Ever since Rupert Boneham was voted as America’s favorite
contestant and won $1 million on Survivor: America’s Tribal Council,
Rupertmania has created a buzz in Indiana like the state has never seen.
The 40 year-old Indianapolis native is taking full
advantage of his popularity by making a series of appearances for
Plainfield-based Galyans Sports & Outdoor at store openings in Freehold, N.J.;
Charlotte, N.C.; Algonquin, Ill.; North Olmstead, Ohio; and Indianapolis. He is
also scheduled to appear at the Flagstar Bank 500 Festival Parade on May 29 and
at Hoosier Park in Anderson in the coming weeks.
Boneham, who received 85% of the 38 million votes cast for
the most-deserving member of the Survivor All-Stars cast, will also be an
important part of Joe Kernan’s gubernatorial election campaign. As soon as it
looked as if Rupert was America’s favorite Survivor, Kernan started riding
Boneham’s coattails, calling him "a fine Hoosier who has devoted so much of his
time and energies to Indiana's youth."
Rupert hopes to parlay his celebrity into a movie career. He
has already been offered the role of Tex Cobb in an upcoming movie about the
life of the former boxer and actor, and will be a body double for Hagrid (Robbie
Coltrane) during loves scenes with Minerva McGonagall in the fourth installment
of the Harry Potter series, The Goblet of Fire.
Despite all of the attention Rupert has been getting, he
has still remained the down-to-earth Hoosier that America loves. When
asked what he plans to do with his new fortune, Boneham said, “Pay off my mom’s
house and buy a jet-ski.”
At least fame has not yet ruined the personality of
Indiana’s favorite son.
