Gold Rush: Alaska's Jimmy Dorsey Doesn't Feel He Was Portrayed 100% Accurately
Mining gold in remote locations isn't a profession that many can just stumble into. Besides the long hours, the isolation, and physical toll, mining gold requires a certain amount of steely resolve and hopeful optimism, which is front and center in Discovery's "Gold Rush" franchise. Appearing in the first season of "Gold Rush," back when it was still called "Gold Rush: Alaska," Jimmy Dorsey represented the essential gold mining newbie as his job previously had been that of a realtor.
Appearing in just six episodes of "Gold Rush," Dorsey's time was cut short on the series when he got into a fist-fight with Greg Remsburg and left "Gold Rush: Alaska;" however, it appears as if Dorsey believes his time on the show wasn't exactly the whole truth. During an interview with Oregon Gold, Dorsey was asked if he was portrayed incorrectly after editing.
"I understand the need for creating a character," Dorsey said. "I think my inexperience in mining and the construction field is not something that they created. You never see me actually turn a wrench. They cut out about 90% of the positive things I do."
Dorsey says the plan was always for him to leave, but not in the manner in which it occurred
Jimmy Dorsey continued and said that "Gold Rush" is scripted, and that any documentary-style series probably follows the same format. He elaborated that the creators of the show know exactly what they want to happen and have an end goal in mind, but they leave how these goals are achieved to those appearing in the show.
"Even me leaving was scripted, but in the way in which it happened was not," Dorsey said. "The plans were made, but the footsteps were ours. They actually direct you into these situations. It became very real. That is why I actually got my ribs broke." Dorsey is referencing what he calls an assault in which Greg Remsburg broke his ribs. "That was very real, but it was also in the script for Episode 4, which ended up being Episode 6, that I would end up leaving the show."
This probably is one of the biggest issues with appearing on reality TV. Clever editing can quickly shift the meaning of a scene or interaction. Considering Dorsey's words, it sounds like he was supposed to represent a gold mining newbie, one who was never meant to stick around "Gold Rush" for long. It also seems he was never supposed to get into an actual fight but one thing led to another. Either way, Dorsey has some qualms with how he was presented during his short tenure on "Gold Rush."