Erika Rumsey appeared as a member of the cast and a contestant during the first season of the CW reality television series Beauty and the Geek, where she was paired together with Joe Hanson. She was raised in a small town in Iowa, though she eventually decided that she wanted more than just a farmer’s life in the countryside. During her high school days, Rumsey became an active participant in speech contests and theater productions, cultivating a love for acting. When she was 14 years old, she signed a contract with Corell Modeling and Talent, an agency in Iowa that actor Elijah Woods also previously worked with.
By working for Corell, she took part in a number of fashion shows, events as a spokesmodel, and commercials. Back in 2002, she was presented with a Model of the Year award by the agency. Rumsey eventually went on to higher learning at the Grand View College of Des Moines, IA, where she studied for three years before graduating with a double major in Mass Communications and TV/Radio Broadcasting. During her stint in college, she was also involved in a number of musical productions and plays. Rumsey’s other interests included photography and the college radio station.
Joe Hanson appeared as a member of the cast and a contestant during the first season of the CW reality television series Beauty and the Geek, where he was paired together with Erika Rumsey. Hanson was born and grew up in Fosston, MN, a town with a population of 1,500, and is presently 24 years old. He has been described as spending most of his childhood doing his homework and watching TV, while “wondering what all the cool people were doing.” Hanson credits this upbringing with giving him a quirky sense of humor, coupled with an acute desire to study at a college somewhere far away from home.
He eventually got his wish and went on to pursue higher learning at the University of Chicago. However, though his major concentration was supposed to be in English, he became more involved with the student film organization rather than focusing on his own actual schoolwork. One of the movies that he produced was titled Requiem for a Ring, which was a parody combining the films Lord of the Rings and Requiem for a Dream. His frequent collaborator is Hassan Ali, whom he met as a fellow student. Hanson is also a dedicated fan of hip-hop. He works as a writer and producer for two Current TV series, What’s Wrong With and Joe Gets.
(Photo courtesy of WB/The CW)