Stein Retzlaff isn’t your average reality TV contestant—and that’s exactly the point. While most of his castmates on Hulu’s new survival-competition series Got to Get Out come from the usual reality circuit, Retzlaff’s background reads like an adventure epic. He’s an expedition cinematographer who’s led and documented over 30 trips to Antarctica and the Arctic. He’s skied first descents in Svalbard, sailed near the North Pole, and filmed grueling treks through the Amazon. His passport is stamped with hardship and high-altitude grit—not red carpets.
The Truckee, California-born adventurer is stepping into a new kind of unknown—reality television. Got to Get Out, which premieres April 11 on Hulu, throws 20 contestants—including household names like Spencer Pratt, Omarosa, and Rashad Jennings—into a psychological escape game with one rule: get out. The stakes? A $1 million prize. Players can collaborate or backstab, wait, or bolt—the catch is they don’t know when to make their move.
“I was totally out of my comfort zone. It was something totally different that I’ve never done before in my life,” Retzlaff recounted about the show, which has already been filmed and launches on Friday. “I’m super grateful to have been cast for it—it’s the craziest thing I’ve ever done, in its own way, for sure.”
For Retzlaff, the challenge wasn’t the wilderness. It was the game itself. No camera in hand, no compass, no gear. Just instinct, deduction, and the ability to read a room full of scheming strangers.
Raised without a TV or phone, Retzlaff’s story is a wildcard among the cast. He grew up in Tahoe building tree forts, not watching reality shows. Now, the filmmaker who once documented melting glaciers and remote climbs in places like Antarctica is in front of the lens—competing against influencers, celebrities, and social tacticians in a mansion full of hidden rules and trap doors.
“I really like reading books, and I do understand Game Theory, but my skillset in the world of extreme sports; to be honest I don’t know if it really helped me that much. It was such a different experience. I was just rolling with the punches,” Retzlaff said.
It’s a unique crossover moment for the outdoor community. Adventure athletes rarely cross into reality show culture. But Got to Get Out may change that. Retzlaff represents a different kind of grit—one forged by cold mornings, solo missions, and unglamorous endurance.
The series, hosted by Simu Liu, leans heavily on chaos and social strategy. Contestants can try to escape with the money at any time. If someone successfully gets out, the prize pool resets to zero for everyone else. Until then, it keeps climbing. That balance between teamwork and betrayal creates constant tension inside the house.
For Retzlaff, the mental game was tougher than any physical expedition. There’s no snowstorm or avalanche in Got to Get Out, but the unpredictability of human nature? That’s a beast of its own.
“I can say from the bottom of my heart [Got to Get Out] was the craziest thing I have ever done in my life,” Retzlaff said.
Catch Stein Retzlaff on Got to Get Out, premiering with all eight episodes on April 11 on Hulu. This time, he’s not behind the camera—and he’s not in the wilderness. But if there’s one thing adventurers are good at, it’s finding a way out.
