An Interview with Christopher Shulstad, Andy King, & Marcel Cunningham from ‘The Anonymous’

THE ANONYMOUS -- "Welcome to the Finale" Episode 112 -- Pictured: (l-r) Marcel Cunningham, Andy King, Nina Twine, Christopher Shulstad -- (Photo by: Rico Torres/USA Network)

It is definitely safe to say that fans of the hit USA Network series, The Anonymous, are still thinking about that epic finale and everything it entailed and well, the time has come to properly bring season one of this show to a close via one last interview with the cast. Specifically, the Final Three, Christopher Shulstad, Andy King, and Marcel Cunningham.
John Betancourt: Let’s get right down to it gents, how tough was it to say goodbye in that manner.
 
Marcel Cunningham: I think, I think we were all pretty like, you know, happy that how it ended with Nina winning. I mean, obviously we all wanted to win, but, I mean, after that, we started howling at the moon together and stuff, we were all very happy for her, and as she ended up winning.
 
Christopher Shulstad: And truthfully, I think that Final Four we'd have been happy with any of us winning. I mean, there was no hard feelings at all between anybody, and we just wanted, you know, with that being the way the game ended, we all kind of knew there was some dumb luck involved in how that game was being played out. So, it was just, I mean, it was nothing but love for everybody. I mean, we were, yeah, we were talking shit before. We were talking shit after. It was a good time.
 
Andy King: I think Christopher brings up a good point, which is, like, halfway through, I feel like the game, we all kind of started saying, “Who do we want in the Final Four? Who do you want to be up there with?” It wasn't like, “Who do you want to win? It was like, “Who do you want to be up there hugging at the end?” We became a family. We really did.
 
John Betancourt: Obviously, um, hindsight is always 20/20B. So, is there anything you think you could have done differently to claim the title of The Anonymous?
 
Christopher Shulstad: I mean, probably not going first. Actually, I got, I got one for you. I got one for you. I would have picked the blue box.
 
Marcel Cunningham: I just would have sent Nina home. That's what I would have done. That's easy, right?
 
Andy King: I Yeah, obviously, as you know, it was a quandary for me, because I had the winning box, and then I'm like, “But you know what? I never became The Anonymous and I never won a competition. Like, how the hell am I going home with this winning box?” And so, my mind was going crazy there. Now I could have manipulated that situation a little bit better, or not and I, but I was definitely, I think that out of the four of us up there, I think I had a little bit more of a mind game going on because of the fact that I wanted to change the narrative. Don't want to be Andy King from fire festival anymore. I just want to be the ultimate a good guy, and I wanted the world to get to know Andy King. So, I'm like, do I take this winning box and manipulate the hell out of these three people? Or do I just -- and I, I was in a quandary, but and Nina could read me, as you know, from the couple Face Offs before she and I worked off each other. So, the fact that I kept looking down the ground, she knew something was going on. And I think Marcel was trying to click. And he's like, Andy, you're freaking us out. I'm like, I am freaking myself out.
 
Marcel Cunningham: I have to tell you something here, not to downplay, like, you know, how Andy played the game, even though Andy was never The Anonymous me and Christopher referred to him as one of the council members of The “Illumanonymous” the entire time it was like, like Andy, like it was never had the power, but you could tell your influence, right? Like Andy was right there with him the entire time, even though you never had power. I was like, either Andy has never had power, or he is influencing people that have power the entire time. So, Andy played a great game.
 
Christopher Shulstad:  Andy was a brilliant. He was, like, almost a therapist to all of us. Because at one point I was like, “Dude, I’m about to lose my mind.” And then he goes, “Christopher, just be still and figure out how you can switch your strategy around.” And he said, “Go in there and do what you do, and kill.” And I went in there. Well, then that was the next day. I was like, “Okay, cool. That's what I need.” I need somebody to put me back in my like, killer be killed mentality, because that's where I thrive. Yeah, and turn it on and let's get them.
 
John Betancourt: We’ve heard about how you all became family, and everyone had said it was such a blast out there, so I have to know what you’re all going to miss about being on the show?
 
Christopher Shulstad: I'm missing waking up in the morning, walking out and seeing that view that we had. It was probably one of the most beautiful locations you could ever film in. You know, sitting there on the couches in the evening watching the sunset. I mean, a lot of the times, it didn't necessarily feel like I was in a game, per se, wow, because I was like, I kind of changed my perspective on why I was there. I was like, I'm here. I'm lucky to be here. We're in a beautiful place with incredible people. Hey, I wish everyone could have seen some of the nights when we're all standing in the circle playing, you know, stupid games with each other. And it's just like you -- we didn't even have a care in the world about what was going on. You know, you don't have any phones, you don't have anything so it's just you spend time and develop relationships with the people you love, and you care about. So that's what's cool.
 
Andy King: And I think that for me, personally, I've been successful in my career because I have always had a young person or two standing by my side at every big event. We don't need to talk about festivals, but a lot of the things that I do, and they are my inspiration, this group. I mean, for me to be 20-30, plus years older than most of them, I always turn to a younger person to go, “what's your perspective?” Because at 63 sometimes you become like, can't teach an old dog new tricks. But I'm like, guess what? These young whippersnappers, I love chatting with them every day and every night and every meal, they're going, “Andy, here's what I'm like”.”  I love this, you know, totally inspiring. And I think that most successful CEOs and what have you are only successful because they surround themselves with good people, and they're all good people.
 
Marcel Cunningham: Me, it was, you know, a break away from my four screens. And it was like it was a vacation with structure. And my life does not have structure, you know, I I don't know what I'm I don't know what video game I'm gonna be playing today. So, it was a nice, like, change your pace for me, and I really missed that a little bit. Yeah. And also, you know, the awesome people that were there.
 
John Betancourt: I would definitely say that actually, we saw a lot of growth from everybody on this, I think. Andy, to your point, you definitely kind of reinvented yourself. And all of you kind of really -- we all really got to know you guys really well, but you all grew, I think, was the big key to this as the competition went on. And I'm very curious what the overall journey of this meant to each of you.
 
Christopher Shulstad: I would say what I say at this fishing camp that I run and take risks, right? Life is way, way, way too short to not take risks. And you know, whether you grow up poor, wealthy or middle class or whatever, right, every opportunity that you have, every single person that you meet, look at them as an opportunity, or look at whatever it is… “Hey, where can this go? What can I do?” Because, you know, it may be scary sometimes to go to another country or wherever you may be going with people you've never met before, and it's like, “Oh, it's out of my comfort zone.” Make your comfort zone not a thing, right? Your comfort you shouldn't have a comfort zone. Don't live in that comfort zone, go explore, go see go meet new people, go do all these different things, because at the end of the day, when you die, I There's this quote I love. I heard it from Ed Violet, and he says, “One day when you when you get to heaven, or wherever you believe in, you're going to meet the person that took every risk and took every chance that they ever wanted to do in the life” Do you want to meet that person and go, “Hell yeah, man, it was a hell of a ride with, you know, no wheels on your motorcycle and smoking.” Or do you want to meet that guy and go, “Oh my God. What could I have done to be this guy?” Right? So, it's like, take the risk. Go do it, man.
 
Marcel Cunningham: How do you follow that up? Christopher, come on. Yeah. I mean, I definitely, like, you know, step outside your comfort zone and, and that's like, yeah, Christopher summed everything up. I mean, that was like, that's, that's perfect, you know, you know, it's, it's crazy, like, how many people that were there, and how different of like, fields of life that we're in, but we all were similar in like, a very unique way. And like, just making those connections. And like, you know, talk to that person that you might not have anything in common with. Like me and Christopher don't have much in common. We're both assholes. (Laughter) So it was just like, you know, and then we bonded over that. And like me and Andy had a nice conversation. He was water coloring, and I was crocheted, I was knitting, and we just sat there and talked. So, it's like, those conversations and those things that you normally wouldn't have, like me and Andy were probably never going to be in the same room in life, but now we were forced to be in the situation, and you bond, and you connect over the most random things. So, you know, get out there, have fun, talk to people.
 
Andy King: The reward that's it, you know. And I think firstly, for me, obviously changing the narrative, which was the big thing I wanted to do. I think I accomplished that. And now, you know, we're working on a new TV show, and I'm talking about a reality show. We're looking at some scripted things and unscripted. So, I feel like the opportunities are now coming. I don't want to, you know, “what do you want your legacy to be?” And that's kind of what Christopher and Marcel is saying, you know, I don't want mine to be… oh, you know, I want people to go “He was a cool guy. He did a bunch of different stuff. Like he wasn't afraid.” Like, how many people in my world at 63 years old are going to jump on a show like this and do these different things? You know what? You got nothing to lose and everything to gain. So. Get out there and live life.
 
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
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