Ahead of its 23 September premiere on CBS, the cast of "Survivor 51" told The Hollywood Reporter what they plan to conceal from fellow contestants during the show's new "Open Era" season. Deception has always been central to Survivor's gameplay, but many of the 21 castaways are going further than in-game lies, choosing to hide or downplay their real professions, qualifications and personalities from the outset in order to control how others perceive them before the game even begins.

Several lawyers on the cast, including Patt, Alexis and Kristin, said they intend to conceal their profession, fearing it will make them seem manipulative or untrustworthy. Others, such as Jelly, Cristian and Ori, plan to hide advanced degrees or intelligence so as not to appear an early strategic threat. Meanwhile, actor Devin and therapist Eric said they would downplay or disguise their careers to avoid being stereotyped, while Yankees employee Mike plans to underplay his strategic skills. The pattern reflects a shared tactic among contestants: managing first impressions to avoid being targeted early in the game.