From the way Mike Ross describes his past, it’s easy to see how different his life could have been. “I have a really messed up family story, and I’ve risen above some crazy stuff,” he said. “I shouldn’t have gone to college, I should be dead in a ditch somewhere.”
Thankfully, Ross, a University of Maryland alum, didn’t let his past get the best of him. In fact, he completely turned it around. Last fall, when most people thought he was traveling through New Zealand, Ross was living it up in Las Vegas as a cast member of MTV’s The Real World: Las Vegas. It’s certainly not an ordinary post-graduation path, but Mike Ross is not an ordinary guy.
Ross was led to the Real World audition by a series of fateful events. He had just broken up with his girlfriend of
two and a half years and was sick of seeing her everywhere. “Maryland is a big school on a small campus,” the
communication major said. “You always end up seeing the same people.”
For a change of scenery, he and his roommate at the time went to Philadelphia for the weekend, where The Real
World was holding auditions. They both decided to try out on a whim, and spent the first round goofing off at the bar. “I ended up spending like, 90 dollars,” he said. That first interview was to get a sense of who potential cast members were when they let their guard down, but there were many more rounds after that. Ross recalls at least seven or eight, including the initial interview in Philadelphia, an audition tape, a phone interview, semi-finals in New York and finals in Los Angeles.
Despite such a long and intense audition process, Ross knew he was a good candidate for the show because of his dramatic childhood and strong personality. His dark past involves growing up with drug-addicted parents and a lot of moving around, which finally led to his becoming legally emancipated. Now, Ross is assertive and doesn’t put up with anything he doesn’t feel he should have to. “I’m not the biggest or the strongest, but I’m never afraid to stand up for what I believe is right,” he said.
Once the show started, Ross’s solid character was put to the test as his every move was taped for three months. He had to interact with new people and live in one of the fastest moving cities in the world…in front of an audience.
Another challenge he faced on the show was the detachment it gave him from his own “real world.” His only communication was the in-house phone, and since most of his friends thought he was out of the country, he chalked his survival up to two good friends he spoke to frequently. Despite the fact that he felt a little overwhelmed by his housemates, who sometimes made him feel like he was “the only normal person there,” he
asserted that he still talks to almost all of them, and remains good friends with Leroy, who was his roommate during filming.
Ross and Real World roommates Adam Royer, Leroy Garrett and Dustin Zito.
Nobody is tracking Mike Ross’s every move now that he’s back in College Park. Surprisingly, he hasn’t seen many differences in his life here now that he’s back and can be seen on MTV every Wednesday. “I get talked to by random strangers more, but I’m okay with that.” In addition, Ross doesn’t have to work for awhile due to his promotional schedule with The Real World. He gets to tour the country and make appearances for the show, which, while an incredible opportunity, has made it hard for him to plan for the future.
One thing he does know is that he’s ready to leave College Park. “There’s something beautiful about College Park…It’s home now, I spend holidays here. I missed it, but I’m ready to go now.” He also expressed an interest in continuing his reality TV career if the opportunity arose to do a Real World/Road Rules Challenge or something similar.
As for how he feels about Las Vegas, Ross claimed that he wouldn’t re-live his Real World experience in any other city. “L.A. or New York would have been cool, but I don’t think either would really compare.”