Reality Dish Exclusive Interview: Mel White of The Amazing Race 14

Interviews, Shows

THE AMAZING RACE 14

Mike and Mel White were the sixth team eliminated from The Amazing Race 14. I had a chance to speak with Mel about how he wasn’t originally supposed to be Mike’s partner, how Luke is maybe a bit different then we see him, and some pretty cool things both guys have planned for the future. Here is what he had to say…


Mel White: Hey Billy

Billy Debney: Hey Mel how are ya doing?

MW: Mike Wants to apologize for not being here. He’s doing a lead role in a movie by Jared Hess, the guy who did Napoleon Dynamite. He was gone so long that the make up shooting they just HAD to do.

BD: Well I think that’s a pretty good reason not to be here.

MW: Well for him it is (laughs).

BD: So were both of you fans of the show before going on the race?

MW: Michael was a huge fan. I had watched it…hardly any. Sunday not is not a good night for a clergy. He came along and told me to watch it. So I did and then I got hooked. But I have definitely been on it more then watch it. But Michael has watched it since season one. But he does feel like a bit of a phony.

BD: Yeah I head about that, feeling like a bit of a traitor for going on reality tv since he is a writer.

MW: Yea and its undoing what writers need. Well we had such fun on it that I am a huge fan now.

BD: Yea you guys looked like you were having a blast! Was that part of your strategy? Just have fun and not let things get to you?

MW: That was absolutely our strategy. If we decided to turn this great thing into a nightmare…what good would that be? Although in our family we have never let anyone blame anyone. And alot of the fights you see on the race is because people are blaming other people for things. So if you just don’t blame anyone, you’ll be alright.

BD: That’s really cool! So what’s the story behind you getting cast?

MW: Well Michael applied with another young director, they sent in a tape like everyone else. There is no favoritism in this business. They were a bit hesitant to have a semi-celebrity on, but Mike just loved the show so much and wanted to be on it so bad. Now his friend backed out at the last moment for Season 13. They still really wanted him for Season 14, but he didn’t know who to ask to come with him. So one of the casting directors talked to many people close to Michael, family and friends. We had no idea she was a casting director. She then went back to him and said I want your dad. That was a shock to him and to me. But I’m thankful that she did it.

BD: Now there were a lot of things in that episode that probably lead to your elimination. But what do you think it ultimately was?

MW: Well again I don’t want to blame, but we talked to a lot of people in the airport that said the monkey was in Pa Tong beach. So definitely misinformation. Also the cab driver. We couldn’t get him to turn around or do anything. He just couldn’t understand where we wanted to go. He actually took us to the end of the rickshaw challenge. So we almost grabbed the one Mark and Mike got off. Luckily they told us we were at the end of the challenge.

BD: Now i heard somewhere that Luke may have told you a bit of a lie about the monkey picture. Tell me a bit about that.

MW: The irony is that Michael really befriended Luke from the begging. They have a lot in common. So they were talking and Luke said, YOu know Michael that gorilla is signing the location of the next clue. But he wouldn’t tell us where. Obviously because it wasn’t true.

BD: Not really something you would expect Luke to do right?

MW: No! Thats when Luke became the sinister deaf boy. He is worth a lot of sympathy. He was very demanding though. and very hard to get a long with. Very demanding of his mom. The producers actually told him to stop picking on his mom. He hoarded their money and didn’t even buy his mom a bottle of water. Thats when you saw her faint at the end of the leg.

BD: Did you think from day one that Margie and Luke were the team to beat?

MW: Absolutely!! Once you meat Margie…she is a pistol. And she is lovely, and athletic and clever. A few teams decided who was going to U-turn us, and it was supposed to be them. But when she got to it she said, you know I just cant u-turn the only other parent on the race. So they U-turned Amanda and Kris instead.

BD: Now you almost caught up to Jen and Kisha in that 100 barrels challenge. Did you gain a lot of time there?

MW: They were about half way through when we arrived. So we just moved quickly. Now when we arrived at the pit stop we were only 5 minuets behind them. They were the one couple we wanted to win if we didn’t. Kisha works with handicap children in a poor neighborhood, and we just know they could do great things with the money. So I am so excited that they are still in it.

BD: So for any team to beat you by 5 minuets, you’re alright that is was them?

MW: Thats the one I’d like to have beat me yea.

BD: So what was your favorite part of the race?

MW: Oh there were so many things with paragliding over the alps. For one i was so relieved that it didn’t sink the whole race for Michael. And then to just be flying there with nothing under me around these beautiful alps. That was really beautiful. Although when Michael said after feeding the camels, “You really smoked them dad”, thats the kind of thing when a father hears, you’ll cherish it for the rest of your life.

BD: Now is there anything that happened that we didn’t see that you wish we saw?

MW: Yes. The episode where we got eliminated, there was a fast forward they didn’t show. I said to Mike when we got there that we were really far behind and that we should try the fast forward. But he said he figured someone would have already tried it. We missed a real opportunity to make up some ground.

BD: You mentioned what’s next for Mike with this new movie, but what’s next for you?

MW: Well Mike is working on a sequel to School of Rock. So that will be great. But I’m retired and am working with street kids in Bali. We are trying to find these kids before they become prostitutes. My friend also has this orphanage that I will be doing some work with.

BD: Thats very cool! Good for you Mel. Well I think thats all I have for you. So thanks so much for talking with me!

MW: Thanks for your time Billy.

BD: Anytime! And good luck in the future, and say good luck to Mike for me with all those movies!

MW: I will.

BD: Have a good one!