“I think the pressure definitely goes up every season pickup,” Keoghan exclusively tells Parade.com. “The audience expects you to be better at your job. And they expect the show to be better. You have to work harder and harder to get to that place where you’re better. And you do everything you can to do that. You never want to say, ‘We got it now; let’s start manufacturing them.’” Though Tough as Nails is constantly looking to better itself, the newest hit CBS reality show will not stray from its usual formula for season three. Twelve individuals representing some of the hardest-working industries in America are divided into two teams, competing in challenges every week for a prize pool they split at the end. Additionally, they’re competing (and are eliminated) individually, hoping to win the $200,000 grand prize at the end of it all and the title of Tough as Nails champion. Some other behind-the-scenes elements are also staying the same, including the rigorous COVID-19 protocols production had to implement starting in season two. But in front of the camera, Tough as Nails fans will see a very different start to season three. The 12 contestants will begin the season at Camp Pendleton, a Marine Corps base camp since World War II. There, they’ll undergo a boot camp, led by former Marine and Tough as Nails season 1 champion Kelly “Murph” Murphy, who personally spent 22 years at Camp Pendleton. “We wanted to do something really big,” Keoghan says. “We wanted to do something on a big scale with big moving pieces. And it just seemed appropriate that we would do something with the military. We can make it clear to young boys and girls in high school that the military is a potential career path for them to learn skills and also at the same time serve their country.” The armed forces will definitely be one of the stars of the premiere, which will sport various military vehicles and features. But what about the stars of Tough as Nails season three? The dozen contestants feature jobs both familiar (ironworker, lineman) and unfamiliar (crop duster, “jill-of-all-trades”) to fans of the series, something Keoghan chalks up to the constantly increasing pool of applicants due to the popularity of the show. “You’re gonna start to see overlaps of jobs,” he says. “There’s a lot of firemen out; there’s a lot of carpenters. As time goes on, the job itself is going to be less and less of a focus. It’s more about whether somebody is interesting. And you’re going to get these sort of outlier kind of jobs that bring in strength and endurance and other life skills.” Keoghan breaks the 12 competitors down for us and gives his thoughts on how he thinks they’ll fare in the journey to the end.
Alfredo “Alfie” P. Rivera – Construction Supervisor
Alfie’s father was an immigrant who came from Chile. He grew up working alongside his dad and learning from his dad. He’s very principled. He’s our oldest contestant at 55 years old; he’s in phenomenal shape. And a big part of his drive is just, “Hey, don’t rule me out because I’m 55. I’ve got way more life skills than you have. And I do not underestimate how good I am and how much I can bring it in this competition.” He’s very driven, very loyal to his family, and has an incredible work ethic.
Christine Connors – Ironworker
Christina is an apprentice ironworker, and she’s only 24. And you would think, “How good could somebody be at 24?” Well, she is definitely an exception to the rule with regards to how much an apprentice knows. I think the audience is really going to fall in love with her. There’s something about her aura, a maturity about her at a very young age. She asserts herself as a leader early on, where she can take responsibility at a very early age, even though she is our youngest contestant. There’s a warmth and a depth to her that I really feel people will fall in love with.
Elizabeth Rillera – Contractor
On paper, power to weight ratio, and pound for pound. Elizabeth is off the charts. There’s nobody near as far as just sheer physical strength and aerobic ability. Her nickname is “Eliza-Beast.” There’s a moment where she picks something up in the first episode that weighs more than she does, like it’s nothing. Incredibly fit off the charts and various skills as well. She runs her own business, so she’s got the smarts. She’s definitely a Type A which sometimes can come across very strongly. But she has the physical and mental abilities to back it up. She is a force of nature. Absolutely the definition of “tough as nails.”
Jerome Kupuka’a – Heavy equipment operator
Jerome is a family man. Jerome brings all those things you think of when you think of Hawai’i. You think of someone who loves the waves, who loves family, who has this chill quality. Everything he does, it’s like he’s riding a wave. And he speaks with a Pidgin accent. And we’ve embraced it. We’ve decided that in life, people have accents. And sometimes some people are harder to understand than others. That’s a part of him.
Kalimba Edwards – Fire captain
Kalimba has won those “strong woman” competitions. Very powerful. And to become a captain, you’ve got to earn your stripes. She’s seen a lot of tough stuff in her life. She’s run into buildings to save people. I think anybody prepared to put their life on the line for others, you have to have a certain way. She brings that mental toughness. She’s a mother; she wants to be a good example to her kids. I think her best quality is her leadership, her ability to keep people calm under pressure. That definitely comes into play throughout the season. She’s always the calming voice. She’s the one that brings the intensity level down so that people can just focus.
Kelsy Reynolds – Crop duster
She’s followed in the footsteps of her dad, who is also a crop duster. She grew up learning from him and being inspired by him, and following his encouragement. Becoming a pilot in crop-dusting is one of the more dangerous jobs in the country. You’re very vulnerable inside of a very lightweight machine that is flying at breakneck speed only eight feet above the crops every day. You’re going to a different location where wires are strung all over the place, inclement weather sometimes, and strong winds. At any given moment, something could happen, and you have to be able to find your way out of it. She’s our lightest, most petite contestant. But her power to weight ratio is crazy; she’s very fit.
Lamar Edwin Hanger – Carpenter
Hanger is, without a doubt, our loudest competitor. He’s got a line for everything. He’s larger than life, incredibly proud, and loyal. He loves the longevity he’s had working with the carpenters union. He loves teaching people. I’ve never seen anybody wield the hammer like Hanger. It is truly remarkable. He also talks very openly about his challenges with dyslexia growing up, and how hard that was for him. I think he will be an inspiration for how you can stay positive and how you can be a real contributor to society, but you find your niche that you love.
Lia Mort – “Jill-of-all-trades”
Beyond a shadow of a doubt, Lia walks into season three with more life skills than anybody we’ve ever had on the show. She’s like Michelle from season 1 on Red Bull in her life skills. She has alpacas on her farm. She fixes washing machines. She’s worked in the military. She’s driven trucks. She knows how to use chainsaws and any tool you can name. And she’s absolutely passionate about everything. She lost her mom to M.S., and he saw a spirit in her mother that she has tried to emulate ever since. She’s a shining example of how important attitude is to living life to the fullest. I think so many women are going to with her. She loves life, and nothing is beneath her.
Mike Shaffer – Lineman
We actually had Mike here in L.A. for season one. We were in a car park, and I was on the phone with his boss, trying to convince his boss that he should let Mike compete on the show. It didn’t work out, and we were very sad we couldn’t have him on for season one. He wasn’t available for season two. And then finally, we managed to align the planets in season three. He has the most incredible physique, and is definitely a little distracting for some of the women because of his looks. The thing that got me goes way back to New York when I was in Times Square doing the casting in October 2019. He jumped up on the stage, and he told me a heartwarming story about repairing a downed line at three o’clock in the morning. This elderly couple came out, and they were so thankful that he got the power going back on again, they invited him in for some coffee in the middle of the night. You see the direct impact of what you do and how it affects real people in real life. And when I heard that, I was like, “Alright, your head is in the right place. You get what our show is all about.”
Dequincey “Quincey” Walker – Diesel mechanic
People are also going to fall in love with Quincey. He’s this gentle giant. He was a massive football star in his little town and was destined for big things. He was getting a lot of offers from a lot of big colleges. He had his whole future ahead of him. And he got a career-ending injury in high school and ended up damaging his life to a point where it just ended his dreams abruptly. So joining Tough as Nails is all about redemption. In a way, he talks a lot more about the team part of the competition than he does even in the individual because he was a part of a team. He missed all that camaraderie of being part of a successful team.
Sarah Ham – Cement mason
Sarah is all about her grandfather’s legacy. Her grandfather taught her all the skills that she has. She served in the military for a time, so she’s got that discipline and guidance. And then she remembers as a young girl working alongside her grandfather, who would build things. He was her father figure, so she talks about him a lot. She said he is with her constantly as her guiding light and on top of nails. She hopes to be the first female winner to win it all and to help carry on the family legacy to help her establish something and in honor of her grandfather.
Takeru “Tak” Tanabe – Construction foreman
Tak is probably our fastest runner. This is a man who works at speed. His whole demeanor is very old school in terms of his manners, being respectful, and respecting your elders. He’s come up living in Hawaii with a very rigid family structure where his family taught him to do the right thing. He’s left his wife and young baby to come to the show, which he sees as a big sacrifice. He’s like, “I’m not here just to have a good time. I’m here to change my life for my family.” He will do anything to make his life better than collect unemployment. Next, here’s everything you need to know about the currently airing season of Survivor.
