in 2000, skupin flew to australia to film the of the wildly popular tv series "survivor". he was one of 16 castaways competing for the $1 million prize and the title of sole survivor. upon the start of the game, skupin was placed on the kucha tribe, and was almost immediately seen as the tribe's leader. at first, he disavowed the role of tribal leader, but later embraced being the tribe's main provider, catching fish for the tribe and even killing a wild pig for its meat.