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The brutal, work-em-until-they-break (or quit) staff of Special Forces: World\u2019s Toughest Test<\/em><\/a>\u00a0didn\u2019t know what to do with Ravi Patel<\/a>. The Pursuit of Happiness<\/em> documentarian and actor (Animal Control<\/a><\/em>, Master of None<\/a><\/em>) brings a lot of enthusiasm to whatever he tackles in life, and that\u2019s not normal for this show.<\/p>\n Most recruits are nearly soiling their pants just hearing the commands and challenges. \u201cI think the staff was pretty put off by my enthusiasm and my constant joy because their whole goal is to intimidate you and make you feel miserable,\u201d Patel tells TV Insider.. Spoiler alert: It didn\u2019t work on him.<\/p>\n While Patel remained undeterred, he did get in some trouble. \u201cI would say I probably got yelled at the most of anyone on the show because I was a smart ass, and Nick Young [got yelled at as well],\u201d he admits. \u201cNick and I were kind of partners in crime \u2026 the jokesters on the show. But they loved Nick. So it was a little different. They didn\u2019t like me.\u201d<\/p>\n Here Patel shares some more insights on his experiences, how he ended up best friends with most of the athletes, and more.<\/p>\n What made you want to do Special Forces: World\u2019s Toughest Test<\/em>, as this is beyond punishing both mentally and physically?<\/strong><\/p>\n Ravi Patel:<\/strong> It was the best experience of my life. I guess you\u2019re the kind of person who wants to do it or not. As soon as they asked me, I was like, \u201cOh my God, yes.\u201d Now my wife [Mahaley Patel] didn\u2019t want me to do it. She\u2019s like, \u201cYou\u2019re definitely going to come back injured.\u201d I have a track record, so I get where she\u2019s coming from, but it looked like the most incredible adventure and challenge and I was just excited about it, and it was an excuse to train towards something.<\/p>\n Your experience is unusual in that you loved it, where most recruits are traumatized. Please elaborate.<\/strong><\/p>\n It was incredible, one of the most difficult things I\u2019ve ever done physically. I didn\u2019t think it was the most difficult thing I did mentally. I think for most people it was the greatest mental challenge. But I guess we all have our strengths and weaknesses. Every time we did something hard, I\u2019m like, \u201cOh, how cool is this?\u201d<\/p>\n What surprised you about the athletes and stars who you met?<\/strong><\/p>\n The first surprise is just how deeply and quickly we bonded \u2014 all of us. I don\u2019t think it can even be put into words, but I can tell you that all of us have said that within about 48 hours, we all felt like family. It was crazy. I guess it\u2019s because it\u2019s such an intense experience, but within two days you\u2019re kind of going to know most of these people forever. That was the first shock of it. And then beyond that, I was just surprised that people didn\u2019t suck, that they were all great. I liked all of them.<\/p>\n W<\/strong>ho did you gravitate to most?<\/strong><\/p>\n Everyone was a genuinely good, kind person that I really enjoyed getting to know. I also just got lucky because out of the 18 people on the show, seven live in Nashville, where I was, and so the seven of us are all even closer because we see each other all the time. Eric Decker<\/a> and I are best friends. We work out and play pickleball together all the time. So that\u2019s the greatest gift of this show is just that we all found each other. \u2026 Randall Cobb lives like a minute from my house!<\/p>\n What was the hardest challenge for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n The water thing wasn\u2019t that hard for me, but it was a fun moment between Johnny [Manziel] and I \u2014 you\u2019ll see us doing breath work. There\u2019s this one challenge that simulates rescuing a comrade in a village and then carrying him through the village as you\u2019re escaping bombs. And that was probably the greatest physical exertion I\u2019ve experienced since junior high football. It was like, when you think it\u2019s over, it\u2019s not, this man was so f**king heavy. I can\u2019t even put into words how physically difficult that challenge was. And I did it with Eric Decker, and he\u2019s obviously five times my size. All I\u2019ve ever wanted in life was to have football friends and to basically be a football player. So because Eric Decker was on my team, I felt even more pressure to show up for him. I can\u2019t let this guy down. By the time we were done with that one, I had skin coming off of my hand. It was crazy \u2014 blood everywhere.<\/p>\n