Charming & Charismatic Teck Holmes Knows “A Hole In The Wall”, Is Not A Cartoon (PHOTOS)

Remember the outrageous blond black guy from “Real World: Hawaii”? The cool dude with an easy going attitude and charming personality? If you said yes, then you are recalling Teck Holmes.

America had their eyes glued to Teck’s crazy antics and laid back personality and now he’s back on TV hosting Cartoon Network’s family game show, “Hole In The Wall,” an action-packed show that’s an adaptation of the Japanese game show “Nokabe,” meaning Brain Wall. In it, contestants compete against moving barriers where they have to position their bodies through styrofoam walls without being thrown into a big pool of water.

The show is in its second incarnation in the U.S. (the first one aired on Fox in 2008) and features two families who battle it out over a half hour to ultimately win the “Hole in the Wall” trophy. It’s funny, entertaining and one of the coolest things on cable.

GlobalGrind spoke to Teck, one of the first personalities who made a blond-do look good, besting Chris Brown by a decade, by phone last week and the budding writer shared with us how he came to host the show as well as his run-in with former “Real World: Hawaii” castmates.

Teck was as charming and funny was we’d expect. Here’s some of what was said.

“Hole In The Wall” airs Wednesdays at 7:30pm on the Cartoon Network.

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GlobalGrind: We have not seen the U.S. version of your show, but we’ve seen the Japanese one and it looks crazy. Have you played it yourself?

Teck Holmes:  No,I have not done it yet. I jumped in the pool, but I have not actually tried the wall yet.

Tell me about the audition process and how you came to be the host of the show?

They needed that dynamic fiery, charming and handsome host so they called me (laughs).  No man, real talk, I have to tell the story because it is funny. On my email, I heard from a casting service out here that tells you what is going on. I had an email that said we are looking for contestants to be on “Hole In The Wall.”  Me, jokingly said, “Do you need a host?” That was a joke, I just threw it away. Like two weeks later, my agent was like, ‘Yeah, ‘Hole In the Wall’ called you and they want you to come in for a read.’ One of those it is crazy how life happens, type of things.

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You went in for a reading and walked out with a job?

No. Actually, I went for a reading because I was doing another movie. I was doing a movie called “Douglas Hughes” so I was focusing on that. When I went into the audition, usually they have the script under the camera when you doing a hosting job. I was like, ‘Ok, I know it enough that if they have the words there I would get by.’ Well, they did not have the words there. I kind of messed up my first audition. I told my agent I messed that one up, but if they call me back I got it. [He said] don’t trip; if they call me back, it is mine. They called me back and I knew I had it then.

How often does the show air?

Oh man, the show airs all the time. The actual air time and air date is Wednesdays at 7:30/6:30 Central, but man, Cartoon Network does me right. They play “Hole In The Wall” all the time. They play it in the morning; they play it on Saturday and Sunday. They play it all the time.

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What time of game shows were you into growing up?

“Price is Right” is my number one all time show. My grandmother watched that. I watched “Price is Right” all the time with them. “Jeopardy.” Oh, “The Bozo Show” is my joint and, of course, “Double Dare.” Every kid watched “Double Dare” from my generation.

Did you ever go on Double Dare?

No. I did not go on “Double Dare.”  I wanted to. I wanted to pop some balloons with that whipped cream in it. I always wanted to taste the whipped cream. 

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Do you still keep in touch with the cast of the “Real World”?

Every now and then. It is funny; I saw Ruthie maybe about a year ago at this little hang out here called Big Wangs. True story: I am sitting there and we are at this table and my friend is sitting in front of, behind them are some high top tables. The girl was sitting down and I can’t see who is in front of her. This young lady on the side of me goes, ‘What is this…a Real World reunion or something?’  Right before that, the same chick had asked me about Ruthie. I said I had not seen her lately. All of a sudden she goes, ‘what is this…a Real World reunion?’ Long story short, Ruthie is in the same bar as me sitting one table over from me and I saw her one year ago at Big Wangs. Have not seen her since. It is crazy. Then Maya is my Facebook friend and Kaya is my Facebook friend so I talk to them every now and then.

Have you been doing any traveling lately to promote the show?

Man, I have not been doing any traveling. I am actually getting ready to head out of town in about six hours. I am heading home; I have to go to Peoria for a graduation. I am going to St. Louis, so I am going to promote that way, but they have not put me on any promotional touring yet, but I am down. I can’t wait.

Does it feel weird going back home? Is there any difference going back or any difference in how you have changed and how people perceive you?

No. First, I am from Peoria, Illinois. When I go home I think people kind of expect it. To me, I am still Teck because I have not gotten to a level I want to be yet. I go back and I don’t dress up. I am like a chameleon because I can kind of show up and not let anyone know I am there. Unless, someone says, ‘Hey, that is Teck right there.’ I am not flashy or anything like that. To me, I am not where I want to be yet, but in Peoria I am the man. I enjoy going home, they love me (laughs).