NEW YORK, NY (June 11, 2012) – MTV’s “The Real World” celebrates its 27th season on the exotic island of St. Thomas when the series premieres on Wednesday, June 27, 2012 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. The roommates will experience everything Caribbean culture has to offer from island romance, rum and scuba diving to island-hopping, kayaking, and dancing in the streets at the traditional Carnival parade. And this time around, the seven strangers are living on an island accessible only by boat — so they’re going to get very close, very quickly. In fact, romance sparks almost immediately for four of them.
But not everyone is who they first seem to be as “The Real World: St. Thomas” goes inside the lives of joke-cracking LaToya, smooth playboy Swift, party girl Marie, good guy Robb, beautiful Laura, ladies man Trey, and dreamer Brandon as they live and love in the heart of the U.S Virgin Islands. Residing in such close quarters is always a recipe for intrigue for our seven strangers. When you add in the allure of paradise and the seductive siren call of the tropics, there’s no telling what drama these roommates will encounter this season.
Fans of “The Real World” can go to MTV.com for cast photos and bios, as well as a collection of behind the scenes “spycam” videos.
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TRAILER — Real World 27: St. Thomas
Get More: The Real World (Season 27), Full Episodes
Get To Know the St. Thomas Cast
LaToya Jackson, 22- Petersburg, VA
Twitter: @LaToyaJMTV
Don’t let the name fool you. LaToya Jackson is not a member of that Jackson family, but this self-proclaimed “Head B*tch in Charge” still has plenty of personality to spare. Bubbly and energetic, Toya, as her friends call her, worked in local TV news but soon realized that she was meant for something greater. Toya grew up, went to school and spent her entire life in the same city. But her outgoing personality cannot be contained and she is desperate to experience life outside her little town. As a former RA and recent graduate of Virginia State University, LaToya was admired on campus and even considered herself and her ex-boyfriend to be the self -proclaimed Michelle and Barack Obama of VSU. Full of sass and style, what kind of drama and mischief will Miss Toya bring with her to St. Thomas?
Swift (Brandon Swift), 22- Edison, NJ
Twitter: @BSwiftMTV
Brandon Swift, who goes by Swift, is a recent graduate of Temple University with a Business Administration degree in legal studies who currently works as a VIP host at a popular local club. He has entrepreneurial aspirations as well as a desire to become a sports and entertainment lawyer. Swift will argue his point endlessly and he’s easily fired up when he feels disrespected. His strong sense of loyalty for his friends and family causes people to gravitate towards him. His undeniable charm and charisma drives the ladies wild and causes them to become obsessed with him. He is often conflicted about relationships because he is not ready to settle down, yet he finds the player’s life a shallow and empty existence. Will he find a meaningful relationship with one of his female roommates or will he just end up playing her?
Marie Roda, 22- Staten Island, NY
Twitter: @MarieMTV
As a self-described “down ass b*tch” and someone with a ton of “Statitude” (that’s Staten Island Attitude, for those not in the know), Marie is one hell of a good time. She also has no problem putting anyone in their place, whether they like it or not. As someone who loves to party and drink a lot, Marie often seems to be rebelling against her strict police officer mother who ruled with an iron fist while she was growing up. However, she is a treasure trove of good stories and always seems to end up in bizarre situations. She once called in sick from her new job at a bar so that she could party elsewhere. Later in the night, she got so drunk that she ended up partying at the same bar that she had called in sick from. Needless to say, she was fired. There’s also the time that Marie lost a tooth and just went on partying for two weeks… toothless and carefree. Marie is always looking for “Mr. Right” or … “Mr. Right Now.” With a house full of hotties—including a roommate who has the same Hakuna Matata tattoo as her—it doesn’t seem like Marie will have any trouble finding a man in St. Thomas.
Robb Schreiber, 21- Bensalem, PA
Twitter: @RobbMTV
Robb will be the first to tell you that “white guys CAN jump.” At 6’6” with bright red hair and piercing blue eyes, Robb stands out wherever he goes. Robb is extremely competitive. A former basketball star, he regularly shocks people with his ability to dunk. He also has a great sense of humor, which he uses to his advantage when it comes to wooing women. However, Robb’s nonstop jokes conceal a rough and difficult upbringing. His relationship with his father is strained and while he doesn’t hold a grudge, he is much closer with his mom and even moved back home in part to be closer to her and his sister. He is studying criminal justice with an eye on becoming a cop or an FBI agent, but is having trouble balancing schoolwork and partying. Robb strangely enjoys shocking his mom with explicit details about his sex life, and like fellow roommate Trey, is developing a reputation as a “man-whore.” But the emotional scars left by his father are more than just skin deep and this baggage seems to have found its way on the flight to St. Thomas. Viewers will see if Robb will be able to live by his problem-free philosophy and truly embrace the mantra behind his Hakuna Matata tattoo.
Laura Waller, 23- Omaha, NE
Twitter: @LauraLeeMTV
Born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, this corn-fed cutie got an unusual present from her adoptive parents when she was born: a shotgun. Extremely sporty and outdoorsy, Laura’s passion is leading her towards a career as a wilderness guide. Though Laura grew up in a strict household full of antiques and needlepoint, this ugly-duckling turned beautiful swan is anything but a conservative country girl. After breaking up with her ex-boyfriend, Laura has really let her inner party girl fly free. As a former cheerleader, she now does a standing backflip while drinking to test how drunk she is. In high school, Laura was booed out of the men’s locker room for wanting to join the football team but turned that setback into a success by eventually becoming a first string quarterback in the Lingerie Football League. She is also a master flirt who has high standards for the men in her life. That doesn’t mean that Laura dates less frequently… she’s just a pro at finding hot guys. Maybe she’ll put her expertise to use in The Real World house with Trey. Problem is— Laura has a reputation for falling fast and hard. Will history repeat itself?
Trey (Walter Weatherholtz, III), 23—Baltimore, MD
Twitter: @MTVTrey
Born in a blue collar section of Baltimore—Trey had a tough childhood. His drug addict father was in and out of jail for much of Trey’s life on charges related to murder, leaving Trey to be raised by his mother and grandmother, to whom he’s incredibly close. He remembers fondly watching soap operas with his mother, which to this day has remained a guilty pleasure and may even spark a potential career as a soap actor. He had once hoped to erase his father’s legacy by pursuing a career in law enforcement, but those dreams were erased when he got caught selling prescription drugs to his football teammates. This former star athlete with an aggressive temper and “old school” values is actively working on his constant inner conflict and becoming a better man. He credits his sessions with a life coach for motivating him to turn things around. With his reputation as a bit of a “man whore”, Trey is also struggling to change his ways so he can find the right woman. He arrives in St. Thomas with a girl back home, but is the relationship strong enough to withstand temptation?
Brandon Kane, 24— Quincy, MA
Twitter: @BrutallyMTV
With his tattoos and gauged ears, Brandon does not look like your typical Real Worlder. Growing up in Boston’s infamous “Southie” neighborhood, he has had to steal and hustle to survive on those streets. Right now, he is homeless and couch-surfing. Since graduating high school, he has worked day and night in order to support his mother and his younger sister Savannah – the light of his life. Though he’s currently doing electrical and construction work, Brandon’s dream is to leave all that in the dust and become a music journalist. He’s extremely open about his past and often comes on very strong, very quickly. He typically goes for tattooed punk girls with indie sensibilities, but that doesn’t mean he is averse to challenging himself with a preppy girl every once in a while. That time may have come because it looks like Laura might have caught his eye in St. Thomas and he certainly won’t be shy to express his affections. Brandon was a virgin until he was 19 but after a particularly heart-wrenching breakup with his first love, he went on to a year of promiscuity and hard partying. He is now trying to change his ways. Brandon sees The Real World as his opportunity to get out of his town and have a shot at a normal life. Will he be able to stay on the straight and narrow path while in St. Thomas or will he succumb to his old wild ways?
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“The Real World” was created for MTV by Jonathan Murray and Mary Ellis-Bunim of Bunim/Murray Productions. Jonathan Murray, Gil Goldschein and Jin Johnston serve as Executive Producers of “The Real World: St. Thomas.” Jackie French is the MTV Executive overseeing the project.
Read all of my blog posts related to “The Real World” including previous cast member interviews – CLICK HERE.
UPDATE JULY 8, 2012 — Here’s a video of a local Virgin Island news report that I found on World Star Caribbean about “The Real World: St. Thomas” and local reactions from residents.
Click here to watch directly on World Star Caribbean.
Related Links
- Starpulse– ‘The Real World: St. Thomas’ star LaToya Jackson: ‘There’s more to me that what you see’
- Starpulse– ‘The Real World: St. Thomas’ star Brandon Swift: ‘I’m not a fan of drama’
- RW/RR Fan Blog– Real World St. Thomas Cast: Meet & Tweet
- CaribbeanTravelMag.com– Video: MTV’s Real World shows off St. Thomas, USVI
- Gothamist– MTV’s ‘Real World’ premiered twenty years ago today
- Flavorwire– Dream casting an all-star season of MTV’s ‘Real World’
- Hooked on Houses– Before & After: ‘The Real World New Orleans’ house got a makeover and is back on the market
- FOX News– Production company denies MTV ‘Real World’ star Tonya Cooley’s rape claim <– what??!! just bumped into this article
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