Meet the 'Survivor 46' Cast! Slot Machine Salesman David Jelinsky Has Lived a Life Around Games and Isolation
David Jelinsky
Before setting foot on the beach, Jeff Probst told David Jelinsky, "It's gonna be hard for you to win this game." But, considering his life up to this point, he decided to take that not as a shortcoming, but a challenge. The season's youngest castaway at 22, his comparatively short life has been a hard one, struggling as the child of two addicts. But his upbringing has taught him the value of tenacity and sociability, which–along with his gamesmanship from a childhood in Vegas–brings him to Survivor. So, despite what he may be told, the slot machine salesman is confident he's slotted to win this season, taking home the million-dollar jackpot.
Read on for my interview with Jelinsky, 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 Jelinsky from Survivor 46
To start, give me your name, age, and occupation.
My name is David Jelinsky. I'm 21 years old. And I'm a slot machine part sales specialist.
I'll admit, I saw the age, the Vegas connection, the abnormal job. And I thought the second coming of Sami was coming through. Did his run on season 43 affect your application for the show?
He was definitely not an inspiration because I was applying as soon as I was 18 before I even saw Sami. I'm a huge Survivor fan.
So, what's your history with watching the show?
I started watching in quarantine. But every single season I have seen at least three times. First of all, I'm a huge Big Brother fan. And I have watched every single season of Big Brother as I was growing up. And for some reason, I never watched Survivor. So how I found Survivor [was], I was watching Big Brother. They're like, "Hey, you should watch Survivor." You know how Paramount+ recommends all that stuff. And I just got hooked. The gameplay in this show is 10,000 times more in-depth, so much more complicated, so much more complex. And I live for that. I couldn't believe that I was stuck on Big Brother for so many years.
How did that transition from becoming a newly-obsessed fan to a contestant on the show?
So, my entire life, I have been the guy to talk to everybody. I have been the person to compensate for other people's not being there. My parents were both addicts. And I had to basically parent my parents. It was rough. There were a lot of questions I had that weren't answered. And I had to figure everything out for myself. So when I saw Survivor, it kind of just felt natural to me, being out there on your own, especially socially. In school, I was on my own. In my family, I wouldn't say I was on my own entirely. But I did feel alone at some points.
I cannot even imagine what you went through. At what age did you feel like you really had to parent yourself?
Well, it's funny you say that. Because there was an age where I realized, "Okay, I'm going to have to be the person to look out for myself." And I'd say that was probably when I was about four years old.
Well, I am so happy you have gotten through that and got to where you are today. How are your parents doing now?
They are both still addicts. It's crazy because that's something I appreciate about Carolyn. She normalized addiction, and that's my entire life. My parents are great people. They just have their struggles. They use pretty much daily, and they're still incredible people. There's some times when it's hard, and you got to really get over that. But most of the time, they're incredible people. My mom is full of energy. She's been taking me to concerts since I was five years old. We'd be on the floor to Motley Crue, Van Halen. Born and raised in Vegas. So, I've been around the casino industry my entire life.
So, how did that segue into your current job? Because I believe I read that you ended up dropping out of school before becoming a slot machine sales specialist.
So, after high school, I was lost. I threw myself into school and life to be away from home. I was the varsity basketball captain for four years. I was varsity quiz captain for two years while being on the team for all four years. I love doing everything this life has to offer. So gaming, I was kind of into my entire life just for being around it.
But after high school, I went to Berkeley City College in hopes to transfer to UC Berkeley. I didn't even apply to a school; I was so lost. And I did that for a little bit. And I ended up dropping out because I felt so detached. I wasn't on campus; I wasn't making any friends. And a person like me, it's hard to not make friends. So I ended up dropping out, and I found what I do now, [which] is sell slot machine parts. Through my mom, actually. She and my boss were mutual friends. So she got me the gig. And I'm also still pursuing two degrees actually now [at] UNLV, University of Nevada, Las Vegas. I'm pursuing gaming management and international business.
Games seem to be your thing, whether growing up around them or providing parts for them. I know you're a fan of card games as well. Is that sense of competition, reading people, and trying to game luck just part of your lifeblood at this point?
10,000%. It's funny you say that because, growing up, I kind of resented gambling. I was like, "I don't want to be like my dad." My dad was a bookie. He was arrested in 2006. The FBI busted our door down, arrested my dad, punched my mom in the face.
Wait, why did they do that?!
Asserting power. It was crazy. That was the moment where I realized, "Okay, if I want something, I gotta go get it for myself." I don't ever want to feel like the kid being coddled by my mom hiding from an FBI agent. So, my dad was a bookie. He bookkept, and he did his time. He's out. Still did bookmaking after he got out for a little while, and now he's in Florida.
Well, let's talk about taking the ultimate gamble in going on Survivor. Give me one winner and one non-winner who you identify with the most.
One non-winner I relate to the most would probably be Carolyn, just in the sense of my mom. I love that she kind of brought an awareness about addiction. It's an incredible story. As far as the game goes, I'd say I'm similar to Rick Devens. Just very personable, charismatic. He never gave up everything Survivor had to throw at him. He used it to his advantage. He was always out finding idols, planting fakes. That dude is awesome. And a winner I'd relate to is probably Tyson. Just our humor; we have very similar personalities.
You have the same hairstyle as well! It's the full-length, but it's Heroes vs. Villains style.
[Laughs.] One day, we'll get there. After I win 46, I'm gonna come back for 48 and win that one too. And then we'll have the hair.
What's your favorite moment in Survivor history?
In season 27, being a Big Brother fan. I loved watching Hayden. I knew, coming into the game, he was gonna be a threat. He's just a likable dude. Who doesn't like Hayden? And with a game like Big Brother, it can be argued that it's a lot easier. Personally, I think it is. 10,000%. I mean, you're out here in the elements. And there's so much psychology behind this game. There's so many layers of complexity. But to answer the question, Hayden's rock draw. Oh my god, that was insane. And I loved it. And Hayden totally would have won the game if someone like Gervase went home or someone went. Hayden was spectacular. And he was kind of robbed. I think Hayden and Tyson played the best games in 27. Hayden or Tyson was the winner of 27, and Tyson did good.
What would you say is your biggest superpower in your life, and how that may play into your game?
I think my greatest superpower within this game is going to be how adaptive I am. I don't say no to anything. Everything Survivor has to throw at me, I'm going to use it. I'm like a wolf in sheep's clothing. People aren't going to expect that from me. They're going to be looking at me like, "This dude looks like Fabio. He kind of wants to go surf." I'm very personable. I'm someone who uses everything to my advantage. Not to mention that I can make fire with my mind.
Wait, what?
Yep. [Pauses and stares at the table for a few seconds.] That was just an example. Out on the beach, that's going to happen.
You might be the first pyrokinetic to play Survivor. Well, on that superpower note, on the other hand, what's your biggest piece of kryptonite?
My biggest kryptonite coming into this game is probably my arrogance. I will say I'm a Survivor superfan. I've seen every season at least three times without a doubt. I have a Survivor slot machine in my room.
Is that the one with Rupert and Jerri's faces?
That's the one I have. We need to make a new one. Put my face on it. Maybe somebody else that's cool. Yam Yam. Maybe some of the winners. Yam Yam, Tommy, I don't know. But yeah, when we receive the game, every game, as long as it has its chip, it can be revived. So, I did build that game. I had to fix the monitor. I fixed the button panel, fixed the CPU. It's like my baby. And the fact that it was Survivor, that made it 10,000 times better. But my arrogance, being a superfan, I think the fact that I'm so aware of how arrogant I could be. There's no doubt in my mind I'm gonna win this game, and that's where my mind is at. So the fact that I realized that kind of tones it down.
How do you think you'll be perceived in this game?
I think they're gonna look at me as a really great guy. I'm very personable. I love getting to know people. My entire life, I've been someone to accept everybody. I thrive on differences. So, especially in a game like Survivor, everybody is so different [and] comes from a unique background. I'm just going to use that to my strengths, and find who I want to work with as an ally, find their greatnesses, and exploit them.
To that point, what qualities are you looking for in an ally?
I want someone who is unbelievably nice to a fault. I'm looking for Mr. Rogers. And I've seen a few people like that. There's people opening the doors for other people at Ponderosa. On our way from LA to Fiji, someone was letting random strangers cut through. I'm like, "Dude, I'm trying to get to Fiji. I don't know what you're doing. But I want to play Survivor." And that kind of speaks to who people are. You're doing that for strangers; that's how you're going to treat people in the game. I want someone that I can lie to about three votes, and they'll still work with me. I want them to be my number one.
Now, if you work with that person, how likely would you be to cut them in the end if it helped your chances of winning?
100%. One of my greatest attributes is probably how perceptive I am. So I'll be able to read the jury very easily, especially within the game. Because I'm going to be inside of the big moves. I'm going to know who's next to me, and who I'm not next to when they're making the big moves. [But] I was talking to Dr. Liza and Jeff Probst. They said, "It's gonna be hard for you to win this game." Because I am such a nice, empathetic person. And I see the best in people.
Okay, so you're one degree above the Spencer "0% chance of winning this game." But not far from it!
[Laughs.] No, it's not! It's not. And I was happy he said that, because I want to prove myself to everybody. I want to prove myself to Jeff; I want to prove myself to myself. All the viewers watching, everybody watching RHAP. But Liza, during my psych interview, said I attach to people very quickly in my real life. That's very true. Mike, I consider us best friends right now.
I'm down! Let's get some matching bracelets when all of this is said and done.
Let's do it! So we're best friends. The fact that I recognize how quickly I attach to people. It's all about recognition and knowing your faults, and that is a fault of mine. And the fact that I recognize that, I will gladly cut my number one ally off. I will totally Jesse my Cody. I know I'm going to do that, in fact.
Speaking of Jeff, I have to ask about you wanting to be called by your last name thing. Is that what people call you in your life, or is this you pulling a Cochran and wanting to fast-track to becoming an iconic player?
Through my audition process, he called me David. I said, "Dude, I'm Jelinsky." In my real life, there aren't many Jelinskys. I have a brother, Lucas Jelinsky. I have a dad, Jeff Jelinsky. My dad's name is Jeff, oddly enough. [Laughs.] We're the Jelinsky circle. There are no other Jelinskys. So, in my real life, people do tend to call me Jelinsky. It's either DJ,–which are great initials–David, or Jelinsky. And I choose Jelinsky because there was a season named after me: David vs. Goliath. I don't need that. I don't need David Voce. [Laughs.] This show has had 100 Davids. There's never been a David Jelinsky.
You talk about eyeballing the people who may be a bit too nice even before arriving in Fiji. As you're walking around here in the preseason, who are you eyeballing as someone you might want to work with?
There is an Indian guy who has a short ponytail up top. This guy has been reading books about Gandhi, so I know he's very peaceful. I'm not gonna say people aren't out here to win the title of Sole Survivor. But he's out here for himself. He's out here for the journey. If he's out on my beach on my tribe, he is malleable. He's someone that I can easily work with. There's [also] this jacked football player. I know he plays football because I was watching him at the airport, [and] on his backpack, it says "Ole Miss Football." So he's strong, first of all. I'm super tall, but look at me. We're the same, Mike. We're scrawny. We're not lifting blocks, man. So if I have someone who's like James from Micronesia, someone who's keeping the tribes strong. If I find a number one ally, and we're gonna stick with him, I would love for him to be on my tribe.
Related: Everything to Know About Survivor 46
On the other hand, is there anyone you're picking up some not-so-good vibes from?
Not-so-good vibes are the people that remind me of myself the most. Because I know I'm the biggest threat out here. I promise you. Everybody [reading this], comment down below right now your winner pick. Because if it's not Jelinsky, we're going to block it. I am the person winning this game. I promise you that. So the people who remind me of myself, that person being the guy with a thick beard, [he] is a threat. He's someone that we will not be able to get out right away. He's gonna be too powerful. He's too smart, too personable. He's gonna be someone who goes out later on in the merge.
[Author's note: The contestant Jelinsky was describing was an alternate cast member for 46 and ultimately did not make the season's final cast.]
That's really interesting. Because you talk about your lack of brawn, but your stature definitely stands out. How much are you trying to balance out a "meat shield" strategy in this new era of Survivor?
This game is all about balance. And you gotta know who the threats are. So, honestly, maybe one meat shield ahead of me. When it's down to seven, that's when I really need to start taking people out. Because we're sure it's gonna be a Final Three. It's safe to assume that, given Survivor for the past 30 seasons. But with that being said, you gotta know when to take these people out. I want to be the biggest threat. I'll figure out how to manage it. It's easier said than done. Obviously, I know this is a very hard and complex game. But one, maybe two.
Speaking of balance, you wrote in your bio that you danced professional ballroom. You have to give me this story.
[Laughs.] So, growing up, I was really into the arts, musical theatre. Singing and dancing, that was my jam. And then, when I was 13, I grew to six feet, and my voice dropped about 50 octaves. I mean, I used to be able to do the splits. I mean, Logan Paul could do the splits, and he's about as big as me.
So you won't drop into a split when you win individual immunity like Reed?
[Laughs.] No, I will not. I'll probably moonwalk. I'll be the first person to moonwalk on the beach.
That sounds very difficult because of the sand. But that's a perfect representation of your attitude that, no matter what the challenge, you'll succeed at it. I also want to discuss the literature achievements you wrote about in your bio. Because, admittedly, I would not have expected that from you.
So literature is kind of a lost art. I mean, nobody reads anymore. I've been watching everybody and what they've been reading. There's one girl, she's reading a Brene Brown book. So, if she is on my tribe, I'll be able to talk to her about that. But I didn't necessarily read a lot until I was in quiz bowl, Varsity Quiz, and my specialty was literature. We all had our specialty subjects, and I was literature. So classic novels I'm able to spew out, like who wrote what, what it's about, blah, blah, blah. Specifically, I love poems. And I was named at my graduation "Literature Student of the Year." They wrote a great description about me.
Can I put you on the spot? Can you come up with a poem about how you're feeling right now?
Contestants estranged.
One in particular.
David Jelinsky, Survivor 46 winner.
[Snaps.] There we go! Well done. What would you say is your hottest Survivor take?
Off the top of my head, it might not be as hot. But Domenick should have won Ghost Island. Interesting. You gotta love the flashy game. That kind of speaks to why Wendell won. He was a part of Domenick's moves, more or less. But he was more of a people person. People gravitate towards that the most. If the jury did not win themselves, they want to vote for someone that "if I couldn't win, I'd want them to win." So I would say that.
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?
It will have to depend on who's on my tribe. I'm gonna have to check it out. But I'm a Survivor superfan. I want to be the person going. I forget who did it. But they were drawing sticks. And one of them had the shorter stick.
Yeah, when Lauren rigged it in season 44 so she could go on the journey.
And that's something I would do. I want to be the person experiencing all advantages. I don't want to take anything for granted. Because I might get voted out before the boat comes again. So I'd rather have gone than not go at all.
So then, if you want to go, do you already have an idea of how to handle the aftermath of explaining what happened to your tribe?
I'm gonna be honest. Nowadays, in the new era of Survivor, more or less, everybody is a super fan. I promise you that I am the biggest fan out here. But people are still super fans, and they know you're gonna come back and try to lie. If I just give everything as true as possible and still have my number one allies, I feel like I'm gonna be set.
What celebrity or fictional character would you want to come out for a Loved Ones visit?
I've thought about this a lot. In fact, I know you guys go through Instagram to see who we're following [when this starts]. I would probably choose LeBron.
Do you think he's the GOAT over Jordan?
Yes, him over Jordan. I have a lot of reasons why. Jordan left the game, stopped playing basketball. If you love basketball, you're not going to stop. That's like if I pull up Ben from Winners at War. "Just vote me out, Sarah. You can vote me out as a part of your move." I'm not going out like that. I'm not going out like Ben. I'm not going out like Jordan. I'm staying with it. LeBron, even almost 40 years old, he's doing great things, better than everybody else in the league.
And I know Michael Jordan's reading this and saying, "And I took that personally."
No, seriously, I was saying I'm not gonna take anything in this game personally. Unless my name is written down. I take that personally.
Interesting. So even if your name gets written down as a decoy in case of an idol play, are you pulling a Rupert when you get back to camp? Or Russell when he found out Parvati had an idol he didn't know about? What's the mood there?
Russell is hilarious. Russell was a great game player from my perspective. He's an asshole, which is why he did not win. But I did love Russell's game. He found four immunity idols without clues. That was unheard of beforehand. And that was actually the first season I watched. He was so polarizing. I was like, "How did he not win? Natalie won. That is absurd." No offense to Natalie. But to answer your question, as Russell said, "You're such a dumbass, Rupert." And I mean, I don't think I'm a dumbass. But I will be going Rupert, balls to the wall. I don't want to be malleable to people. If you write my name down, I'm here to play a perfect game.
I mean, that's a tricky balance. This is more of a concept from Big Brother. But we can see that if someone's name is thrown out as a decoy, they're likely to get their name thrown out again to avoid pissing anyone else off.
Yeah. I mean, we saw it with Yam Yam. Yam Yam had his name written down a lot early on. When it was Adam, we saw his name written down, or at least thrown out a lot. So, in this game, you have to be careful. And with that being said, I'm gonna take it personally, but that could be by working with them. I could use them as an ally, because they would have more to prove to me. Like, "Hey, I know I wrote your name down. But let's let's work a little bit. Let me prove it to you. Let's do that."
Finally, what's your emotional cocktail right now? How are you feeling as the big day gets closer and closer?
I mean, Mike, I'm out here to win a Survivor Jackpot. [Miming pictures on a slot machine.] Jackpot, jackpot, jackpot. Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding! I'm just ready to go. I'm having so many thoughts. I'm moving at 1000 miles an hour in my head. And honestly, physically, I'm going to be running through the jungle like Tony. I'm ready to go. Let's do this thing.
Next, check out our interview with Survivor 46 contestant Bhanu Gopal.
