Big Brother 21 cast: Cliff Hogg, Ovi Kabir, Jack Matthews among the men
Before we do anything else, we should note we have eight men — add to that eight women, and that brings us to 16! Fingers crossed that means that there are not going to be any returning players and we can just enjoy the game as we should — without having to worry about second or third-time players coming in and messing things up for new players that want to make their own mark in the game.
Within the guys this year, we have students, the oldest houseguest this season, a photographer, and at least one dude who really is here mostly to promote himself as a trainer. Some of these guys will be fun, but we’d be lying if we said that there are a couple who are hard to distinguish from each other (we are liking the cast of women better). In addition to our own quick-takes on the players, we also have selections from the bios below.
Want some more Big Brother video coverage on the cast reveal? We have that for you at the bottom of this article! Be sure to subscribe to CarterMatt on YouTube so you don’t miss out all season on daily live feed spoilers and also take a look at our series playlist.
David Alexander (29)
Hometown: Atlanta
Current City: Atlanta
Occupation: Photographer
Three adjectives that describe you: Positive, charismatic and high energy.
Favorite Activities: CrossFit training, professional photography and traveling to new locations.
Do you have a strategy for winning the game? Absolutely! I plan to watch two seasons to get a feel for the show and then further look into strategies that have worked and the type of individuals that typically win. My gift of gab and memory could be an advantage if I play my cards right.
Fun fact – I went to school with the mega rap group The Migos.
Our Impression
He’s a fit guy who doesn’t know all that much but seems reasonably sociable. Should be okay.
Tommy Bracco (28)
Hometown: Staten Island, N.Y.
Current City: Staten Island, N.Y.
Occupation: Broadway Dancer
Three adjectives that describe you: Optimistic, driven and over-the-top.
Favorite Activities: Eating moms cooking, going to the movies alone and playing Catan with the family.
Which past Big Brother cast member did you like most? Da’Vonne from season 17 and 18. Not only was she great TV, but Momma Day is VERY intuitive. Her only issue is that she doesn’t always know what to do with the information. When she returned in season 18, she did a much better job at keeping her mouth shut! But in the end, she could only hold it in for so long.
Do you have a strategy for winning the game? My strategy is inspired by my mother. She cooks and cleans for the entire family and she’s everyone’s favorite person. I want to be the Italian mother of the house. I want to take care of everyone and make them feel safe and loved. No one wants to vote out that person.
Fun Fact – I never paid for a haircut in my life.
Our Impression
Seems like a character, though someone should tell him that people always do vote out the person who cooks and cleans because they do a lot of that and not enough of the rest of the game.
Cliff Hogg III (53)
Hometown: Houston
Current City: Houston
Occupation: Petroleum Engineer
Three adjectives that describe you: Funny, stubborn and caring.
Favorite Activities: Watersports (fishing, jet skiing, swimming, scuba), gardening (I grow satsumas, musca dine grapes, avocados, and will also be growing Loofahs this year) and politics (I love to discuss and debate political topics and concepts in the right environment).
Which past Big Brother cast member did you like most? I like the logical, strategic play from people such as Derrick, Vanessa, or Dan. But Vanessa whined too much when she thought the chips were against her. My favorite of all time has to be Derrick.
Do you have a strategy for winning the game? Present myself as the loyal soldier to one or more strong players while creating enough chaos or paranoia to have people pointing fingers and targeting each other. People WILL assume that I am a loyal kind of guy because that is how I live my life in the real world. I will use that to my advantage and betray as necessary in the end game to get me to the finale!
Fun Fact – Learned to drive a car at the age of 7!
Our Impression
Cliff lasts about two weeks if that. Sticks out way too much.
Ovi Kabir (22) (pronounced Oh-vee Kah-beer)
Hometown: Oakridge, Tenn.
Current City: Knoxville, Tenn.
Occupation: College Student
Three adjectives that describe you: Relatable, motivated, and brown.
Favorite Activities: Rowing, partying (more of a lifestyle than hobby if we are being honest), and watching Tennessee Basketball win games (Yes, it’s a hobby if you live around Knoxville).
What do you think will be the most difficult part about living inside the Big Brother house? I think the most difficult part of living in the Big Brother house will be being away from my dog. My mom and girlfriend can live without me for a while, but my dog is a little dumb and I worry that something is going to happen to him while I’m gone. But other than that, I’m not worried about much else. I’m no stranger to living with a lot of strangers and I don’t mind if we all have differing views on issues. I think that’s what makes this experience so cool is that I’ll get to challenge myself and get to know a lot of people that I did not know before and learn about their experiences in life. So it really comes down to me missing my dog.
Which past Big Brother cast member did you like most? My favorite all time Big Brother houseguest has definitely got to be Hayden Moss from Big Brother 12. I loved watching his attitude and personality in the house and how he brought an alliance together like the “Brigade.” I know I won’t be able to win Big Brother on my own and understand that I have my own shortcomings. So by creating a strong alliance and leading them through the game, I feel like I can win the game. I always say that I might not be the smartest person in the room, but I will always have the smartest team. I feel like Hayden did just that and brought together houseguests in his season to help accomplish his goals and ultimately be crowned the winner of Big Brother 12.
Fun Fact – I have 10 different pairs of crocs in my closet.
Our Impression
Ovi may be a little over-analytical at times, but he’s likable and should do well.
Nick Maccarone (27) (pronounced Mac-ah-rohn)
Hometown: Sewell, N.J.
Current City: Sewell, N.J.
Occupation: Therapist
Three adjectives that describe you: Outgoing, caring and talkative.
Favorite Activities: Playing/watching sports, going to the city to drink/meet women and working (I love helping kids).
What do you think will be the most difficult part about living inside the Big Brother house? Breaking the seal of being the first one to poop. I know you are going to have some really beautiful girls in there and it’s going to make me have to hold it in until 2am until I finally get comfortable with them. I also will miss my mom a lot and that sucks.
Which past Big Brother cast member did you like most? So, I have only watched since BB17, and that was fate, because we had a tornado in my town and it knocked the power out for a week, and it just so happened that my aunt got power back and she was watching the premiere of BB17, which I ended up getting hooked on. Tyler is my favorite. He was extremely intelligent, respectful, but he was humble at the same time. He was a competition machine. He should have probably won, but Kaycee was a good choice as well so I was not upset.
Fun Fact – I have bowled five 300’s in bowling and my dad was a professional bowler on TV.
Our Impression
Maybe he and Tyler can face off in bowling tournaments after the season? He’ll probably do rather well, at least in terms of being able to blend in and communicating with others.
Jack Matthews (28)
Hometown: Chicago
Current City: Tampa, Fla.
Occupation: Fitness Trainer
Three adjectives that describe you: Honest, integrity and character.
Favorite Activities: CrossFit, photography and hanging with my dog Layla.
Do you have a strategy for winning the game? Be honest, have integrity and good character.
Our Impression
There is no fun fact. Nothing in his bio was interesting. The most notable thing about him is his hair and that he kind of resembles Aquaman.
Jackson Michie (24) (pronounced Mickey)
Hometown: Nashville, Tenn.
Current City: Los Angeles
Occupation: Server
Three adjectives that describe you: Driven, assertive and confident.
Favorite Activities: Exercising, social events and hunting.
Which past Big Brother cast member did you like most? – Paul: Simply, he told it like it was. I respect honesty and boldness. Brett: “Guy’s Guy” to a tee. He was socially talented, physical, and would probably be someone I would hang out with outside of the house.
Fun Fact – I skipped my college graduation ceremony to go to South Beach Miami, FL for a week with buddies.
Our Impression
This guy is on this season mostly for the afterparties on finale night.
Sam Smith (31)
Hometown: West Nanticoke, Pa.
Current City: Mountain Top, Pa.
Occupation: Truck Driver
Three adjectives that describe you: Outgoing, bold and comical.
Favorite Activities: Riding my R1, playing basketball, and having friends over for pool parties.
Which past Big Brother cast member did you like most? Derrick Levasseur, his game play was amazing.
Do you have a strategy for winning the game? Be true and be a little bit of a rat for my alliance.
Fun Fact – I was once interviewed by our local radio station.
Our Impression
He’s probably going to be the “rural” contestant, even though he’s actually not from the south at all.
What do you think about some of the men taking part in Big Brother 21? Be sure to share right now in the comments. (Photo: CBS.)