Meet the 'Survivor 46' Cast! Moriah Gaynor Brings the Power of "Subtle Influence" from Politics to the Island
Moriah Gaynor
Despite being a self-proclaimed "klutz," Moriah Gaynor balances a lot in her life. The 28-year-old has both a hyper-organized mind and a resume spanning multiple states and jobs. Most recently, she's become a Program Coordinator for the city of San Diego, which taught her the power of "subtle influence." For someone who relishes in the small victories of local government, she's hoping her careful planning, adaptability, and friendliness can net her a big one at the end of 26 days. First on her to-do list: Figure out what's going on with the woman who resembles her.
Read on for my interview with Moriah, and check in with Parade.com daily for interviews with this season's contestants and other tidbits. Survivor 46 premieres on February 28 with a two-hour premiere on CBS.
Related: Meet the Full Cast of Survivor 46
Interview with Moriah from Survivor 46
To start, give me your name, age, and occupation.
My name is Moriah Gaynor. I'm 28 years old, and I'm a Program Coordinator for local government.
How did you end up working for the city of San Diego?
So, a lot of luck and a lot of phone banking hours, to be honest. I'm not originally from San Diego. So the fact that I'm in local government means I'm a complete nerd for local gossip, basically. [Laughs.] I moved out there about four years ago, and I just said, "Screw it. I've always loved politics. I want to get involved in that." I've never had the wherewithal to do it before because I was like, "Oh, no. Blah blah blah already volunteered. They'd never accept me." Not true.
So I just volunteered with a local mayoral campaign, worked on that for a minute. And they said, "Oh my God, you're competent. Here's more stuff to do." And I just rose that rank on that mayoral campaign until I was deputy campaign manager. And then, she had an opening in her office for a communications director. So she didn't win the election. But I was able to get in her office. I transferred over to the person who took over her office, actually. And then after being communications director for bit, I found an opening and in their performance and analytics department and somehow magically waltzed in.
What is your day-to-day like? I feel like the closest comparison we get to local government on television is Parks and Rec.
Yeah, I'm like a good B-plot on Parks and Rec [with] some of the antics you get into. We had a good while trying to figure out a new printer code when everything stopped working. We had a ceiling tile fall in one day, and we had to evacuate for asbestos. It's really a ho-hum situation up there. But the impact that you have, it really is like Parks and Rec. I am such a nerd for doing a little thing and getting a major accomplishment. I just took a new service for people who can report on their phones, like, "Oh, my neighbor's running an illegal short-term vacation rental. And I helped to make that happen. I'm like, "Yes, I did it! Illegal short-term vacation rentals are on the app!"
[Laughs.] It's the small victories in life. Otherwise, if you're chasing the shark, you're missing all the fish.
Oh, especially in bureaucracy. It feels like you're walking through molasses some days. Even like some days, I'll be like, "They replied back. Oh my God. Happy day!"
So let's talk about Survivor replying back and saying they want you on this season. You've worked in so many departments. What made you decide that this would be another one that you'd be a part of?
I'm a complex creature, Mike Bloom. [Laughs.] I have many, many hobbies and interests. And I'm just the type of person to kind of take the bull by the horns. Local government, not something you normally see an outsider. But for me, it comes in many facets. I play D&D. I'm trying surfing. I brew beer. I'm going for my Master's. My whole thing–and this applies a lot to Survivor–is I love the idea that you can enter this game and players can think of you as one way and you actually get to be something else.
Let's get super nerdy here. What's your preferred race and class in D&D?
So I like playing a half-elf warlock. I literally just told a producer the word "Eldritch Blast," and they're like, "What is that?" And I'm like, "The one thing every warlock knows, baby!"
I think you gave Jeff a new idea for a twist. We just did the whole medieval thing. But he could easily say at Tribal Council, "Your use of Eldritch Blasts, what do you think that says about your time in the game so far?"
"Excuse me, are you holding an Eldritch Blast? I have the Knowledge is Power advantage." I'll take your level 10 spell slot, please.
[Laughs.] Talk to me about your history with Survivor. Have you been watching since the early days, or are you more of a quarantine binger?
So I'm somewhere in between. I am a super fan, so let's get that out of the way, okay? But I came in in the weirdest season possible. My first season watching was Cochran's win, which was kind of this all-star season. So, of course, I missed 90% of what was going on in the subtext there. But it just captivated me. And so I kind of extended back and watched all of them and then watched every one since. And I think the thing that really spoke to me is, I'm a nerd. I did not fit in growing up. And watching Survivor and seeing players like Cochran, Aubry, and this wonderful parade of strong, independent, quirky women, like Hannah, Kellyn, Gabby, Frannie, that really kind of helped myself be more comfortable in my own skin.
To that point, give me one winner and one non-winner who you identify with the most. Is it some of those quirky players you just mentioned?
The parade of nerds. The nerd parade is strong in Survivor!
On that note, talk to me about how you think you'll be perceived. We just saw someone like Frannie defy a bit of the assumptions made about her in many ways. Is that something you're trying to play into or against?
I think we're gonna be playing a little bit against that. I'll be honest. My personality, I am a very social person. I love talking to people. And I think I talk to people pretty well, to be honest. So I think if I get into that nerd perception, people are gonna put two and two together and be like, "Well, she's smart. She can do puzzles. I like her." That's a red flag on Survivor. That's a one-way ticket to Ponderosa, my friend. So, I think I'm almost trying to play that down a little bit. But at the same time, I'm okay to dork out. And what that means is maybe I'm not talking about NASA or how I do the crossword every day. But I can relate to someone over if there are any fantasy people there. I play some video games. Not that many, but enough to make conversation with, and something I can lean into.
Are you going to tell anyone about your current line of work?
So that's been a hot question. I've thought about this a lot. And being in public service is such a core part of who I am. The way I'm kind of framing it is I do it for the city. I don't want to mention the word "government." I don't want to mention the word "politics." I don't want to even mention my department. But when people think of the city, they think of garbage pickup, like civil service. It's not as political. And I think that's kind of a middle ground of not wiping out my personality, but maybe not being like, "When I was a deputy campaign manager…"
That being said, what do you find most applicable between the world of politics and the game of Survivor?
I think something called subtle influence. I work with people much higher than me on the ladder in my daily job. I can't go to the mayor and say, "Mayor, sign this." That just doesn't work. So the way around that is talking to someone, getting your alliance member in real life to maybe broach it, knowing where people stand, understanding how people in relationships form, using that to my advantage. And that's something I have practiced, figuring out, if I want someone to do something, maybe the best way is not for me to ask them.
You wrote in your bio about how organized you are, to the point where your catchphrase is basically, "So I went ahead and made a GSheet for this…" Are you going to try to keep things compartmentalized out here, or is that an exercise in futility?
I feel like I'm gonna sound like a crazy woman saying this. But I'm gonna try and keep them in the neat little boxes in my mind. It's not necessarily something like, "You are this, you are that, you are that." But I think this really comes into play in relationships and alliances. It's just understanding maybe even a numerical, like they were an 8 or 9, hot or cold. Trying to figure out a system to remember where everyone is, who everyone is talking to or relating to. That's not really putting them in boxes, but rather checking their progress and temperature.
Yeah, you can get one of those charts that does a color scale of how hot or cold you are with a person.
Don't tempt me with a good time, Mike Bloom. [Laughs.]
[Laughs.] Well, we spoke about what your biggest superpower is. But what do you think your biggest piece of kryptonite in this game?
Oh God, anything including balance. No, not anything including balance. I did practice. I'm not a noob here. But I am a complete klutz, to put it quite frankly. And I'm not unathletic.c I think people in this game, especially looking at women to get out, that's kind of a huge benchmark. Are they strong enough to keep this tribe strong? I'm hoping to prove myself. I think I got chutzpah, so maybe they'll make up for some. But I do think that this ain't impressing anyone.
What's been your preparation for this, in general?
So I rewatched every season from 26 on.
You wanted to experience Cochran winning all over again?
Of course, I started off on a high. But I gotta go reverse chronological order and kind of keep track as one how the game evolved as well. I read a ton of strategy books. I'm an avid reader. So How to Win Friends and Influence People. I read one on game theory. I read a book [Never] Split the Difference in negotiation styles. I did continue working, so I guess that's prep as well. [Laughs.]
And then, as far as puzzles go, I bought a 3D printer. I did five or six specific Survivor puzzles that I was able to find online. And I did the maze thing. I love that thing. That was my nighttime ritual at the end. But on top of that, I also got in the habit of whenever I went to work, I would just find a puzzle from the internet, set it to print, just to keep that puzzle mindset going. And then, on top of that, there's more. I do the New York Times crossword every day. I do Sudoku. I do the New York Times mini. I do the Wordle. And my little sister's a teacher, so she gave me a bunch of cute little summertime "unscramble these words" worksheets.
Oh, so if you have to unscramble any words for that Final Five advantage, you should be a shoo-in.
I mean, that's either my dream or my nightmare. Now that I said it, I won't be able to do it, of course. [Laughs.] I will say with the junior jumbles. At first, she gave it to me. And she's a second-grade teacher. So she gave me the jumbles, and I looked at them. And I'm like, "Oh, these are hard." And I got in my mind, "Am I dumber than a second grader?" I saw that show. Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? I am not. And I kind of put them aside for a while until I talked to her and she's just like, "Oh, no, those are for 12th grade, you're fine." And I'm like, "Okay, that's fine. That's fine. Give it to me then." So once I got out of my mind that I was, in fact, passing second-grade standards, I felt a little bit better about myself.
What are you looking for in an alliance partner?
My biggest strength is going to be my flexibility. I'm incredibly resilient as a person. In my adult life, I left Florida, lived in Wisconsin, New York, and now San Diego. I've worked in IT healthcare, politics, PR. I've waitressed. I've been able to go with the flow in my professional life, even though I don't seem like that loosey-goose type of person. So I could see someone, but it's really going to be a feel for me. And the number one thing I'm actually looking for in my alliance member is someone I can read better than anyone else in the game. Because they're your second set of eyes and ears. So I want to know what they're telling me and what they're not telling me. And the best way to do that is to find someone that you can read well.
Speaking of making those reads, is there anyone you're picking up good vibes from in the preseason?
I have a few picked out. There are a few different people that seem like a really good person like similar temperament. Maybe I see them reading; maybe I don't. It's fine. There's this one woman next to me, really cool, freckles. She seems like a very similar-paced type of person. Similarly, there's a guy with a beard. I'm also looking for maybe people who won't be initially paired together. So maybe a little bit more covert. The one that's kind of the big question mark is there's a woman on here who I swear looks like my older sister. It's like a doppelganger. It is scary. So far, everyone in the hotel has gotten us mixed up at least one. Someone has handed me her meal before. The best way to describe her is she has the hair and the glasses, except her glasses are rainbow. It also [doesn't] help with the first day [when] we were both wearing a backward ball cap. [Laughs.]
So what happens if you meet up with her on the beach? Are you saying, "There can only be one," or do birds of a feather flock together?
We'll have to see. I'm hoping the tribe doesn't look at us and say, "There can only be one." Because, if that's the way it'd be, it's gonna be me. [Laughs.] But I think if I do end up working with her, it all depends on personality. I haven't heard her say a single word here. So I think if there is something there, it would be more covert. Because people would look at us and expect us to work together. They're gonna be looking for that.
Now, how about on the other side of things? Is there anyone that you're not getting good vibes from?
Yes, there is. I'm a judgy bitch, I know. [Laughs.] There's one or two people who I'm like, "I don't see you as maybe someone who's really gonna give it your all." And truly, you should always keep your eye on the horizon. But the first part of the game is a group game. The group will determine your fate moreso than the individual. So I can see them maybe playing an individual game a little bit too early or too eager. And, to me, that's a red flag on a tribe member. That's a red flag on an alliance member. That's a red flag on anyone on the beach. There's one woman, absolutely drop-dead gorgeous. I don't know if her and I might necessarily get along.
Let's say a boat shows up at your camp on Day 2, asking one person to go on a journey. How would you approach the situation?
I think Lauren was a genius, and unfortunately can never be repeated. I'm really hoping, but hope's not a strategy. So I think, especially on the first few days, it is a lot about just taking it as it comes. And almost–I don't want to say reacting, because you should have a hand in it. Maybe the person that goes on [the journey] I might want to make a decision right then: Are they my partner? Or are they my foe? Because either way, they're powerful, and that's something you can work with.
When it comes to advantages in general, how hungry are you for them? Are you going to push your plate politely away and not go to the buffet?
Well, they don't give us any food. So I'll be starving. [Laughs.]
Yeah, and we did see Danny eat an idol clue in season 44.
I mean, if it's edible, why not? But, personally, this is my dream being here. I am a grab-the-bull-by-the-horns type of person. So I don't want to be too obvious about it. But I'm looking to play. I mean, advantages in this game is knowledge, which is–I won't say power–but it is currency. And when you have a little bit of change in your pocket, whether you're playing good or not, that's how you can really make stuff happen. You can move alliances; you can manipulate people. You can leak information or even deflect. So getting that advantage to me is part about that advantage. But also about that confidence and power it gives you in the game.
Related: Everything to Know About Survivor 46
In your bio, you wrote, "You would never know how much I second guess myself." I find that so interesting, given how many jobs you've worked and places you've lived. Is that something you've carried with you your whole life?
1,000%. I always have that nagging voice in my head. Even going back to my doppelganger, I got here, and immediately, imposter syndrome just filled me.
[Laughs.] I mean, it's literal imposter syndrome!
I'm like, "I'm not even the best Moriah here? Are you kidding me? She has rainbow glasses. That's not fair." It's kind of there at all times in my life. And I hear a lot [that] I present very confidently. I tend to present this–I don't want to say a front. But I feel like I present a lot more confident than I actually am. And a part of my fear is they're gonna show this 100% confident, unwavering person, and that's just not me. I will say that would be a first for Survivor to show an confident, unwavering person. But I just want to make sure that there's a lot of anxiety, a lot of second-guessing. My Achilles heel in this game will be my overthinking.
So, do you have a plan to curb that? Or is it just ingrained in your DNA at this point?
It's ingrained. But a reason I really loved Aubry as a player, and also Hannah to that vein, is that they learned to use their anxiety as almost like a tool in their game. Like a sixth sense. It wasn't a detriment. And it wasn't something that they stowed away in a box, but something that they were able to really wield to help fuel people out. And for me, that's a place that I want to get to. Who knows? Maybe I'm there? Probably not. But it's something that I'm always kind of second-guessing, keeping track of in my head.
Is there a way you typically make decisions? Because I would imagine, with all your Google sheets, that you usually have a method you follow.
I'm a big fact person. You can get wrapped up in these emotions and thinking it through and these gut feelings. But Tony screwed a lot of gut feelings. He just took your guts, wrapped him up, and had 'em for dinner. [Laughs.] So, that's not something you can always trust in this game. It's not something I want to discount. But you got to go back to your list of, "Do they have an advantage? Are they for me? Are they vying for me? Where do I stand with them? Where do they stand with me?" So I think having this almost breakdown to help make decisions helps unmurk the waters a little bit.
Do you feel your overthinking is a positive for the new era, where there is so much to keep track of and so many unknowns? Or a negative that can keep you bogged down in the facts?
It's a dream come true for this era of Survivor. Less time means less time to overthink. We have this like sheet coming out, where we had to fill out information, and who knows what they're gonna do with it. But, at the end of it, I did my draft, I did my read-over, and then I'm looking at it, and I'm just like, "Here, take it. I don't want to look at this anymore." And just being able to move forward at this rapid pace of the 40s really helps curb that overthinking because, better or worse, you thought it, it's done, move forward.
That's really interesting thinking. Because we've seen how much things can change leading up to–and through–Tribal Council. And you may be somebody that's more so about sticking with a name rather than keeping a bunch of possibilities in your head and jumbling everything up.
I mean, obviously, I say this now. But I play a lot of games at home. And one of my favorite ones to play is Slay the Spire. I have beaten this game. When I say I beat in this game, I have climbed to the top extension on every single player in this game. I've logged my hours. I've done it on two devices. And one of the biggest things is that when you play a card, you can't just play any card; you have to know your next four or five moves. So, part of me wants to be that person to say, "Yes, any name, great." But I know in the back of my mind, I will be like, "Okay, if I do this, then what's likely for that or that? What is the avalanche of this person's absence? Who's filling this power void, because there's always gonna be someone."
What's your hottest Survivor take?
I'll say it loud for the people in the back. Last Gasp is not a good challenge! It's a Survivor classic; a lot of people love it. I don't think it teaches you a ton about players that you couldn't do inland. I don't think it makes for good television. As a viewer, I'm sitting there being like, "Ooh, that sounds interesting. Wow." But ultimately, when you see this so many times, you know what's gonna happen. The tide is gonna come and people are gonna go out. So to me, not a good challenge.
So then, if you make the postmerge and you happen to play Last Gasp…
Best challenge in the world! God, I do think I have a shot at that one, hopefully. I don't think they'll do it because they just did it on 44. So it's a little bit of a cycle. We'll see. I'm pretty comfortable in water.
What celebrity or fictional character would you want to come out for a Loved Ones visit?
That is a good one. Honestly, I'm gonna go with Tom Hanks from Castaway.
I mean, we are literally on the island where that was filmed!
That was in my mind, to be honest. I saw Castaway in the hotel before we came out here. I was like, "It's fate. I've got to watch this." I think mostly so he could like redo the shelter. But I think maybe that would help me get into a little bit more of a Zen silent mindset. I think that would be someone fun to bounce ideas off. And, to be honest, they would be great company because they'd just be happy to see another human.
Finally, what's your temperature check right now? How are you feeling as the big day gets closer and closer?
I think there's definitely a trickling stream of anxiety about the unknown. We don't know the tribes; we don't know who's on our tribe. We don't know literally jack [expletive] about what's gonna happen. So there's that anxiety, the unknown, kind of this undercurrent, if you will. But there's an overwhelming tide of, just looking around, this cast seems phenomenal. Smiles all around, which is so rare in Survivor, which is why it's Day Zero. But I'm anxious and excited and really ready to start this adventure.
You're at least anxious to find out if that other person is related to you. [Laughs.]
I don't think we have ancestry technology on the island. Who knows, maybe there will be a 23andMe reward. "Only for you two, though. We gotta figure some stuff out." [Laughs.]
Next, check out our interview with Survivor 46 contestant Maria Shrime Gonzalez.
