‘The Bachelor’ Colton Underwood on ‘SNL,’ Mental Health, Fence-Jumping & His Advice for Future Contestants
Q&A
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As this season of The Bachelor draws to a close, hunky former NFLer Colton Underwood has whittled his choice of lucky ladies down to the final four: Caelynn, Cassie, Hannah G. and Tayshia.
This week, we’re heading to hometown dates with the final four, and fingers are crossed that we’ll finally see this season’s most talked-about, but not-yet-seen moment, when Colton jumps the fence.
But when we caught up with Underwood a few weeks ago, he spilled deets about being lampooned on Saturday Night Live, and how he keeps it all together in the midst of a bevy of beauties are vying for his heart, and his roses.
James McAvoy lampooned you in a Saturday Night Live skit titled, “Virgin Hunk.” What was that like?
Colton Underwood: That’s obviously an honor anytime you get a SNL skit about you. I thought it was very, very funny, and somewhat truthful.
When you’re in the midst of The Bachelor, is there anyone you can reach out to — like family or friends — to help advise you?
No. They actually provide a therapist on the show, so any time I wanted to meet with my therapist I could, which was nice.
I’m a big advocate for mental health. I think just as much as I want to work out and work on my physical appearance, I think it’s really important to exercise your brain as well too. I can’t say enough good things about how they provide that opportunity for me to have that space and to have that security with no microphones and cameras, so that when I do need to go vent, or be alone, or talk through things with somebody, I have that safe space.
If you didn’t have a therapist to talk to, which family member always lays it to you straight?
The interesting thing is the relationship between my mom and me is more … I feel like we’re best friends more than mother/son. Me and my dad have a really good relationship too; I can lean on him for a lot of advice. But my go-to member in my family to vent to is my dog, Sniper.
What has it been like to have all of these women anxious to spend time with you and eager to get to know you?
Obviously, I’m very grateful and humble for the opportunity. Nothing can prepare you for it. Everybody’s like, “Could you give me some advice?” Unless you’re doing it, you can’t… and I didn’t do it the best way, I didn’t do it perfectly. But you live and learn.
Although you’re exploring relationships in a very public setting, how do you feel when people come up to you and act like they know you?
I’m still new with all of this, because I’ve been filming show-after-show-after-show, so I haven’t really had a lot of experience out in the public yet. But one thing that I’m quickly realizing is it’s sort of lopsided. Everybody knows everything about me, but I don’t really know them. They feel like they really know me, and they come up and talk about my family, or my dogs, or my relationships, and Paradise and Bachelorette, it’s like, okay, but I don’t know anything about you.
What advice would you give to a future Bachelor or Bachelorette?
I would say be yourself and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. It’s all right to not handle certain situations the right way, as long as you learn and you grow through it. You don’t have to be perfect to do it. You just have to be willing to have this self-awareness of knowing that you’re growing. That’s the whole point of being in a relationship, to grow through life with somebody.
For a lot of celebs, watching The Bachelor is a guilty pleasure. Have you had any starstruck moments?
Yeah. I was just talking to Scott Foley and his wife — they are big fans of the show. I spent some time with Bob Saget, too. It’s been unbelievable just to see the ABC family, how they gather around and they support their community.
I can’t say enough good things about ABC and NZK, and the production company behind this show, they’ve really allowed me to change the game and put my own twist on things. I think that you’re seeing that with the authenticity of this season with the selfie cams and the behind-the-scenes, breaking the fourth wall and just letting the viewers see that.
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