because he's unlike any winner we've ever had. He's the Tasmanian Devil. He played an incredibly reckless game, but he was so gifted that he could make a mistake and recover because he was lapping you so that he was able to actually catch back up and fix his mistake. It's almost like he had his own time machine. I've never seen anyone play with that much energy and juggle that many balls at once, and pull it all off." [5] In 2016, Vlachos became a part of the Survivor Hall of Fame, along with Tina Wesson and Rupert Boneham. [12] In March 2020, Briana Kranich, writing for Screen Rant, ranked Survivor: Cagayan the best season of Survivor. [13]

Game Changers

At the end of the reunion show for the 33rd season, Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X , Vlachos was confirmed to be a participant in the 34th season: Survivor: Game Changers . [14] Vlachos' strategy for this series was wildly unpredictable, beginning his search for idols immediately after arriving at the beach in full view of his tribemates, framing others by planting an idol in someone else's belongings, and feigning an intimate personal bond with multiple tribe members. Dalton Ross, writing for Entertainment Weekly , called this strategy "one of the most aggressive games ever." [15] However, when he informed Diaz-Twine about his spy bunker, she informed other tribe members, and ultimately campaigned to have him voted out. Despite this, Vlachos later stated in an interview with CBS that because she was voted out after him, the two of them became friends during the considerable time they spent on the pre-jury trip to Vietnam. [16] In a January 2020 interview, he stated that losing Game Changers helped prepare him for Winners at War. [15]

Winners at War

During the promotional trailer for the season during the reunion show for the 39th season, Survivor: Island of the Idols , Vlachos was confirmed to be a participant in the 40th season: Survivor: Winners at War . [17] Vlachos started on the Dakal tribe. [18] [19] Vlachos adapted his style to approach the season with a gameplay distinct from his Cagayan strategy, which involved an alliance with fellow police officer Sarah Lacina, surveillance from a spy nest and orchestrating attacks upon lower-threat targets. [16] At the final tribal council, he garnered 12 of the 16 jury votes to win the season. [20] [21] [22]

Australia v World

In 2025, Vlachos is set to appear on Survivor: Australia v The World. [23]

Filmography

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2014 Survivor: Cagayan — Brains vs. Brawn vs. Beauty ContestantWinner
2017 Survivor: Game Changers — Mamanuca Islands ContestantEliminated; 19th place
2020 Survivor: Winners at War ContestantWinner

Related Research Articles

<i>Survivor: The Amazon</i> Season of television series

Survivor: The Amazon is the sixth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. The season was filmed from November 11, 2002, through December 15, 2002, in the Amazon and premiered on February 13, 2003. Hosted by Jeff Probst, it consisted of the usual 39 days of gameplay with 16 competitors.

<i>Survivor: Pearl Islands</i> Season of television series

Survivor: Pearl Islands is the seventh season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. It was filmed from June 23, 2003, through July 31, 2003, and premiered on September 18, 2003. The season was filmed on the Pearl Islands, off the coast of Panama, and had a pirate culture theme. Hosted by Jeff Probst, it consisted of the usual 39 days of gameplay with 16 competitors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandra Diaz-Twine</span> American TV personality (born 1974)

Sandra Diaz-Twine is an American television personality who became known for her appearances on the reality game show Survivor. She won the first two seasons she appeared on, Survivor: Pearl Islands and Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, making her the show's first two-time winner. She returned for Survivor's 34th season, Survivor: Game Changers, where she was the 6th person voted out. Along with fellow Survivor contestant Rob Mariano, she was a non-competing mentor on the show's 39th season Survivor: Island of the Idols, and subsequently competed on the show's 40th season, Survivor: Winners at War, where she was the 7th person voted out and only player to leave the game at the Edge of Extinction. Diaz-Twine is regarded among fans as one of the greatest players on the show. She also competed for a 5th time on the Blood V Water edition of the Australian Version of Survivor with her daughter Nina, which premiered in Australia on January 31, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Mariano</span> American television personality (born 1975)

Robert Carlo Mariano, known by the nickname Boston Rob, is an American television personality, known for appearing in the CBS reality show Survivor. He placed tenth in the show's fourth season Survivor: Marquesas, finished as the runner-up to his eventual wife Amber Brkich in the show's eighth season Survivor: All-Stars, came in 13th place in the show's 20th season Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, won the show's 22nd season Survivor: Redemption Island, returned for the show's 39th season Survivor: Island of the Idols as a mentor for the new players alongside Sandra Diaz-Twine, and came in 17th place in the show's 40th season Survivor: Winners at War. Mariano is the first contestant to appear on Survivor six times, and play five times. He also competed on The Amazing Race twice alongside his wife, where they placed second and eighth.

<i>Survivor: Palau</i> Season of television series

Survivor: Palau is the tenth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. The season filmed from November 1, 2004, through December 9, 2004, and premiered on February 17, 2005. Filming took place in Koror, Palau. Hosted by Jeff Probst, it consisted of the usual 39 days of gameplay with 20 competitors, the most the series had ever begun with up to that point.

Jeffrey Keith Varner is a former American real estate agent and television personality, a news anchor and reporter, a former entertainment reporter, and a contestant on three seasons of the CBS reality television series, Survivor: The Australian Outback,Survivor: Cambodia, and Survivor: Game Changers. Varner is most known for infamously publicly outing fellow Survivor: Game Changers contestant Zeke Smith as transgender.

<i>Survivor: Guatemala</i> Season of television series

Survivor: Guatemala — The Maya Empire is the eleventh season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. Filming took place from June 27, 2005, through August 4, 2005, and the season premiered on September 15, 2005. It was filmed in the Yaxhá-Nakúm-Naranjo National Park near the more popular Tikal National Park in northern Guatemala. Originally, the season was scheduled to be filmed in a location on the Indian Ocean, with scouting taking place in Madagascar, Southern India, and Sri Lanka. However, due to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, the plans were scrapped.

<i>Survivor: Cook Islands</i> Season of television series

Survivor: Cook Islands is the thirteenth season of the American competitive reality television series, Survivor. The season was filmed from June 26 to August 3, 2006, and premiered on September 14 of that year. Filmed in the Cook Islands, it was broadcast by CBS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ozzy Lusth</span> American reality show contestant (born 1981)

Oscar "Ozzy" Lusth is a Mexican reality show contestant who has appeared on several shows, including Survivor: Cook Islands; Survivor: Micronesia;Survivor: South Pacific; andSurvivor: Game Changers. He also competed on the second season of American Ninja Warrior. and the Playboy reality series, Foursome.

<i>Survivor: Micronesia</i> Season of television series

Survivor: Micronesia – Fans vs. Favorites, also known as Survivor: Fans vs. Favorites and Survivor: Micronesia, is the sixteenth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. It is the show's third season to include contestants from past seasons, after the all-returning contestant pool from Survivor: All-Stars, along with Survivor: Guatemala, in which two contestants from Survivor: Palau returned for a second chance.

<i>Survivor</i> (American TV series) American TV reality series

Survivor is the American version of the international Survivor reality competition television franchise, itself derived from the Swedish television series Expedition Robinson created by Charlie Parsons which premiered in 1997. The American series premiered on May 31, 2000, on CBS. It is hosted by Jeff Probst, who is also an executive producer along with Mark Burnett and the original creator, Parsons.

<i>Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains</i> 20th season of the reality television series

Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains is the twentieth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. Premiering on February 11, 2010, it was the show's fourth season to feature contestants from past seasons, after Survivor: All-Stars, Survivor: Guatemala, and Survivor: Micronesia, and was only the second season to feature a cast consisting entirely of returning players, after All-Stars. The season was filmed in Upolu, Samoa. Unlike previous seasons, the preceding season and this season were filmed back-to-back due to budget constraints stemming from the worldwide Great Recession.

<i>Survivor: Cagayan</i> 28th season of the reality television series

Survivor: Cagayan — Brawn vs. Brains vs. Beauty is the 28th season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. The season was filmed in Cagayan from July 11 to August 18, 2013, and premiered on February 26, 2014, with a two-hour episode, featuring 18 new players, divided into three tribes of six based on their dominant attribute: "Brawn", "Brains" and "Beauty". For the first time since Survivor: Thailand, the finale and reunion did not take place on a Sunday but instead aired on Wednesday, May 21, 2014, in the show's regular time slot. That night, Tony Vlachos was named the Sole Survivor by a vote of 8–1 over Yung "Woo" Hwang.

Jeremy Collins is an American firefighter from Foxborough, Massachusetts. He is the winner of Survivor: Cambodia, and had previously placed tenth on Survivor: San Juan del Sur, where he competed alongside his wife, Val. He finished in eighth place in Survivor: Winners at War.

Michele Fitzgerald is an American business development manager best known for competing on the reality competition show Survivor. She was voted the winner of the show's 32nd season, Survivor: Kaôh Rōng, on May 18, 2016. Michele also competed on the show's 40th season, Survivor: Winners at War where she became the 2nd runner-up.

Sarah Lacina is an American police officer best known for competing on the American reality show Survivor. She came in 11th place and was the first jury member in the show's 28th season, Survivor: Cagayan, in 2014. Lacina was voted the winner of the show's 34th season, Survivor: Game Changers in 2017. She competed for a third time in Survivor: Winners at War, the show's 40th season, in 2020 where she finished in 4th place and was the final jury member.

<i>Survivor: Game Changers</i> 34th season of the television series Survivor

Survivor: Game Changers — Mamanuca Islands is the 34th season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor, featuring 20 returning castaways. The season premiered on March 8, 2017, with a two-hour airing, marking the series' 500th episode, and ended on May 24, 2017.

Benjamin Russell Driebergen is an American Marine Corps veteran and reality television personality, best known for competing on and winning Survivor: Heroes vs. Healers vs. Hustlers. In 2020, he returned to compete in the show's 40th season, Survivor: Winners at War, finishing in 5th.

Nick Wilson (Survivor contestant) American politician and reality TV show winner (born 1990)

Nicolas Joseph Caleb Wilson is an American reality TV star and politician currently serving as a Republican member of the Kentucky House of Representatives from Kentucky's 82nd House district. His district includes Whitley County and parts of Laural County. He also competed on the reality competition show Survivor.

<i>Survivor: Winners at War</i> Season of television series

Survivor: Winners at War is the 40th season of the American competitive reality television series Survivor. This season, filmed in May and June 2019, is the eighth consecutive season to be filmed in Fiji. Celebrating the show's twentieth anniversary milestone, the season featured twenty returning winners from past Survivor seasons competing for a US$2 million prize. It was won by Tony Vlachos by a 12–4–0 vote over Natalie Anderson and Michele Fitzgerald, becoming the second two-time winner in Survivor. The season aired on CBS in the United States from February 12, 2020, to May 13, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the usual live finale for the winner reveal was replaced by a live teleconference between host Jeff Probst, situated in his garage, and the finalists in their respective homes.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Vlachos, Tony. "About Tony". tonyvlachos.com. Archived from the original on May 9, 2014. Retrieved May 22, 2014.
  2. ↑ Ross, Dalton (May 13, 2020). "Survivor: Winners at War finale recap: Dominance is rewarded". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 Holmes, Martin (May 14, 2020). "Survivor: Winners at War Season Finale Recap: Crowning Glory". Vulture . Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  4. ↑ McAtee, Riley (May 14, 2020). "After 'Winners at War,' the 'Survivor' GOAT Officially Has Been Crowned". The Ringer. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  5. 1 2 Wigler, Josh (February 20, 2015). "Jeff Probst Names His Top Ten Survivor Winners Of All Time". Parade .
  6. ↑ D'Onofrio, Mike (February 25, 2014). "From Jersey City streets to 'Survivor' jungle a culture shock, contestant says". The Star-Ledger . Retrieved May 22, 2014.
  7. ↑ Conte, Michaelangelo (May 19, 2014). "Jersey City police officer on 'Survivor Cagayan' lauded for saving neighbor's life". The Star-Ledger . Retrieved May 22, 2014.
  8. ↑ Helling, Steve (June 10, 2014). "Tony Vlachos Welcomes Son Constantine Anthony". People .
  9. ↑ "Anthony (Tony) Vlachos: Cast Member of Survivor: Winners at War". CBS. 2019. Archived from the original on January 15, 2020. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  10. ↑ "Hot Girl with a Grudge". Survivor: Cagayan . Season 28. Episode 1. February 26, 2014. CBS.
  11. ↑ Nordyke, Kimberly (May 21, 2014). "'Survivor: Cagayan' Winner Reveals Plans for $1M Prize; Burning Questions Answered". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on May 26, 2014. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  12. ↑ Holmes, Gordon (November 28, 2016). "Meet the 'Survivor' Hall of Fame's Class of 2016". Xfinity TV . Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Survivor: The 10 Best Seasons, Ranked". ScreenRant. March 26, 2020. Archived from the original on June 28, 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  14. ↑ Dehnart, Andy. (May 21, 2016)."Survivor 34 cast identified; chaotic casting changes its twist". Reality Blurred.
  15. 1 2 Ross, Dalton (January 28, 2020). "Tony Vlachos on why 'losing helped me' for Survivor: Winners at War". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on January 28, 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  16. 1 2 "Survivor Season 40 Winner Tony Vlachos Has Nothing Left To Prove". CBS. May 14, 2020. Archived from the original on June 28, 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  17. ↑ Ross, Dalton (December 18, 2019). "Meet the cast of 'Survivor: Winners at War'". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  18. ↑ Fedich, Justin (February 21, 2020). "Survivor: Tony Vlachos Reminds Fans Why He's the Best". Screen Rant . Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  19. ↑ "Survivor: Winners At War Episode 2 - 'Tony's Ladder'". February 21, 2020. Retrieved May 5, 2020– via YouTube.
  20. ↑ Caruso, Nick (May 14, 2020). "Survivor's Tony Vlachos on His Hardest Winners at War Moment: 'I Was Crushed, It Was Just Raw Emotion'". TVLine. Archived from the original on May 15, 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  21. ↑ Hobbs, Jack (May 14, 2020). "Jersey City cop wins $2 million in all-star Season 40 of 'Survivor'". New York Post. Retrieved 2020-05-14.
  22. ↑ Benutty, John; Dixon, Marucs James (May 13, 2020). "'Survivor' 40 finale recap: Who won 'Winners at War' — Ben, Denise, Michele, Sarah, Tony or Edge of Extinction returnee?" GoldDerby.
  23. ↑ Knox, David (16 September 2024). "2025 Upfronts: Network 10: Big Brother, Sam Pang, Ghosts Australia". TV Tonight . Retrieved 16 September 2024.
Preceded by Winner of Survivor
Survivor: Cagayan 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Tommy Sheehan
 Winner of Survivor
Survivor: Winners at War 		Succeeded by
Erika Casupanan
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.