Reese Montanez

**Reese Montanez** is the host of *Simvivor*.

## Biography

Reese Montanez was born in the Port Luminoso neighborhood of Tartosa. His father, Louis, was a firefighter and his mother, Paulette, was a homemaker. He has two older siblings, Keith and Sara. After graduating high school, Reese moved to Del Sol Valley to pursue a career in film, where he got his start as a makeup artist for Judith Ward and Venessa Jeong. Later taking on managerial responsibilities for other new actors, Reese dropped his clients when he got his big break co-starring in romantic comedy *The Undertaker Diaries*.

Reese's career-defining moment came when he starred in *Crypt Invader 7* as the heroic paleontologist Buck Buckingham. The film was a blockbuster hit, but it ultimately was the final movie in the prolific Crypt Invader series. Reese retired from acting, having been quoted as saying, "I'm looking for a new adventure at the moment. Acting just isn't what I want to do right now."

## Acting career

Reese has many acting credits to his name, but some of his career beginnings included uncredited roles as an extra. In 1989, he had a guest role in the sitcom "I'm a Carrot!", based on the popular film of the same name. In 1995, he played a leading role opposite Judith Ward in *The Undertaker Diaries*, where he was nominated for a Starlight Accolade.

In 1997, Reese announced that he was starring in *Crypt Invader'*s seventh film, dubbed "The Pharaoh's Curse", as the protagonist's brother, Buck Buckingham. During the final battle sequence, Buck was killed off during an improvised explosion gone wrong. Winning his first and second Starlight Accolades for Best Actor and Best Picture for "The Pharaoh's Curse", Reese cemented himself as a Del Sol Valley legend.

Reese officially retired from acting in early 1999 with a statement released by his publicist.

## Hosting Simvivor

In late 1999, Reese was contacted by Power Aspiration Network about a hosting gig for an upcoming reality television program titled *Simvivor*. Reese was one of four final candidates for the job, eventually beating out the others and signing a ten-season/five-year contract with the network. Of the contract's strict commitments, Reese stated, "the network is very reputable and this is a project that I'm very invested in. I feel comfortable being able to agree to the job because it's something new, it's that adrenaline-rush that I've been looking for in my career."

Reese has become a permanent host to the show since its inception. According to executives with the Power Aspiration Network, Reese had never taken a hosting gig prior to *Simvivor*, but they admired his action-hero reputation and ability to improvise on the spot. Noting his past as a makeup artist and manager, producers also believed that Reese had enough insight "behind the curtain" to carry on such a significant role.

However, Reese has said that he had dealt with incredibly stiff competition during the initial recruitment phase of the show. Former television host Kenya Fraser was one of the other three candidates for the position and producers called the decision "a difficult choice between two strong personalities with unique skills to offer." Kenya, however, benefited from her candidacy, as she was promptly hired by the network to lead *Star Quality* instead.

As the figurehead of the show, Reese is frequently seen during challenges, Tribal Councils, and delivers news about twists within the game. During the challenges, Reese is the official referee, making commentary during the challenge and reserves the right to disqualify players if foul play occurs. Reese also holds the right to postpone or resume a challenge if medical staff need to come to a player's aid.

## Personal Life

Reese is currently single, but he shares a son, Patrick, with his ex-girlfriend. Patrick was born in 1997.