Last Wednesday night, Andrew (Drew) Sawa, the 21-year old trekkie who studies at Marquette University, who with Erin Gibson (the Beauty) was eliminated during the during hit reality TV series, BEAUTY AND THE GEEK.
Our own RealityTVWebsite.com Elaine James caught up with Drew in this exclusive one-on-one interview.
Elaine James: Tell me what made you want to try out for the show?
Drew Sawa: I saw Season 1 and Season 2 and I loved them. The show really has heart. I thought I would be perfect for the show. I asked all of my fraternity members what they thought. They thought I would be perfect. I found the casting call on their web site. I created an audition tape and filled out the application. I then passed the application on to my fraternity for their look over. They really helped me out on the application. One of the questions was, "What are some of your quirks?" I came up with 2 or 3, the next day they had come up with 50 of them. So that was interesting.
Elaine James: So you get to the taping and see all of the beauties. What was going through your mind?
Drew Sawa: I was kind of like, "Wow!" There must have been thousands of people that wanted to be here and was surprised that I actually made it. I was very honored and wanted to make the most of it. I was very nervous the first week that I was there. When I was introducing myself to the women, I was looking at the back of their heads and all I was thinking was that everything was so shiny. I was very nervous.
Elaine James: So what did you think about your partner Erin?
Drew Sawa: She is awesome. I’m saying that in hindsight though. When you are on the show it is very stressful and I do regret not giving her more compliments. She is awesome as a partner and is a real person. When I first saw her, I was still in shock, but she was very comfortable in front of the cameras and she did really well.
Elaine James: Several times during the course of the show, she kept repeating how proud of you she was? Did this give you confidence in yourself?
Drew Sawa: She never told me that directly, as it was done in the confessionals and in the interviews. That is why I wish I had complimented her more. She really was a very good partner.
Elaine James: Have you talked since the show? Will you remain friends?
Drew Sawa: Absolutely! We still keep in contact with each other, it’s fun. I haven’t seen her since the Third, we’ve been talking on the phone and emailing. We were on WGN (television station) on the Third and that was the last time I saw any of the cast. I’ve just been busy here in Milwaukee, and haven’t made it down to Chicago.
Elaine James: Did you form any good friendships with the guys?
Drew Sawa: On the show, Scooter was a very good friend of mine. After the show, I talked more with Nate. Nate and I are really very similar. He goes to Harvard, I go to Marquette. We are both still in college, so there is a lot for us to talk about. I talk to both Nate and Pi a lot, and to some degree Mario and Scooter. But I do consider everyone my friend.
Elaine James: What did you take away from the show?
Drew Sawa: I gained a lot more confidence. I also gained a new appreciation for modeling and models. The whole walking the catwalk and getting my strut going was hard, but Erin helped me a lot with that. So that was awesome. It gave me a completely different perspective on how much work is involved with modeling.
Elaine James: At any point on the show did you every regret trying out?
Drew Sawa: There were some regrets here and there. After realizing how much study material there was, there were some regrets. But I kept pushing through. Being around some of the drama that was going on with some of the girls, I tried to avoid at all costs. Other than that, I had a blast. Even in hindsight, I’m glad that I did it.
Elaine James: What have you been doing since you’ve been home?
Drew Sawa: School, the organizations that I’m involved with, work, publicity for the show.
Elaine James: What is next for you?
Drew Sawa: Well, after the show, if I’m discovered I might try it out. I’m not going to pursue a career in acting, but if the chance is there I’ll gladly try it out. It’s very stressful doing the reality show. The true miracle workers are the production team. Working long hours, carrying heavy equipment, having to pay attention to people’s conversations and listen to the director. There is a lot of work involved in producing a show. For me in the future, I graduate in May. So I’m looking for a job in finance. I prefer derivatives, options, investing. Mostly alternative investments are my forte. Within 15 years, I would like to start my own business. I’ve always had the heart of an entrepreneur.
