Lying hard work for 'The Mole's' mole

Lying hard work for 'The Mole's' mole

Monday, March 5, 2001

By JOHN LEVESQUE
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER TELEVISION CRITIC

So, what's it like to lie, lie, lie for a month, month, month?

Kathryn Price, who describes herself as "painfully honest," says it's hard work. But Price, who finished second in her class at Stanford Law, thinks she has a good work ethic.

Now that she has been unmasked as the mole on "The Mole," Price also has heard just about every sleazy-lawyer joke there is. But she's sanguine these days, even if she knew from the get-go she couldn't win a jackpot that eventually totaled $510,000.

Kathryn Price says the worst part of being a saboteur was worrying that people she had befriended might end up disliking her.

Price was paid to be the saboteur on the nine-week "reality" game show -- she won't say how much -- but she says she was happy to be the mole for two reasons: first, because she might not have been picked as a contestant otherwise and, second, because it assured her of being present for the show's full run, which featured visits to picturesque places and luxury hotels in Spain and France for about one month last fall.

Now 29, Price had to quit her job as a lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School to commit to taking part in "The Mole" last September. Though she considers herself a "risk-averse" person, she says CBS's "Survivor" inspired her to go for it.

"I enjoyed 'Survivor' the first season, and that's what made me think of doing this," she says. "When I saw the ad for 'The Mole' I said, 'That is my game.' Everything about the game I love. I'm just into that. It appealed to me on an intellectual level that 'Survivor' never could."

That appeal wasn't universal. "The Mole" requires up to 10 players to engage in complex mental challenges while one in their midst may be thwarting their efforts, but ABC did enjoy healthy ratings even if they weren't "Survivor"-like numbers. The network has committed to a second round and is accepting applications at www.abc.go.com

Price says she was recruited when she auditioned to be a contestant. She found out later that many others also were asked if they'd like to be the mole.

"But they kept coming back to me," she says.

Price didn't fool everyone. Some of the contestants, including the other two finalists, had her pegged. But she had her future father-in-law buffaloed.

"He thought I was the winner," she laughs.

Price, who is getting married in May and isn't sure if she and her husband will stay in Chicago, hopes to pursue a writing career. She has finished but not published a murder mystery titled "Overnight" and is now at work on a screenplay. She doesn't have an agent and doesn't think her celebrity will change her life much, but she's open to any and all opportunities.

"At least it's something to tell the grandkids," she says.

John Levesque is the P-I's television critic. Call him at 206-448-8330 or send e-mail to tvguy@seattle-pi.com.

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