When it comes toPhillip Soloman, his time onDeal or No Deal Islandcan be summed up as spicy.
The multi-hyphenated came to the Banker’s Private Island with a mission to win.
Congratulations on an incredible run on the show.
Image by Zanda Rice, Peacock
How are you feeling?
Well, let’s start simple.
If you could describe your experience in three words, what would they be?
PHILLIP: Life-changing, educational and, let’s go with Harriet.
COLLIDER: I love it.
Let’s talk about this beautiful private island of the Banker’s.
You got to be on.
What was it like being out there?
PHILLIP: Being out there was kind of strange for me because I’m more of an indoor person.
I believe in the luxury of indoors.
So I think for me, I love an expensive hotel and a champagne and stuff like that.
But, this wasn’t that.
So this was the most time I’ve ever spent outdoors in my whole life.
COLLIDER: What inspired you to go on this adventure ofDeal or No Deal Island?
And I don’t look like everyone else on that island.
I don’t speak like everyone else on that island.
Why did you teach seventh grade?
And I went back to that year because it was the worst school year of my whole life.
I think it’s the worst school year of everyone’s life.
And so I told myself what I told them.
And I was like, that’s how you learn.
That’s how you grow.
So I came to the island to get as uncomfortable as possible.
PHILLIP: I love my Mitch, yes.
COLLIDER: It was really, really cool to see that.
Talk to me about your connection.
He’s about 40 minutes away, and they were like, you should meet my friend Mitch.
I was like, impossible.
But finally, our stories are being heard and seen and finally understood.
I think that Jeff does an amazing job in handling things with care.
Good news, spoiler alert, if you didn’t watch the show.
That’s how we grow and learn.
COLLIDER: What did it mean to you to make it to the top five?
So I like grew.
I had an arc.
Dickson Wong impressed the Banker and his castmates.
Talk to me about what bonded you at first.
It really bonded us as people.
We became friends who happened to work together in the first couple excursions.
We never really aligned for the game.
We just aligned out of the game.
We aligned when we were spending time recreationally.
What really connected us is, Parvati went through this big public marriage, through this big public divorce.
This is her first big show after all of that.
And for me, I was just leaving 12 years in the classroom.
And being a teacher, a nurse, a therapist, a social worker.
It’s one of those jobs where you define your entire personality by what you do.
And so once you leave that, you’re like, who am I now?
And with that said, that’s why when it broke down, it broke down so hard.
And so there was no real reason to go that low below the belt.
I will also say.
In getting to watch it as an observer, did I take that too hard?
But also, she’s been in this job for 15 years.
At that point, I had been in the job for 11 days.
11 days to 15 years.
So like, I wasn’t emotionally prepared.
If I ever went back into another situation, would I handle it so differently?
Of course, I would.
COLLIDER: Do you think that it really hurt her seeing you, how, seeing you hurt?
How am I using this for?
Like how on earth would I use this to my advantage per se?
But I will say that we have connected in the game, out of the game.
I speak to her a couple times a week, sometimes a couple of times Aa day.
So we are all good.
COLLIDER: We got our twist this week, double elimination.
It was our first endurance challenge with a little strategy twist.
What was your strategy going into this excursion?
PHILLIP: I had no strategy other thanDavid [Genet]and Parvati need to go.
That was all I had.
I held on for an extra six minutes after he let go.
I was still there alone, just chilling in the sun.
COLLIDER: I mean, 57 minutes.
That no easy feat.
PHILLIP: Awful, awful.
I had my hands up in the air waving Like I just don’t care.
It was so hard.
We talked and worked out and hung out almost every morning for like a solid 45 minutes or so.
As someone who was there, I was like, that makes sense.
We talk every day.
But also remember David is still a “civilian.”
He’s an Australian model that lived in New York.
And so so for me, I’m still treating him as a civilian.
And so when I was like, “How far are we going to let this go?”
He said, “Well, eventually I have to let her go.”
COLLIDER: Do you think you pitched too hard?
Did he have his mind made up?
PHILLIP: I don’t think I pitched too hard at all.
And for me, I believe in what you put into the universe, you will get back.
How’d you all let her get safe this entire time?
If it wasSurvivor, it’s easy to get the numbers and vote somebody out.
Let’s say we wanna get someone named John out of the show.
We go into the excursion.
For me to get John out, I’d have to be in the top.
He would have to be in a vulnerable spot.
After this, let’s say we get past that.
Or, do I let John play, and then he can take out someone that I’m with.
All of that has to happen.
Then, that person has to go play, make a good deal, and then eliminate someone.
There’s like 18 steps that have to happen before you could just get John out.
I’m like, bro, we’re trying here!
And someone that is working with us is in a position to take one of them out.
COLLIDER: You have what it takes to play these games.
Are there any other reality TV shows that are on your radar?
PHILLIP: Ooh, I would loveTraitors.
I would loveThe Challenge.
There’s so many other ones that I would love, as like a reality TV viewer.
I love for me,The TraitorsorChallenge.Traitorsonly because my knowledge of pop culture.
And so I think that my wealth of knowledge and information could definitely help me out there.
COLLIDER: I’d love to see it.
Now, if they needed a new briefcase model, would you?
Are you up for the job?
PHILLIP: Do not make me take off this shirt right now.
I will pack my bags tomorrow.
COLLIDER: I love it.
Well, congratulations on an incredible season.
You really are one of the breakout stars and I can’t wait to see you on screen again.
PHILLIP: Thank you.
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