‘Claim to Fame’ Star Reveals Wild Memory with Grandfather Marlon Brando

In Part One of the two-part season finale of Claim to Fame, Shane’s fate in the game took a dramatic turn due to the uncorking of a wine bottle. For the first six episodes of Season 3, Shane had managed to keep his celebrity relative’s identity largely hidden. His fellow contestants’ guesses, like “Maybe Forest Whitaker?” were off the mark.

Then came the pivotal wine cellar clue. Mackenzie won the challenge and decoded the final wine cellar clue of the season to read “Hollywood icon with Italian kingpin roll.” The reference to The Godfather was quickly matched with clues from Apocalypse Now, making Shane’s identity more apparent. Mackenzie took the guesser role and accurately guessed that Shane is related to Marlon Brando.

Shane, whose full name is Shane Donovan Brando, shared his experiences growing up with his grandfather, the renowned actor and activist Marlon Brando, with his fellow cast members.

After being eliminated, Shane shared insights about his time on the show, his relationship with his grandfather, and his thoughts on the game.

Shane first heard about the show from his co-manager, who was a big fan. “At work one day, she literally had it on in the background and said, ‘Hey, Shane, you’d be great for the show.’ I watched half an episode with her and thought it looked fun.” After completing the application process, Shane was chosen to participate.

Reflecting on his time with his grandfather, Shane shared some special memories. “My grandpa was unique. My best memories involve hanging out in the pool with him. I remember a time when he picked up a bee from the water’s edge, placed it on his tongue, and then let it fly away. It was mind-blowing.”

With a famous relative, Shane knew his strategy had to be tight. “I’m racially ambiguous, so my childhood stories didn’t give much away. My plan was to be honest, thinking it would throw people off. I was open about going to Neverland and having dinner with Liz Taylor. If someone could connect the dots, they deserved to win.”

Shane also made sure to appear clueless about his clues. “I felt that if I started acknowledging my clues, I might get myself in trouble.”

Being the last person to have his wine cellar clue picked involved both strategy and luck. “There were times I campaigned to avoid my clue being picked. Some contestants were rubbed the wrong way by others, which worked in my favor.”

Shane often found himself in the bottom two but never had to guess. “I always had Dedrick and sometimes Naomi as safety nets. It depended on the week.”

This season, contestants struggled more with guesses. Shane attributes this to the time factor and vagueness of clues. “If we had more time together, we might have slipped up more. This season’s clues were so hard. We never had a smoking gun, just half the clue which left us unsure.”

Shane revealed they filmed for a little over two weeks. He admitted to nearly slipping up once. “On the third night, during a chat, I almost said ‘Coach Brando’ but caught myself. I worried all night but luckily, no one noticed.”

Although not all moments made it into the final edit, Shane mentioned that Danny’s snoring could have had its own segment on the show.

Shane remains in touch with his fellow contestants. “We’re all in a group chat I created. Danny, Naomi, and I also have our own private chat since we’re around the same age and were serious about gameplay.”

This interview has been condensed and edited for length and clarity.

Source: Parade