'Big Brother' 19 Cast Reveals 16 New Houseguests
John Castro What do a government engineer, dance teacher, microbiologist and rodeo clown all have in common? They'll all be fighting for half a million dollars on season 19 of Big Brother. Well, hopefully they'll fight and not float their way to the end.
For the newest season of the CBS reality series, 16 brand new houseguests have been cast to play the game. Among them is Christmas Abbott, 35, who cites season 15's Helen Kim as one of her favorite players. Matthew Clines, 33, is a big fan of season 16's America's Favorite Houseguest winner Donny Thompson. Jillian Parker, 24, favors "bad bitch" Daniele Donato from seasons eight and 13.
And Cody Nickson, 32, and Josh Martinez, 23, may be causing some havoc this summer as they both reveal the former player they like the most is none other than Big Brother legend and season eight winner Evel Dick Donato.
Also noteworthy of this season's fresh new faces is that unlike last season and other seasons before it this cast is a bit older. There are five players in their 30s and one stay-at-home dad from Boston who is 55.
So how will the game play out with these cast of characters when season 19 premieres on June 28? We'll soon found out. But first, below are their official bios.
Make sure to check back in to The Live Feed on June 20 for their full interviews with The Hollywood Reporter. And come back again on June 21 for a full house tour with host Julie Chen and executive producers Allison Grodner and Rich Meehan.
Christmas Abbott
Image Credit: CBS Age: 35
Hometown: Lynchburg, Va.
Current City: Raleigh, N.C.
Occupation: Fitness Superstar
Three adjectives that describe you: Committed, happy and influential.
Which past Big Brother cast member did you like most? Helen [Kim]! She was smart, knew how to work the people in the house and people knew they needed her!
Matthew Clines
Image Credit: CBS Age: 33
Hometown: Arlington, Va.
Current City: Arlington, Va.
Occupation: Renovation Consultant
Three adjectives that describe you: Fun, competitive and silly.
Which past Big Brother cast member did you like most? Donny Thompson from season 16. He has a great beard, wore camo and generally was a good dude. What a fun little man.
Dominique Cooper
Image Credit: CBS Age: 30
Hometown: Tuskegee, Ala.
Current City: Woodbridge, Va.
Occupation: Government Engineer
Three adjectives that describe you: Uber optimistic, energetic and determined
Which past Big Brother cast member did you like most? Hmmm… I'm still trying to figure that out lol.
Elena Davies
Image Credit: CBS Age: 26
Hometown: Fort Worth, Texas
Current City: Dallas, Texas
Occupation: Radio Personality
Three adjectives that describe you: Funny, abrasive and charming.
Which past Big Brother cast member did you like most? James [Huling] because he made it fun.
Jason Dent
Image Credit: CBS Age: 37
Hometown: Humeston, Iowa
Current City: Humeston, Iowa
Occupation: Rodeo Clown
Three adjectives that describe you: Charismatic, ambitious and athletic
Which past Big Brother cast member did you like most? James because I feel like he plays dumb, but made it really far.
Jessica Graf
Image Credit: CBS Age: 26
Hometown: Cranston, R.I.
Current City: Los Angeles
Occupation: VIP Concierge
Three adjectives that describe you: Honest, loud and loyal.
Which Big Brother cast member did you like most? Janelle [Pierzina]. We have very similar personalities. I see a lot of her game play in me.
Social Media: Instagram
Cameron Heard
Image Credit: CBS Age: 24
Hometown: North Aurora, Ill.
Current City: Woodridge, Ill.
Occupation: Microbiologist
Three adjectives that describe you: Persistent, driven and smart.
Which past Big Brother cast member did you like most? Ian [Terry]! I started watching Big Brother because of Ian. I had no idea what it was and my mom told me to start watching BB14 because it's like Survivor in a house. I instantly fell in love and wanted Ian to win. I think I like him so much because he's a lot like me. He is nerdy and has giant love for the game, he's smart and seems fun in real life.
Mark Jansen
Image Credit: CBS Age: 26
Hometown: Grand Island, N.Y.
Current City: Grand Island, N.Y.
Occupation: Personal Trainer
Three adjectives that describe you: Fun, strong and thoughtful
Which past Big Brother cast member did you like most? Brendon Villegas. He basically said, "It's me and my girl vs. the house, let's go."
Megan Lowder
Image Credit: CBS Age: 28
Hometown: Cathedral City, Calif.
Current City: Phoenix, Ariz.
Occupation: Dog Walker
Three adjectives that describe you: Cunning, smart and beautiful because I'm confident like that.
Which past Big Brother cast member did you like most? I love Frank [Eudy]! It was him against the house both seasons and he did a beautiful job of using his skills to his advantage. Also he seems like a total bro I would love to get a beer with. I also love Paul [Abrahamian] and Victor [Arroyo] from season 18. They played one of the best games I've seen.
Josh Martinez
Image Credit: CBS Age: 23
Hometown: Miami, Fl.
Current City: Homestead, Fl.
Occupation: Hair Care Sales
Which past Big Brother cast member did you like the most? Evel Dick hands down is my favorite houseguest. He always spoke his mind, he was an asshole to who he needed to be, didn't care what others thought and even though he didn't have a good relationship with his daughter, he always defended her, which is kind of the dynamic with my family. Overall he was himself, spoke his mind and did not give a shit about being on anyone's good side. I see a lot of of his game play in the way I will play.
Cody Nickson
Image Credit: CBS Age: 32
Hometown: Lake Mills, Iowa
Current City: Plano, Texas
Occupation: Construction Sales Rep
Three adjectives that describe you: Confident, charming and sweet.
Which past Big Brother cast member did you like most? Evel Dick. . .I LOVE it when someone plays the game in a way that has never been seen before. . .and it works! He was able to to be a dickhead the whole time and still took it to the end! It sucked we couldn't see his methods at work a second time.
Alex Ow
Image Credit: CBS Age: 28
Hometown: Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Current City: Camarillo, Calif.
Occupation: Eco-Friendly Marketing Rep
Three adjectives that describe you: Center of attention, hyper and adorable.
Which past Big Brother cast member did you like most? I love Nicole Franzel from season 16 and the winner of season 18! She seriously is just a fan favorite. I find her the most honest and relatable. While she did do some shady things like turning her back on alliances, she was in it to win it and I respect the way she went about it. She reminds me of myself. We look all cute and cuddly, but we're here for one thing, to win Big Brother.
Jillian Parker
Image Credit: CBS Age: 24
Hometown: Celebration, Fl.
Current City: Las Vegas, Nev.
Occupation: Timeshare Sales Rep
Three adjectives that describe you: Bubbly, funny and truthful.
Which past Big Brother cast member did you like most? Daniele Donato because she's a bad bitch, beautiful and speaks her mind, a lot like me!
Social Media: Linkedin
Kevin Schlehuber
Image Credit: CBS Age: 55
Hometown: Boston, Mass.
Current City: Boston, Mass.
Occupation: Stay at home Dad.
Three adjectives that describe you: Caring, humorous and charismatic.
Which past Big Brother cast member did you like most? I did meet Derrick Levasseur once and he seemed like a nice guy!
Ramses Soto
Image Credit: Courtesy of CBS Age: 21
Hometown: Grand Rapids, Mich.
Current City: Grand Rapids, Mich.
Occupation: Cosplay Artist
Three adjectives that describe you: Friendly, quirky and energetic.
Which past Big Brother cast member did you like most? DAN FREAKING GHEESLING! Seriously though, how does one go from 100 percent the person who's getting voted off, to making it to final two!! He's a great strategist and [an] amazing manipulator. I look up to him so much when it comes to Big Brother.
Social Media: Twitter
Raven Walton
Image Credit: CBS Age: 23
Hometown: DeValls Bluff, Ark.
Current City: DeValls Bluff, Ark.
Occupation: Dance Teacher
Three adjectives that describe you: Quirky, bubbly and outgoing.
Which past Big Brother cast member did you like most? OMG it would have to be Frankie Grande! I love how he played the game. Even after they found out his sister was famous he played it off so well! If I had been on his season I swear we would have been two peas in a pod! I loved how much fun he was and how he always talked to the cameras.
Social Media: Twitter