‘King of the Nerds’ exit interview: Xander Jeanneret on strategy, fun moments, and sole regret

Going into “King of the Nerds,” the general consensus on our end was that Xander Jeanneret was someone who was going to do extremely well in the competition. As he said himself, he was pretty good in a lot of different things, which makes you a valuable team player, and we also feel that it keeps you from ever becoming the primary target. The guy played a really good game, and only came up short due to some trivia questions at the final four.

In continuing our final exit interviews, we chatted with the gamer (or “gaymer,” as he called himself) about a number of fun things that happened this season. He also explained his confessionals, passionate need for coffee (which we can relate to), and also the one particular moment this season that he regrets.

CarterMatt – I think probably more than any other contestant this season, you had a real self-awareness of the camera and when to drop the one-liners and the great confessionals. How in the world do you keep that energy up all the time? I know you can get tired or stressed during filming.

Xander Jeanneret – Hahaha! I absolutely loved the confessionals. I was playing the game, yes, but I was there first and foremost to have a good time. I think that’s why I never came across as too upset or stressed, though I did get tired towards the end of it. Whenever things got too intense, I would just take a step back and remember all the amazing things that I was able to do during my time in Nerdvana, and everything seemed right with the world. As for keeping the energy up, it was the love and support of all the fellow nerds that kept me going. Oh wait, I mean coffee. Lots of coffee.

CarterMatt – During the early stages, how did you find yourself getting along with players like Kayla and Chris? You’re someone who is a master of creativity after all, whereas they tended to view things through a more scientific lens.

I don’t think it was necessarily a difference of ‘science-minded’ or ‘creative-minded’ so much as the difference in personality, especially when working as a group. Early on in the game, Kayla and I butted heads a lot when it came to decisions based on the performances. But, as was shown on the purple side, we were always able to talk through the differences and tried to play to our strengths to create the best presentations possible. Chris was a calm and collected leader, and I actually really got along with him (he taught me how to solve a Rubik’s Cube on our days off!). I think that if he didn’t fall into the leadership role for the team, I might have, and I’m glad that I didn’t have to take on that responsibility and possible target.

Even though there were not that many times during the competition that you were eligible to enter a Nerd-Off, how did you manage to avoid it when you were in contention? Were you worried about your ‘Xanderbombs'(as you hilariously called it) hurting you in that one particular conversation with Kayla?

While the friendships I made during my time in the game were completely genuine, I’m no stranger to utilizing my people skills to better my position. I think many people don’t value that trait as a useful skill, but in a game such as this, it is a valuable asset to have. I was under the impression that many of the contestants didn’t really see me as a threat, and it was my intention to keep it that way. It was a juggling act of showing off my skills and seeming like a weak player at the same time.

A question I am commonly asked is ‘Do you have any regrets from King of the Nerds?’ and I think the way I presented ‘Xanderbombs’ is the only thing that makes the list. In the Titans of Rigel, we always discussed our strategies out in the open, and Kayla had come up to me that morning (before my first sip of coffee!) and wanted to talk gameplay. Before I knew what was happening, I had dug myself into a hole that I was not getting out of any time soon. The logic behind it was sound, but the way I presented it was all wrong. It makes for a great drink name, though.

Did you manage to get along with everyone this season, and if so, what are those friendships like now?

Very much so! We all have a strong bond that might be due to sharing a traumatic event together, but in the best way possible. There’s just something about going through this process that brings us close, and even to some of the nerds from Season 1, because we all have this shared experience. Not only that, but we’re all nerds, so we all have the natural proclivity to be friends in the first place. The friendships that I’ve made and the experiences I’ve shared with them are the best things that I have taken from Nerdvana. The robot is pretty cool, too.

In the trivia game during the finale when you were eliminated, is there anything you wish you would’ve done differently? Kayla insinuated that with the final question you chose, you actually played to her strengths more so than your own.

In the actual game, we played through quite a few more questions and it had gone on for a while. At the time that I made the final move, I believe the only categories left were Math, Science, and Comics. Since Kayla was dominating the Comics category, and I knew her background as a Rocket Scientist, the only thing I could do in my position was pick the hardest question in the math category to give everyone a ‘fair’ shot. Kayla answered the question correctly, and earned her spot in the final two fair and square!

For our typical fun question in closing, how has the show influenced and changed what you want to do as a performer? Did you get a particular creative spark from doing the show?

Completely! The show has given me a platform to express myself on a larger scale than I’ve ever had before. I have the absolute best fan base now, and that is infinitely inspiring. Every message that I receive saying that young nerdlets have changed their outlook on gay people, or that I’ve inspired them to come out to their friends and family, is another reminder that I made the right choice by coming on this show. Not only that, but being around the amazing energy of people like Curtis Armstrong has been a wellspring of creativity. I hope to continue to be inspired by the people and things I surround myself with, and to create and inspire creativity in others!

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Thanks to Xander for sharing his thoughts on the season! If you want to read some more “King of the Nerds” interviews, we suggest bookmarking the link here! We’ve got our chat with runner-up Jack Hou up now, and we’ll have the chat with Brian Davidson up tonight and the one with winner Kayla LaFrance tomorrow.

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Photo: TBS