Ryan Conklin is one of the eight people who will take part in The Real World: Brooklyn. From a laidback lifestyle in small-town Philadelphia, he found himself enlisting in the army at age 17 and was assigned to fight in Iraq. He returned home with a newfound appreciation of life—and memories of the death of his close friend, as well as many near-death experiences of his own. The 23-year-old, who is currently in his first relationship, spends his time making films, playing guitar and pulling pranks on his friends.