Jeff Probst was trending after his Two and a Half Men cameo for his impressive shirtless look.
Taking on the role of a guest star on a comedy sounds great on the surface, however, it also comes with a lot of pressure. The cast is already established, while performing in front of a live audience isn't everyone's cup of tea, and a different kind of experience.
Still, stars embrace the challenge and that included many on Two and a Half Men. Appearing alongside Charlie Sheen certainly wasn't easy, and the same held true in the later seasons with the equally popular Ashton Kutcher. Nonetheless, guest stars usually thrived on the show and made the most of the opportunity. That especially held true for Jeff Probst.
In the following, we're going to take a closer look at how the unlikely cameo came to be. According to Probst, close friend Jon Cryer played a major role in the cameo. Jeff made headlines for it, especially given that he lacked clothing throughout the cameo. We'll reveal how it all came to be, and how Probst felt about the unique experience.
Jon Cryer Played A Major Role In Getting Jeff Probst On Two And A Half Men
Jeff Probst was asked to play a version of himself on Two and a Half Men. Of course, it turned out to be an exaggerated version that featured the popular Survivor host without clothing during his cameo.
Probst gave some detail on how the Two and a Half Men cameo came to be. Probst revealed with Today that the process was very straightforward given his experience with CBS.
"Even though it sounds weird given that I’m on CBS, it was really straightforward. I got a call from the casting director."
Jon Cryer then nudged Probst to read the script. Given their closeness, Probst agreed, and the rest is history.
"I happen to be friends with [Jon] Cryer and I texted him and he said, 'I just read the script. It’s really funny. You should do it.' That was it."
The script did indicate a lack of clothing for Probst, but he just couldn't turn it down regardless given what an opportunity it was to appear on a sitcom that was enjoying such massive popularity.
Jeff Probst Had A Blast On Two And A Half Men But Didn't Appear In Front Of An Audience
As expected, Probst had a blast shooting Two and a Half Men. The Survivor host discussed some of the behind the scenes parts to his cameo. One of them was that he didn't shoot in front of a live audience. This made the process extremely quick given the tight schedule of the show.
"No," Probst said about shooting in front of a live audience. "And probably just as well! I have to say — they move quickly. It’s pretty much, get undressed, let’s go, shoot you’re done. Let’s go, see you. It’s a small part but it’s very fun. Definitely a highlight. When I left that day, I did call my wife and say 'Well, that’s one for the books."
Probst admitted that the cameo was a blast, particularly given the actors he got to work with.
"Getting to work with stars with the magnitude of Cryer and Ashton [Kutcher] on a show of this magnitude created by one of the biggest TV creators of all time—and be naked. That will go down in the scrapbook," he tells Today.
Once the episode aired, Probst was a major trend as expected. However, fans couldn't stop talking about his physique on the show, which caught many by surprise.
Jeff Probst Was Praised For His Shirtless Scene On The Sitcom, And His Physique
He wasn't wearing his classic Survivor short-sleeve button-up. Instead, Probst was shirtless, showing off his ripped physique for the millions that tuned in. As expected, fans had questions related to Probst's physique. The host revealed that there was no real secret to it, just a lot of hard work, especially given his older age.
"That’s called I’m not 20 anymore," Probst said about his fitness routine. "If you want to stay fit, you have to work at it. It’s definitely not a case of (I was born with) good genes and I eat McDonald’s every day. I definitely put effort into staying fit. You have to if you want to live a long time, why wouldn’t you? And if you’re in this industry, you better."
Hilariously, Probst also tinkered with the possibility of using a similar look on Survivor.
"That’s what I told myself in my trailer — I like this. I thought it would be a little bit more intimidating to walk onto the set. You’re wearing very tiny underwear. You are wearing something. It’s like being European. Or it's just like being on a beach in Brazil. No big deal."
Ultimately, fans got to see a different side of Probst on the sitcom, and it proved to be a major positive.