For The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Demi Engemann, joining a series like The Mob was an easy decision—even if it meant embracing an image the public is already quick to believe.
In an interview with DECIDER alongside her fellow cast members from the new reality competition, Engemann—who left Secret Lives midway through Season 4—opened up about why she signed on for Hulu’s latest series. The cast includes familiar faces such as Dancing With the Stars judge Bruno Tonioli and Too Hot To Handle star Harry Jowsey.
“It was different from what I was used to, and I was told it was similar to Traitors—and we all know and love Traitors,” Engemann said. She wanted an opportunity to reveal another side of herself, particularly her interest in fashion and strategic gameplay. “I didn’t really have that many expectations because it’s a brand-new show, and I think that was really exciting. The fact that I was trusted to help launch something new, alongside all of these amazing people and some who aren’t here, was honestly the biggest honor for me. I just wanted to show up, be authentic, be myself and hope for the best. And it turned out so great.”
The series follows contestants as they tackle challenges and vote among themselves to determine “The Don,” the game’s head of household. Hosted by Parker Posey, The Mob comes from Studio Lambert, the production company behind The Traitors. In each episode, one “member of the family” is “whacked” by The Don, while players also have opportunities to collect cash.
During the premiere, Real Housewives of New Jersey star Joe Gorga claims the game’s most powerful position and begins distributing money-filled envelopes to contestants he wants on his side. Engemann hopes to become The Don herself before the competition ends, but after accepting one of Gorga’s envelopes, she is ordered to keep it secret. That leaves her forced to mislead the other players about whether she received any money.
Engemann acknowledges that lying to the group was a calculated gamble. Still, looking back, she is unsure what alternative she had—especially because she was among the first contestants to receive an envelope. Other players had also noticed Gorga pulling her aside for a mysterious conversation.
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“Oh man, it’s so tough because I was the first person who was asked to keep a secret, so I thought that’s just how everyone would play,” she explained. “You’re trying to build trust with The Don, and you’re told that he or she holds the most powerful position and can whack you.”
Whether the decision ultimately benefited her overall strategy remains complicated. Engemann says the move clearly made it harder to win over the rest of the house, particularly because it happened so early in the competition.
“I was playing the game, but yeah, there are definitely some regrets because it put a strain on some relationships. People questioned my integrity, and I had to overcome that, so that was tough,” Engemann told DECIDER. Even with those early challenges, she said the experience was deeply rewarding and led to lasting friendships. “I can’t wait for everyone to watch it. It was such a beautiful experience… So many amazing relationships came out of it, and that’s number one—the most important thing for me. So it was awesome.”
The first two episodes of The Mob are now streaming on Hulu, with new episodes arriving every Monday.
For new Hulu subscribers, the basic plan with ads costs $11.99 per month. The ad-free Hulu plan is priced at $18.99 per month.
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