A cute brunette with a magnetic onscreen presence and an effervescent charm, Colleen Haskell emerged as arguably the best-loved "Survivor" on the 2000 premiere season of the cult-inspiring CBS reality show, turning her popularity into an acting career by 2001 when she made her feature debut in the comedy "The Animal". Describing her strategy as "fly below the radar so that no one will notice me", the straight-shooting Haskell wasn't expected to last long on the island but hung in there for several weeks until she became one of the last remaining contestants. Having chosen soap as the one luxury item afforded the castaways, Haskell embodied fresh-faced, all-American charm and spunk, and quickly became a favorite among viewers. Keeping her sense of humor when rumors of a sex scandal involving her and fellow castaway Greg were spread, and proving quite a trouper when countless untreated bug bites left her legs badly blistered, Haskell maintained high spirits up to the end of her run. The last Pagong tribemate left on the Malaysian island of Pulau Tiga, Haskell was voted off by a vote of four to one in the eleventh of the series' thirteen episodes.
With a natural beauty that shone through difficult circumstances and a likable free spirit, Haskell emerged from "Survivor" with a largely positive image. Finishing up her post-graduate work at the Miami Ad School, she secured an agent, moved to California and landed her role in "The Animal". Playing Rianna, the love interest of Rob Schneider's rebuilt man would offer her the chance to showcase her goofy charm and comic abilities. More "Humpty Dumpty" than "The Six-Million-Dollar Man", Schneider's Marvin is put back together with internal animal parts, resulting in some predictably wild hijinks. Produced by Adam Sandler and starring dependable draw Schneider, the film was expected to have decent box office returns, but whether Haskell would follow up with more acting roles remained to be seen.