Toronto contests on Survivor have a good track record of success, and Ana Sani looks to continue the trend when she competes in the upcoming Survivor 51, premiering on Sept. 23.
Although people might not recognize Sani right away, her voice could tweak a few fond memories. She’s an actor, primarily a voice actor, who has worked on a number of animated projects including the voice role of Piper Willowbrook in Mysticons.
Sani has also voiced animated characters such as Strawberry Shortcake, Aunt Praline, Custard, and Honeydew Sorbet in Strawberry Shortcake: Berry in the Big City, Izzy Moonbow in My Little Pony: Tell Your Tale and Make Your Mark, Veronica Venegas and Dee in Bakugan Battle Planet, Matilda in Angry Birds: Summer Madness, and Cleo in Open Season: Call of Nature.
“Being an actor means you need to have really thick skin. I’ve had extremely down moments, but I’ve always picked myself up,” Sani said, in her Survivor pre-show interview. “I’ve created a career I’m really proud of and that’s thanks to never giving up and always finding an alternative route. That’s what I intend to do on Survivor.”
Sani, who grew up in Richmond Hill and lives in Toronto, points to her mother as the person that has most influenced her.
“She fought cancer for 18 years and she was the most positive and optimistic person, despite the pain that she was enduring,” she says. “She unfortunately passed in 2020. I’m also playing for her! She was a huge Survivor fan too.”
Like previous seasons, castaways will be marooned on a remote island in Fiji to compete for a chance to be the sole survivor and win $1 million.
The catchphrase for Survivor 51 is “permanent uncertainty,” which reportedly comes into play as soon as the castaways reach the beach and discover that one player must leave to go on a mysterious journey.
“Survivor is the perfect opportunity to lock into my competitive side,” Sani says. “I love games and who doesn’t want to lie and deceive in a setting where it’s totally acceptable to do so?”
Two Canadians have won Survivor over the past five years including Erika Casupanan in 2021 (Season 41) as well as Maryanne Oketch (Season 42) in 2022.
Could Sani be next?