Life Below Zero is directly opposed to the extremely saturated and soap operatic tendencies
of almost every kind of television series, which are currently on the air.
The show tends to focus upon actual people, irrespective of how unique or outlandish their
characters might seem at the very first glance.
The show takes the viewers to the wilderness of Alaska where the trials and tribulations
of everyday life are put on the display by several survivalists.
Outdoor survivalists Eric and Martha Salitan, river camp owner, Sue Aikens, nomadic hunters
Chip and Agnes Hailstone, and another survival expert from Fairbanks, Glen Villeneuve are
among the cast.
Though the show seems flawless when it comes to portraying reality, a lot more goes on
behind the scenes.
Today, we have chosen to dig into some untold stories of ‘Life Below Zero’ and its cast.
But, before we head to Alaska, take a moment to subscribe to our channel and hit the bell
icon to be a part of our notification squad.
#5. Sue Aikens sued the production crew
For some people, Aikens truly encompasses
the heart of the show.
Her daily activities and daring survival measures and her very own Kavik River camp have been
a focus of the show for many years.
You may be surprised to know that Aikens, one of the beloved cast members for the viewers,
may not be so to the production team.
She sued the production company, after one of the producers, Aaron Mellman, forced her
to do a dangerous stunt.
Aaron forced her to drive a snowmobile over a frozen river and asked her to take off her
mask and helmet in the severe temperature conditions, saying that the audience couldn’t
see her face.
As if that wasn’t enough, they took some time before rescuing her after she was thrown
from the machine and suffered a broken collarbone.
She claimed that she had to endure frostbite while the producers intended to get more footage
of her accident.
Talk about TRP!
#4. Glen Villeneuve Didn’t Want to Appear on the Show
When the producers heard about a survival expert named Glenn Villeneuve, who often spends
about half a year off the mainland in the Alaskan wilderness, they knew that he would
be perfect for the show.
However, when he was approached to appear on the show, he didn’t seem that keen and
wasn’t that fond of the idea of a filming crew following him around.
Ultimately, he considered the offer and we know him as a real estate man, who is living
his dream life as a hunter and survival expert in northern Alaska.
#3. Glen’s sources of money
Anyone who is slightly intrigued by Villeneuve’s
lifestyle should know that he didn’t start living in the Alaskan wilderness until he
was 35 years old.
Upon being asked by a fan on Facebook live stream, he said that most of his income came
from a wide variety of ventures.
It ranges from real estate to the stock market with an additional perk coming from being
a regular cast member of Life Below Zero.
#2. Camera Operators Do not Have it Easy at All
There’s no denying that the camera crew
can be considered as the main backbone of the entire show.
As such, it is crucial that these cameramen often go out of their way to get shots that
would be impossible without putting their own lives at risk on more than a single occasion.
In addition to this, they have had their share of problems with the main cast themselves,
most notably with Glenn Villeneuve and Sue Aikens.
#1. The Cast Members’ Net Worth
When it comes to living your dreams, money
doesn’t matter a lot.
For instance, ‘Life Below Zero’ cast members are living their lives to the fullest enjoying
the nature of Alaska.
However, after appearing on the show, one can genuinely claim that the cast has indeed
gained something from it.
Aikens, the owner of Kavik River Camp is worth around $500 thousand and the Salitans, who
make a healthy living through guiding, hunting trips and their Talarik Creek Fishing Lodge,
have a net worth of around $400 thousand.
The Hailstones and Andy Bassich are both assumed to be worth around $250,000.
However, there has been no clear figure of Glenn or Jessie Holmes’ fortunes.
“Life Below Zero” is an actual hair tingling experience of adventure with exhilaration
seeped into every single frame of each episode.
One should always try to catch it if not for the experience, at least to understand people’s
love for nature, and the wilderness.
What do you find the most intriguing about ‘Life Below Zero?’
Tell us in the comments, and before leaving don’t forget to give us a like and subscribe
to our channel for more great videos.