An Interview with Kacie Mize from ‘The Anonymous’

THE ANONYMOUS -- Season:1 -- Pictured: Kacie Mize -- (Photo by: Rico Torres/USA Network)

Last night’s premiere of The Anonymous on USA Network, saw not one, but two competitors be sent home. For shortly after Sydney was sent packing by Jack and his unique strategy, his second turn as The Anonymous prompted him to send Kacie home, and to properly bid Kacie farewell, we sat down with her to discuss her experiences on the show.
 
John Betancourt: I would love to know how you became involved with the show.
 
Kacie Mize: So, I had applied for another show, and I wasn't quite the right fit for that one, so casting reached back out to me about this show, and was like, “You’d be great for this show.” And I was like, yeah, no, let's do it, being the first season. I was kind of a little like, a little timid, because I knew I was going in blind, and I didn't know what to expect over all these other shows. But I was like, “Oh yeah, for sure. I know all the blah, blah, blah and all this,” but yeah, they just reached out to me for my personality… is what I guess it would be for.
 
John Betancourt: Now the dynamic in this show is downright fascinating, since you can’t quite be yourself, and have to keep so much to yourself to play the game, and I’m curious how hard it was to navigate that, and having people put you up for elimination.  
 
Kacie Mize: Yeah, not being myself is impossible. It's really, really hard. If I'm not allowed to be myself, I completely and totally, totally crumble, which I'm sure we all saw, you know, I get like, a little manic here and there, and then, as far as, like, you know, someone's coming for me and whatnot, I'm someone who I'm not, like, scared. And I don't think there's anything wrong with going up to a person and, you know, saying, you know what's going on. How can we get on the same page? You know, was something misconstrued? Did you misunderstand, like, what I was saying? Did it come off wrong? You know, that's not how I meant it. I'm really big at communicating, um, that will get you really far in life. And you know, you weren't really allowed to communicate so much, and then, you know, hiding my personality and everything, so I was really stripped of everything, like in the real world and in, like, another game that I think would like really work towards my benefit.
 
John Betancourt: I'm curious too, since obviously this was the first time a show like this has ever been assembled, how hard was it to create any kind of strategy, since you're in such a unique playing environment.
 
Kacie Mize: Well, my strategy was just like, going into, like any other show, like, okay, lay low, don't win, you know, the first like, competition or so, like, come, you know, in the middle, stay, like, a little quiet and whatnot. So that was my strategy. And I just kind of stuck to that even, like, when I walked in, I was like, “Oh, God, I don't know if this is going to so much work,” but yeah, you know, not being able to have a true alliance, you know, really hurt me too. I just, I like to connect with people and, like, form a bond, and then hopefully we have each other support from there. And so not being able to, like, really do that, I found super, super tough.
 
John Betancourt: Obviously, I have to ask the big question. How tough was it to exit the series? Because the frustration was very visible on your face.
 
Kacie Mize: So, I think I'm just like, I just, I have a lot of facial expressions and whatnot, and standing there, like waiting, I kind of like, knew, you know, it was me, and then, you know, it wasn't too bad I had kind of, like, accepted it. I was just more annoyed with the fact that I didn't get to, like, clear the air with, like, a conversation that I felt like, was taken, you know, the wrong way. I didn't get a chance to do that, and that really sucked for me. But, yeah, I was, you know, sad to go, but I don't think there was really anything I could have done differently not to go. I mean, I wasn't on the block the first time, so I knew I was definitely going to go up. I knew Marcel was going to be the one to do it, because he walked to me and Lilly and was like, “You guys are safe.” We're not safe. Definitely not safe now. So, I was happy that it was Jack that voted me out, actually, because I wasn't coming for Jack, I was friends with Jack, and so I would rather it be someone who, you know, I was friends with, rather than someone that I was like, oh, you know, like, I was coming for them, and they got me first.
 
I mean, you know, the first elimination, I was going back and forth between Marcel and Sydney to put up. Wouldn't have mattered who it was regardless. Marcel was up, Sydney was up. I had no control of who went home. Second elimination, I was going back and forth between Marcel and trying to cover up the whole Andy conversation. And, you know, Marcel was up, he didn't go home. So, if I went with my second option, which was Marcel, wouldn’t have mattered. I was going home. He didn't go home the first time. You know, it's kind of like out of my hands. I don't really know much more I could have done except look out for myself more than, you know, other people. I think I probably did too much of that, but that’s just kind of like, who I am, if I like you, like I'm gonna, you know, I'm gonna back you up all the way and to a fault, I guess.
 
John Betancourt: I'm really curious too, because I did talk to Sydney earlier today as well, and she had kind of mentioned that there was an interesting vibe once you guys’ kind of got out of the booths. Because you said things, they said things, now everyone has to be nice. How hard was it to navigate kind of that strange duality?
 
Kacie Mize: Oh, God, it was tough. Because I thought I was the only one that went after Sydney from our rooms. So, I was like, how am I going to do this? I knew I was, I kind of like the person that was more like, not with the group, like it was, it was clear, and I just kind of, like, felt very lonely and everything. But it turns out I wasn't the only one, so I probably went to, like, a little bit of a spiral about that. But, you know, the next day, I just woke up and was like, alright, well, that's over, you know, moving on. But you know, Dillian wouldn't really, like, look at me, and then he would, you know, say, “Oh, it's between, you know, like you and Robbie,” trying to figure it out. But then, you know, I had Christopher saying, “Oh, it was Dillian.” And then instead of being like, “Oh, yeah, it was definitely Dillian,” I said, “No, it's definitely not Dillian.”
 
Because I want to protect Dillian, because I like Dillian. I just at some point I had to look out for myself, and I just wasn't doing that. I was too concerned. But, yeah, it was definitely a weird vibe coming out. Being the first elimination, you know, she was sobbing. Lilly was sobbing. I was just kind of, like, walking around, like, not really sure what to do here. I feel like she definitely knows I voted for her. I would be shocked if she didn't know. Um, so, yeah, but I didn't really care. (Laughter) Like, you know, whatever. See you later. I don't know what to say about it, but yeah, there was definitely a weird vibe, she was definitely right about that.
 
John Betancourt: What are you going to miss the most about being on this show?
 
Kacie Mize: I mean, I was really bummed I didn't get to do more competitions. That was something I was really, really looking forward to more than anything. And I think coming out of that second elimination, if I would have made it, I felt like I was going to be good for like a minute, like everything would have died down. Everything else would have been forgotten about and whatnot. But, you know, I didn't, I didn't make it quite that far.
 
John Betancourt: What did you take away from this experience on a personal level.
 
Kacie Mize:  Um, I took away that not being surrounded by people that I already trust in my life is very hard. And, you know, I've worked, not worked really hard. I mean, it's been pretty natural. But, you know, coming out of, like, a small town, you know, you know, being a gay and whatnot, and really surrounding myself with queer, like-minded people and like, going in, like, I don't know that, you know, I was the only lesbian there, and I know there was other, like queer people there, but, you know, we're, we're different people. We're different generations, of gays and whatnot. So, it was just, it would have been nice to have, like, someone there that I already knew, like, we've gone through like, the same, like, experiences and whatnot, where we could just kind of, like, lock eyes and be like, “Okay, so like, we at least understand each other.” I know there's other people there from, like, the south and whatnot, but, you know, they're not a gay from the south. Like, we can't really, you know, all we have is, like, we're from the south together. But other than that, like, I'm not sure how much more you know, we have in common. Um, so it was hard to, you know, just walk in and just kind of be like the only gay person there. I missed my lesbian friends.
 
John Betancourt: Um, last question for you today, what did it mean to you personally to be part of something that is so new and so unique?
 
Kacie Mize: I mean, it's awesome. I hope I, like, made a small mark, and I hope, you know, people know, you know, I was relatively genuine, like, when I could be, I know, and, you know, the hideouts and whatnot, I was pretty, like, cutthroat and whatnot, and a bit manic. So that's just how I am. I talk out loud, and I talk in a bunch of different directions, and I'll say something, be like, oh, you know, not really, and then go back, and then who knows what's going to come out and whatnot. But, yeah, I hope people, you know, understand me as a person. It wouldn’t be the first time in my life where I have been, like, really misunderstood. I don't know. I feel like, are you either like, get me immediately, or like, you don't really get me at all, and like, if you don't get me at all, like, okay, well, byeeeee. (Laughs)
 
This Interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
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