ONE of the Stars on Mars celebrities opened up about her young acting experience - and it's not what one would expect.
On Monday's episode of the astronomical reality competition series, actress Ariel Winter said that she did not decide to pursue acting on her own.
When fellow competitor Ronda Rousey questioned her about this, the 25-year-old actress spoke out, saying: "I was four... you don't really decide anything at four."
"My experience was rotten," Ariel added. And when Ronda asked if it was "inevitable," Ariel told her: "No, no. Well, it depends on the parent. It depends on your parent."
Ariel's family problems first came to light in 2012, when her older sister Shanelle accused their mother Chrisoula of physical and mental abuse towards Ariel, who was legally emancipated in 2015. Allegations were denied, but after an agreement was reached she and Shanelle said: "The family has moved beyond the conflict."
Meanwhile, fans are slamming Vanderpump Rules' Tom Schwartz on socials during his participation on the spacey reality show, writing on Twitter: "Tom Schwartz is too weak to be creditable. He tries to hoodwink everybody. He’ll be back with those two ASAP because who else will hangout with him."
Stars on Mars airs next Monday at 8pm ET on Fox.
Read our Stars on Mars blog for the latest updates...
Just the beginning of screen time for Ronda Rousey
Stars on Mars contestant Ronda Rousey wants a Hollywood film studio to support her bid to play the lead role in a martial arts blockbuster.
Rousey reckons Michelle Yeoh’s Oscar-winning performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once shows that audiences are ready for more women-led blockbusters.
The WWE women’s tag team champ is confident her creative martial arts skills, along with script and fight choreography talent, are strong enough to allow a major studio to give her a shot.
Meet the producer
The show was first brought to the network by Eureka Productions CEO Chris Culvenor.
Along with producing Stars on Mars, Eureka has also produced Fox’s shows Farmer Wants a Wife, Name That Tune, and The Real Dirty Dancing, Variety notes.
Tom Schwartz was almost ‘sucked into a black hole’
Tom Schwartz revealed in a previous episode that he was “almost sucked into a black hole,” figuratively of course.
Reality TV fans will recognize Schwartz from Vanderpump Rules, a show that has made head waves after Tom Sandoval had an affair with his partner Ariana’s best friend, Raquel.
Although Schwartz didn’t directly name names, he admitted in a confessional that his “friend from back home” almost “sucked him into a black hole” with his affair and he wanted to distance himself from the drama in space.
Stars are not actually on Mars
Despite the show’s premise taking place on the red planet, the series was actually filmed in Australia.
The Mars simulation was filmed at a settlement built specifically for the show in Coober Pedy, Australia.
Coober Pedy is an opal mining town in Southern Australia.
More on William Shatner's career
William Shatner was born on March 22, 1931, in Montreal, Canada.
He is not only an actor but also an author, producer, director, screenwriter, and singer.
His estimated net worth is $100million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Most of his income comes from playing Captain James T. Kirk in the sci-fi television series Star Trek.
He also had lead roles in TJ Hooker, The Practice, and Boston Legal.
In 2000, he co-starred in the movie Miss Congeniality and the sequel, Miss Congeniality 2: Armed And Fabulous, in 2004.
William Shatner's love of space
William Shatner's hosting gig on Stars on Mars is not his first run-in with space.
He played Admiral James T. Kirk on Star Trek and went to space in real life, thanks to Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin rocket.
It is a historic moment: Shatner's flight made him the oldest astronaut in the world at 90 years old.
More on William Shatner's love life
Marcy Lafferty became William Shatner's second wife in 1973, and would go on to act alongside him in the 1979 film, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and the '80s police drama TV show, T.J. Hooker.
His longest relationship, the two stayed married for 23 years before finalizing their divorce in 1996.
Shatner's shortest, and most tragic, union came next.
He married aspiring actress Nerine Kidd, whom he met on the set of Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, in a 1997 Pasadena ceremony.
In 1999, Nerine was found at the bottom of their swimming pool. The cause of death was an accidental drowning, according to her autopsy revealing alcohol and Valium in her blood.
Inside host William Shatner's love life
William Shatner's most recent marriage, to horse trainer Elizabeth Martin, ended in divorce in 2020.
Despite their 27-year age gap, the couple tied the knot in Lebanon, Indiana in 2001 and stayed together for nearly two decades before calling it quits.
He married his first wife, actress Gloria Rand in 1956 at just 25 years old.
They proceeded to have 3 children together: Leslie,63, Lisabeth 60, and Melanie, 57.
Rand would later watch her husband rise to television fame, with the iconic show Star Trek, in which Shatner played the lead, premiering in 1966.
Their marriage ended the same year that the show did in 1969.
Meet William Shatner
Icon William Shatner hosts Stars on Mars – and is referred to as “Mission Control” in the new show.
William Shatner is a Canadian native who is most famously known for portraying the role of Captain Kirk in the Star Trek franchise.
According to IMDB, Shatner has roughly 250 acting credits to his name and has a lengthy 70-plus years in front of the camera.
His career started in 1951 and over time, he has built a name as a successful actor, author, producer, director, screenwriter, and singer.
The legend is even the world’s oldest person to go to space.
Tallulah Willis was eliminated
Tallulah Willis was eliminated last week from Stars on Mars after her blunder as base commander.
For those who don't know, she is the daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore and works as a Los Angeles-based entrepreneur and artist.
She is widely recognized for her work with mental health and often advocates for awareness and self-care.
Willis has also dabbed in acting over the years and has starred in the films The Whole Ten Years, The Scarlet Letter, and Bandits.
Christopher Mintz-Plasse was eliminated
Christopher Mintz-Plasse was the first celebrity eliminated from Stars on Mars.
Prior to joining the show, he worked as an actor best known for his roles in Superbad, Role Models, Kick-Ass, and Neighbors.
He began his career in the mid-2000s and has also lent his voice to several cartoons including the How to Train Your Dragon franchise, Marmaduke (2010), ParaNorman (2012), and Trolls (2016).
More on Ariel Winter
Ariel Winter is an actress best known for her portrayal of Alex Dunphy in the ABC comedy series Modern Family.
She starred on the show from 2009 to 2020, during which time, she and her co-stars won four consecutive Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Ensemble in a Comedy Series.
Winter has also had roles on Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, ER, Monk, and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.
Additionally, Winter has lent her voice to countless animated shows, including Phineas and Ferb, American Dad!, Sofia the First, Minnie's Bow-Toons, and Captain Jake and the Never Land Pirates.
What to know about football superstar Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Lynch is a former professional football player known by the nickname Beast Mode.
Lynch played 12 seasons in the NFL and spent the majority of his time with the Seattle Seahawks.
Since leaving the NFL, Lynch has turned his nickname into a global brand and also became the first individual athlete to partner with Fanatics.
He is now competing on Stars on Mars.
Ronda Rousey eyes Hollywood
Stars on Mars contestant Ronda Rousey wants a Hollywood film studio to support her bid to play the lead role in a martial arts blockbuster.
Rousey reckons Michelle Yeoh’s Oscar-winning performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once shows that audiences are ready for more women-led blockbusters.
The WWE women’s tag team champ is confident her creative martial arts skills, along with script and fight choreography talent, are strong enough to allow a major studio to give her a shot.
What to know about Porsha Williams
Porsha Williams, 41, was first introduced during season five of Real Housewives of Atlanta when she was married – and then divorced – NFL player Kordell Stewart.
Aside from RHOA, she hosts the spinoff show called Bravo’s Chat Room.
On September 30, 2021, Porsha announced that she was leaving RHOA after a decade of being on the show.
Porsha is competing on Stars on Mars this season.
What to know about Adam Rippon
Adam Rippon is an American figure skater who started his career at the age of 10.
Over the years, he has won several awards, including the 2010 Four Continents Championships and the 2016 United States National Championships.
He was also the first openly gay athlete to medal for the US at the 2018 Winter Olympics when he took home the bronze in the team event.
Additionally, Rippon has been seen serving as a judge on Dancing with the Stars Juniors and also starred in Taylor Swift’s music video for her song, You Need to Calm Down.
The former athlete retired in 2018 and has since released a memoir, Beau1ful on the Outside, begun hosting two podcasts and is also a fixture on NBC’s Olympic coverage.
Meet cast member Richard Sherman
Richard Sherman is an NFL cornerback who joined the league in 2011.
He was first drafted by the Seattle Seahawks after a successful college career at Stanford.
Over the years, Sherman has also had stints with the San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
When Sherman is not on the field, he can often be found at home spending time with his wife, Ashley Moss, and their two kids.
One person is eliminated weekly
Viewers will see how the remaining adventurous celebrities handle their trip to the red planet, where they will live, eat, sleep, strategize, and bond with each other in the same space station.
During their stay, they will be faced with authentic conditions that simulate life on Mars, and they must use their brains and brawn – or maybe just their stellar social skills – to outlast the competition and claim the title of the brightest star in the galaxy.
Star Trek icon William Shatner is hosting the series, where celebrities compete in missions and will vote to eliminate one of their crew mates each week, sending them back to Earth.
What to know about Lance Armstrong
Lance Armstrong is a former professional road racing cyclist who became a household name after winning the Tour de France seven consecutive times from 1999 to 2005.
However, in 2012, he was stripped of his titles after a doping investigation revealed that he has used performance-enhancing drugs.
Despite the negativity surrounding his career, he has continued to move forward and now owns a coffee shop in Austin, Texas, as well as a bike shop, according to News18.
When he’s not busy growing his resume, he can be found at home, spending time with his wife, Anna Hansen, and his children.
The real location revealed
The point of the series is to see if celebrities can survive in a Mars-simulated colony, however, the show wasn’t actually filmed on the red planet itself.
Instead, filming took place in Australia, particularly in South Australia, according to The Cinemaholic.
Online reports claim that the location physically resembles Mars.
Creator said show is ‘transformational and comical’
Stars on Mars was first announced in April 2023 by Fox’s unscripted programming president Allison Wallach.
“The moment I heard the pitch for ‘Stars on Mars,’ I knew a show this bold, this big and this outlandish simply belonged on Fox,” Wallach said in a statement, via Variety.
“Watching celebrities take giant leaps out of their comfort zone and step into the unexpected will no doubt be truly transformational and comical.
“Throughout, we will learn a lot about these stars, and when you factor in William Shatner leading the charge from Mission Control, we have the makings of a show that’s ready for blast off.”
Natasha defends Schwartz, part four
Natasha continued: “So if I had to base it just on my knowledge of him, I would say he has got it all.
“You should also go to his restaurant. Don’t boycott his restaurant.”
Leggero also hit out at fans for getting upset by the LA restaurant-based reality show and appeared to question the narrative of the hit Bravo series.
“I have a life so I do not base my feelings about things on a reality show that is hardly even all real,” she said.
Schwartz was also in attendance at the opening of the pop-up bar but refused to speak about his Stars on Mars experience.
Natasha defends Schwartz, part three
Natasha Leggero continued: “But I will say, you should definitely go to his restaurant. I went there and it was delicious. Tom Tom. And you know what guys? Focus on yourselves… I would say personally, he was one of the nicest people I had ever met.”
Leggero then added: “We were waiting in line in Australia for something and he didn’t want to do two transactions because he thought it would annoy the lady.
“So then he went and got his coffee and then to buy his other thing, he got nervous, because the line was getting long and then went to the back because he didn’t want the lady to have [stress].
“Anyway, I’m just saying he had displayed acts of kindness I had never even seen before, had never even witnessed. So I’m not, I’m a pretty good judge of character,” she said.
Natasha defends Schwartz, part two
The stand-up and TV and film star enjoyed time spent time with Schwartz while they were filming FOX’s new prime-time reality series, Stars on Mars, in Australia.
Leggero spoke to The U.S Sun at the official opening of The Mars Bar, an exclusive pop-up wine bar in Los Angeles.
“Tom is awesome,” she told us, adding: “I love working with him. Just to be clear, he is the good Tom.
“He did not do anything, or whatever, I don’t know. I don’t watch the show. I am busy,” Leggero continued, referring to Vanderpump Rules.
Natasha Leggero defends costar Tom Schwartz
Comedian Natasha Leggero said that 40-year-old Tom Schwartz should not suffer for the sins of his business partner, and best friend, Tom Sandoval.
Some fans have petitioned to boycott their bar Tom Tom and thrown shade at Schwartz for supporting Sandoval after he cheated on his long-term love Ariana Madix with her best friend Raquel Leviss.
Speaking exclusively to The U.S. Sun, Leggero insisted that Schwartz is one of the nicest people ever and even described him as the good Tom.
