By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
February 11, 2002
Chad Harper was just another model-about-town when a casting agent for “Fear Factor” asked him to audition for the daredevil/gross-out reality show. Harper made the cut and was flown to Los Angeles, where he underwent physical and psychological exams to make sure he had what it takes to compete on the show.
The Chicago-based model (and “private eye”) tells Glare what he had to do to win $50,000.
Q. What was your scariest stunt?
A. The last thing we had to do was get in a Camaro, drive on a ramp that shot your car out, and kind of crash. Whoever shot the car out the furthest won that round. I won.
Q. A model crashing his car. Did you ever think it might not be a good idea to mess up your face?
A. I wouldn’t let those thoughts come to mind, but now that I think about it, it probably wasn’t a good idea.
Q. Was everyone on your episode a model?
A. No, in fact they didn’t want to capitalize on that. I also do marketing for a private investigator firm, so they billed me as a P.I.
Q. Is there anything you wouldn’t have done on the show?
A. It’s funny ’cause you think you have your limits, but then you get in competition mode. It’s not just the money. You don’t want to lose on national television.
Q. What’s more gross: chicken feet or maggots?
A. Maggots, ’cause they were alive. For the second round, we had to pick chicken feet with our mouths out of buckets filled with maggots. They said they boiled everything to make them sanitary but the maggots were alive, so I don’t know. I think I ate a few.
His episode is playing today 9-1-23, he’s fixing to do his 1st stint. 🙂🙂