By Linda Delmonico-Prussen
The show throws together 12 perfect strangers, known as "house guests," for more than 2 1/2 months. One by one, viewers vote out the guests until only two remain. During the show's final week, booted-off guests then vote for a winner, who receives $500,000.
Feinberg attended Birch Elementary School, Merrick Avenue Junior High School, and Calhoun and Kennedy high schools, graduating Kennedy in 1991.
He went on to attend the State University of New York at Cortland and study radio and television communications. He then headed west to Los Angeles to try his hand at acting. He's now bartending and has won small roles in movies such as "Ali."
As an actor, Feinberg's skilled at auditioning, enabling him to get onto shows like "Big Brother" and NBC's "Fear Factor," for which he won a part. The episode in which he was to appear, however, was eliminated when the show's season was cut short.
Surviving as an actor while also bartending isn't easy, Feinberg says. But he's no stranger to hard work. He held many odd jobs while living in Merrick, including as a dishwasher since age 11. He also worked at Bagel Boss, Roy Rodgers and Joey's Pizza.
Feinberg isn't especially thrilled with Los Angeles. "The food is horrible, and the driving is despicable. There are a lot of good people here, but there's no sense of community like there is in New York," he says.
Feinberg says he wasn't himself while on "Big Brother." "I hope people realize that I'm not as I portrayed myself. I'm really not a mean and rude guy. I just wanted to win the half a million dollars," he says. "It's a game of deceit, treachery and dishonesty," adding, "I still played the game with a ton of honor."
Feinberg has hired a manager to see what acting parts might come of his appearance on "Big Brother." His dream job, though, is not on the screen, but rather on the green. He wants to be a professional golfer.
"My goal," Feinberg says, "is practice until I'm 50 and join the senior tour."
