Evan Marriott's Life after 'Joe Millionaire' He Looks as Handsome as Ever at 47

We all recognize Evan Marriott from his tenure on the reality dating show "Joe Millionaire." Despite the reality show becoming a hit, the star went incognito after it ended, only to resurface recently.

Evan Marriott gained fame after being named the first bachelor in the dating competition show "Joe Millionaire," which premiered in 2003. The show revolved around a group of women competing for the bachelor's affection.

The plot falsely led the women to believe that the bachelor was worth seven figures while he was a construction worker in reality. If the remaining women still accepted the bachelor's love despite the ruse, they stood to win a high-value prize.

Left: Reality star Evan Marriott on "Joe Millionaire" : Photo: Getty Images. Right: Marriott speaks about his career on "The Hannibal TV"| Photo: YouTube/The Hannibal TV

The show was so popular it amassed up to 40 million views in the February 2003 grand finale, as Marriott stuck it out to the very end with contestant Zora Andrich. They received a million-dollar cash prize to split between them.

Unfortunately, the couple split up soon after. Reflecting on the time on the reality show, Marriott has a lot to say, especially after "The Gloss"'s Jennifer Wright labeled him "a terrible person."

Evan Marriott from "Joe Millionaire" during 32nd Annual LAPD Celebrity Golf Tournament at Rancho Park Golf Course in Los Angeles, California, United States. | Photo: Getty Images

One of the repercussions he had to deal with was people coming up to him and bashing him for treating the contestants wrong. Looking back, Marriott is apologetic for his behavior and says he had no idea what he was getting into when he signed up for the show:

"It was so embryonic. It was so new that no, you didn't know what you were getting into. I didn't know what I was walking into."

Bachelor star Sean Lowe (left) and Marriott at a WE TV panel on the evolution of relationship reality shows on March 19, 2015. | Photo: Getty Images

LIFE AFTER "JOE MILLIONAIRE"

After the show ended, Marriott would discover just how disorienting life post-reality TV was. He says he spent a few years partying and searching for work in show business.

He did get lucky and went on to star in several other shows, including "Motocross Kids," "The Island Girls," "Miss Castaways," and "She Spies." He later landed the lead role of the play "The Cherry Orchard" at the Apollo Theatre of London.

However, soon after, he left the spotlight behind and returned to his construction job in Southern California. As of 2015, Marriott disclosed to People that he had opened his own business, which was doing great.

The then-41-year-old ran his heavy-equipment rental-contracting company in Orange County, California, where the Virginia native now resides. He was also happily married. However, as of January 2022, he was reportedly single.

Besides his short stint at acting, the star was once briefly an underwear model, and according to his IMDb page, he is also a pro wrestling referee.

For years, he has managed to live a quiet life away from media, save for a few instances, such as a recent sighting as he strolled the streets of Los Angeles. The star, now 47, looked unrecognizable in a gray beard with his long hair in a ponytail.

The "See Jane Date" actor wore a vibrant orange t-shirt, blue jeans, and flip-flops as he headed out of his white van. However, one thing is evident from the recent photos; he remains as handsome as he was when he first joined TV.

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