Outlast cast: Meet the contestants in Netflix survival show

A group of outdoor enthusiasts are attempting to survive in the Alaskan wilderness for the chance to win $1 million, but who exactly are they?

By Lauren Morris

Published: Wednesday, 15 March 2023 at 12:00 am

We’ve seen the strongest of the strong take on Physical: 100 and the bravest of the brave take on Naked and Afraid, however survivalists are getting another chance to prove they can make it in the wilderness in Netflix‘s Outlast.

The reality competition sees 16 lone wolves head out into the Alaskan countryside where they must outlast their fellow contestants for a chance to win $1 million (£832,000) – the rule being that they can only win as part of a team.

Since arriving on the streamer last week, Outlast has caused quite the stir among reality fans, with many gobsmacked over the tactics used by Jill Ashock and Amber Asay – but who are these 16 survivalists?

Here’s everything you need to know about the Outlast season 1 contestants.

Amber Asay

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Amber Asay.
Netflix

Age: 34

Location: Phoenix, Arizona

Amber is a survivalist who turned to adventuring after struggling with addiction and being shot by the man she loved. She spent three days in the desert with a shaman and no gear in order to heal and has explored the Enchantments, one of the hardest treks in North America.

On why she thinks she can survive in Alaska, Amber said that her life experience has shaped her “into a resilient, adaptable human being”.

“What I have had to overcome in the past has shown me that with the right mindset, anything is possible.”

Andrea Hilderbrand

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Amber Hilderbrand.
Netflix

Age: 51

Location: Charlotte, North Carolina

Andrea Hilderbrand is an engineer who grew up hunting and fishing in the middle of a national forest in the south. She competes in CrossFit tournaments, extreme survival sports and endurance races, while the 51-year-old has also taken part in mountaineering expeditions in the US, Europe and South America.

She thinks she can survive in Alaska as she has “a literal shed full of trophies showcasing all the sports” she’s competed in over the years.

“I’ve been at 20,000 feet yacking from altitude sickness on the side of a crevasse-covered mountain, starving, dehydrated and pressed on for another 10+ hours to summit and get back down to basecamp,” she said.

“I’ve lost 10 pounds in an 11-hour period racing my mountain bike 100 miles at altitude. I can go on and on with stories of times when I pushed myself beyond what should have been possible. I can tough it out with the best of them.”

Angie Kenai

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Angie Kenai.
Netflix

Age: 30

Location: San Antonio, Texas

Texas-based Angie is a former Texas State Guard, previously providing disaster relief – a job which she described as fun. She’s now an Emergency Medical Technician and loves climbing, fishing and hunting, preferring to use recurve bows to hunt hogs and turkeys but can work with trips and nets.

“I have respect for the land and the wildlife,” she says on why she can survive in Alaska. “I have lived my life with many obstacles — abuse, PTSD, bullying — and the skills I have learned to overcome them can be applied in every aspect of this exciting new challenge.”

Brian Kahrs

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Brian Kahrs.
Netflix

Age: 59

Location: Holiday, Florida

Brian has been a survivalist since he was a teenager and says that his nickname is MacGyver among his friends. Growing up during the Cold War, nuclear attack drills were commonplace at his school and says that he “delights in discomfort”.

“As a young man I realized that I was born with a natural ability to suffer, and so I did. Over my long hard life I have learned to accept and embrace overwhelming adversity with composure, like a cow standing in the rain,” he said.

“My hands and my back have always pulled me through difficult times and in the Alaskan wilderness they will, once again, carry the day.”

Corey Johnson

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Corey Johnson.
Netflix

Age: 28

Location: Parker, Colorado

Former model Corey used to live in New York City but found that the city life wasn’t for him, moving to him hometown of Parker to pursue his outdoor passion. He has taught himself how to live in the wilderness alone and is planning a 50-day survival mission.

The 28-year-old can build shelters, fish and hunt bears, waterfowl, elk and whitetail, while he has also come face-to-face with a mountain lion and prides himself on being able to read animal behaviour.

“A lot of things I’ve learned about the outdoors have been from getting in the field on my own. I’m excited to see how much I’ve learned in Colorado and how it translates into the backcountry of Alaska,” he said.

Dawn Nelson

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Dawn Nelson.
Netflix

Age: 43

Location: Creston, Washington

Washington-based Dawn was raised in the mountains and began carrying a gun as a child. After being diagnosed with cancer whilst pregnant, Dawn overcame her illness following a C-section, a mastectomy and numerous reconstructive surgeries.

She’s a former corrections officer, a published author, a phlebotomist and a lab assistant at a small-town hospital, and she is currently raising her daughter on a cattle ranch with her husband.

On why she thinks she can survive in Alaska, Dawn said: “It was never the surviving part that worried me. It was the social part. I knew if someone pissed me off, I’d make bear bait out of them.”

Javier Colón

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Javier Colón.
NEtflix

Age: 42

Location: San Francisco

San Francisco’s Javier was raised in the Rust Belt and grew up to become a seasoned traveller with 23 years of international outdoor experience. He’s spent 31 days backpacking across Spain, completed a two-year bike tour from Canada to Tierra Del Guego over 18,000 and a bike tour of 1,000 miles across Iceland.

“Alaska is no different than any other location on Earth. If there’s fresh water and things to eat, I can survive. Typically, our only danger is the human animal. If I can avoid troubles with them, I should be fine,” he said.

Jill Ashock

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Jill Ashock.
Netflix

Age: 40

Location: New Haven, Kentucky

Kentucky-based Jill has worked as a private investigator and a firefighter, however she currently teaches wilderness survival, plant ID and self-confidence classes. She has three children, is a professional angler and has been ranked first in her state for archery. She also builds and designs houses, including the one she lives in.

“There hasn’t been anything that life has thrown at me, stampeded over me or attempted to drown me in that I haven’t proudly survived,” she said. “What can Alaska possibly have to test me with that I haven’t had to face and overcome, in some shape or form, already?”

Joel Hungate

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Joel Hungate.
Netflix

Age: 33

Location: McCordsville, Indiana

Engineer and health care innovator Joel is a mountaineer who became the first person to ascend a peak in a remote region of Western Mongolia. He had to rescue a person injured in a rock slide by executing an evacuation and emergency stabilisation with a team of alpinists.

“I believe the generalist is a dying breed we sorely need to resurrect. The more experiences and perspectives you have, the more dots you can connect, the more interesting, adaptable and innovative you can be — and nowhere is that more critical than in a survival setting,” he said.

“But most importantly, all the skills in the world are nothing without a mindset and foundation that you can count on regardless of your circumstances. I know I can face whatever awaits me in Alaska with a heart of gratitude no matter the circumstance.”

Jordan Williams

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Jordan Williams.
Netflix

Age: 25

Location: Fort Collins, Colorado

Colorado’s Jordan was a US marine who feels at home in the jungle, the desert and amphibious and mountainous terrains. Having honed his survival skills, his one mantra in a team is: “Put up or shut up.”

He said: “I can tolerate challenging circumstances. Whether it’s sunshine or rain, I rely on my training to make decisions that can push me ahead of my competition. Another skill set I can bring to the game is the social element. I can use my social skills as leverage if the opportunity presents itself.”

Justin Court

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Justin Court.
Netflix

Age: 44

Location: La Grange, Kentucky

Kentucky-based Justin in a bowhunter who has worked as a guide in Montana. He has a black belt in jiujitsu, has survived an avalanche, surfed all over the world and broken various bones. For him, surviving comes down to mindset, tactics and gear.

“I train every day to be hard to kill,” he said.

Lee Ettinger

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Lee Ettinger.
Netflix

Age: 57

Location: Bigfork, Montana

Former US marine Lee played extreme sports as a child and served in the military for eight years with deployments in a Special Operations Qualified Advance Landing Unit. He previously lived in rural Japan for five years whilst working for the Japanese government and he is now the founder and CEO of Better Living Products.

On why he thinks he’ll survive in Alaska, Lee said: “Marines don’t quit! I’ve been in extreme cold-weather training before, have lived for extended periods in harsh outdoor conditions with little to no food and I’ve always been able to overcome those obstacles.

“When I was five years old, my brother, Jay, was hit by a car. He had severe brain injuries and became a quadriplegic, confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Even though his condition was very daunting, he never gave up. He approached each day with the mindset of: ‘What can I do today?’ versus ‘What can’t I do anymore?’ My brother taught me that, in life, anything and everything is possible.”

Nick Radner

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Nick Radner.
Netflix

Age: 36

Location: Tampa, Florida

High school teacher Nick is a wrestling coach who recently climbed Mount Shasta solo and has travelled across the Pacific Northwest, Rocky Mountains, Sierra Nevadas and north-east United States.

“I’m actually not confident I can survive out there. Although I really look forward to the challenge of it, I’m not an idiot,” he said. “Alaska is terrifying. It’s killed men for thousands of years. Alaska is real. I can’t wait to see it, though.”

Paul Preece

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Paul Preece.
Netflix

Age: 47

Location: Knoxville, Tennessee

Professional hunter and fisherman Paul hunted small game out of necessity for his family as a child and now does so for pleasure. He teaches outdoor skills to youth and novice hunters and guides veterans on whitetail bowhunting trips.

“I’ve had a unique life, growing up in eastern Kentucky, that most people outside of very rural areas would struggle to deal with, from being homeless as a child to living in an old coal camp,” he said.

“Many nights, I went to bed hungry and cold growing up. I’ve been blessed that those days are left in my childhood, but equally blessed that they are forever etched into my DNA. I believe Alaska will throw everything she has at me, but I’ve been unknowingly preparing for this all my life.”

Seth Lueker

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Seth Lueker.
Netflix

Age: 31

Location: Winchester, Virginia

Virginia-based Seth enlisted in the Marines as an 18-year-old and learnt combat survival and land navigation whilst stationed in Hawaii. However, most of his survival skills were self-taught during childhood on the farm, learning to hunt, fish and track game.

“My unique skill sets are my determination, my levelheadedness, communication skills and ability to improvise,” he said. “Also, I’m too dumb to die.”

Timothy Spears

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Timothy Spears.
Netflix

Age: 33

Location: Fort Collins, Colorado

Timothy inherited his love for the outdoors from his late grandfather, who taught him to hunt, camp and survive in the Canadian wilderness. He now lives in Colorado and has been exploring the Colorado Trail, beliving that nature is where humans are meant to be.

“My ability to survive, my tenacity, my love for nature and my drive to conquer the unconquerable. I love being in the woods, and this seems to be my most immense challenge yet,” he said.

Outlast is available to stream on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

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