Between giving back and blacking out, Real World New Orleans cast member McKenzie Coburn gave us viewers some unforgettable moments throughout her three month journey with seven other roommates.  From the first night in the house, tensions were high and the drama level was even higher.  Arriving in New Orleans just in time for Mardi Gras, the bar is set high for partying and the cast does not disappoint.  Two years after we were introduced to the fun loving Florida girl, I had the chance to get in touch with McKenzie and see what she’s up to now and to reminisce about her time in the nola, baby.

     

What made you want to become a part of The Real World?

I think The Real World is a show that a lot of people watch and think “that could totally be me” or “that would be a blast” . I didn’t really put much thought into it before I applied, I was just looking for an adventure

Did you go to an open casting or send in a video? What did you think of the casting process and can you tell us a little bit about how it worked?

I was laying hungover in bed one random afternoon watching MTV and they said “If you want to be a part of the Real World, apply online!” So I copied and pasted my FB info and was later emailed a VIP pass to an open casting 3hrs away. I thought that was pretty exciting until I got to the casting and realized a lot of people had VIP passes, but it still helped a lot! There were people who had been waiting in line since 8am but I got to go right in. Not gonna lie though, I did take a few shots of Jack before my interview to help make me more comfortable.

How long after the casting did you know you were going to be a part of the show?

It was such a quick process. My first interview was in October and I knew by December. I barely had time to think about what I was getting myself into!

                                    

What did you think when you learned you were going to be living in New Orleans? Had you ever visited there before?

I was SOO excited! I had been to Bourbon Street once before on a Fraternity Formal and it was a blast so I had good thoughts of Nola already. I had wanted to go when Hurricane Katrina happened my Junior year of High school but hadn’t been able to so I was looking forward to being able to help out with all that. Also, I had JUST turned 21 so I was definitely ready to party.

First impressions of your roommates?

Knight: nervous.. his palms were so sweaty lol.
Jemmye: southern.. her accent is definitely the first thing you notice when you meet her
Preston: FUN.. he was wearing a purple sparkle bow tie and had a great attitude
Eric: Smooth.. his voice, his eyes, his skin
Ashley: TWIN.. we were the same height, same lip size, etc
Sahar: Beautiful.. She was so pretty and seemed a little overwhelmed so I stole her as my roommate
Ryan: Cute.. not gonna lie!! I thought he was pretty cute at first

Knight was the first person you met, did that in any way bond you to him in a different way than the other roomies?

I felt more comfortable around him at first but other than that not really..

      

Did you expect there to be so much drama between the roomies starting the first night?

Ah no!! I didnt expect most of the drama! I literally said the first day “we are all gonna be best friends!” because thats what I thought the experience would be like.. and it definitely was not.
 

At one point you tell a story about when you were a gypsy. That was hilarious and really freaked Ryan out. How did the gypsy story come about? How true was the story you told?

I made it up out of thin air to mess with him and be funny. He is pretty gullible but at the same time you really know nothing about your roommates - you’re just kind of learning as you go.
 

Early on in the season you addressed the fact you have a tendency to black out when drinking. Did that happen a lot during those 3 months? If so, was there anything you saw while watching that you didn’t actually remember happening?

Oh yeah.. I know there are lots of moments I don’t remember during those 3 months, luckily most of them didn’t make it onto TV! After the superbowl when Preston and I were arguing and when I got back to the house and was eating frozen vegetables (and talking non-sense) was the main blackout moment. Making out with Grant all over the house was pretty surprising to see also. I really tried not to blackout while there because I wanted to be accountable for my actions and it was an issue I’d been working on since before the show but its something I just cant help.
 

Can you tell us how your alter ego ‘Mary’ came about?

Mary is my first name (Mary McKenzie) I have no idea how Preston came up with calling me it as my drunk name! At first it would piss me off because they’d use it as a bad thing, but then it became funny and now people randomly call me it all the time when I’ve been drinking.

Now for the ‘question of the year’— what is wrong with Ryan? What was it like living with him? Was it as bad/awkward as it seemed? We saw him blow dry himself/touch earlobes/cuddle with everyone, was there any other weird things he did that they didn’t show?

The blow drying was probably the oddest thing. Sahar and I would just randomly hear him turn it on when we were sleeping at night..lol. Also the way he treated me was weird, one second we’d be acting really immature together singing in the back seat and acting funny and the next second he’d be soo mean to me, calling me stupid and putting me down. I didn’t understand him at all, he was definitely the most secretive of the roommates. He’d sleep til 2pm then ride his longboard around new orleans and never want to hangout with us.

      

What was your favorite part of the experience?

Being on the float for Mardi Gras! It was incredible. Being there for the superbowl was a close second though. Finishing our main Habitat for Humanity house was huge for me. Also, when Eric had his friends in town we had a great time celebrating St Patricks Day and going down to Frenchman for the music and then after partying at our house singing and playing the guitar.

Who did you get closest to during those three months?

Its hard to say because I had a different type of relationship with all of them. Sahar was my roommate and like a sister, but like sisters we would FIGHT! I got really close with Eric and Knight because we would do Habitat together everyday so we spent a lot more time together. And then Jemmye and I were party buddies.

      
        

Was there anything that you did that during the experience that you wish you hadn’t when watching it back?

I called my friends and family out by saying “they all black out, its something we all do” and they got some shit for me saying that, whoops!

       

Was there anything that happened during the three months you wish they would have showed more of?

I wish they’d showed more of Ryan being crazy so people wouldve understood better why we kicked him out and I wish they wouldve showed more of us volunteering because thats really what filled our days while we were there.
 

Did the editing of the show do justice to the experience?

Hmm.. kind of. There was definitely A LOT A LOT more drama then they showed. It was literally every day and every night. Also, people were constantly talking shit about eachother and lying to eachother. But for the most part the editing was on point.

     

How did your relationship with Grant continue after the show?

Grant and I stayed together a whole year doing long distance and it was a great relationship. He was someone I really needed in my life because he understood what I was going through when the show was airing and when I was dealing with my roommates and criticisms and traveling. He is an amazing person and we are still close, we just couldnt keep doing the distance.

       

Have you been back to New Orleans a lot since filming wrapped?

I was going back to New Orleans once a month to see Grant and to see the city for almost a year. It had truly captured my heart and I wasn’t ready to let it go. when the filming ended I actually stayed a whole week after and went to Jazz fest and saw more of the city I couldn’t see with the cameras around.
 
     

Are you watching the newest season of Real World? What do you think about it if you are?

I watched about half of Vegas and it looked insane - not sure I couldve handled it! I only saw the first two San Diego but I think I would have LOVED it! the cast and the house look amazing.
 
 

Are you still living in Florida? What have you been up to since your Real World experience? You were studying psychology in school, are you doing anything with that now?

I graduated on time with my Bachelors in Science and was really proud of myself. I’m now taking a year off before getting my Masters so I’m back in Jupiter just living the good life! I plan on getting my Masters in Developmental/Child Psych and working with children.
 
                      

You are in a sorority (I am as well) do you think you could tell a little bit about what greek life means to you? Sororities/Fraternities can really get a bad rep and its always nice to hear the positive about being a part of the greek system.

Deciding to do the show was a really scary decision. I didnt know how it would go, what they would show, or how I’d be judged, but I knew no matter what I would have my sorority sisters there to support me and love me regardless. It sounds cheesy but its true. Being in a sorority means always having someone there no matter what time of day or night. I always knew someone in my classes and had people to study with and at the same time I always knew the bartenders and had people to party with. When I was in a long distance relationship there was about 10 other girls in my sorority going through the same thing and when we broke up I had girls who understood what I was going through. We were all very different so we were able to learn from each other but we still could find similarities to keep us bonded together. I would recommend a sorority to every single girl going to college. It made my 4 years as amazing as they were.

How would you say your life changed from being on a reality show?

My life is the same as before I went on but I have changed and grown as a person.

If given the opportunity would you be a part of another reality show? If you had to pick one that is currently on (Survivor, Real World, Big Brother, etc.) which would you choose?

I would definitely do it again because I understand it so much better now, I would actually know what I was getting myself into! I would love to do the Amazing Race because they get to experience such amazing things.
 
     

To keep up with McKenzie follow her on twitter @McKenzieCoburn or on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100001188687452