“Life Below Zero” is a National Geographic documentary series that follows the day-to-day lives of several hunters living off the land in the far reaches of cold Alaska, documenting their lives – often struggles – and how they overcome the difficulties associated with seasonal changes.
Captivating the audience with both their perseverance and charismatic personalities, the hunters live in isolated camps, frequently alone without the basic utilities, so often taken for granted by urban dwellers, as they survive not only harsh and cold weather, but also attempt to make a living while making do with the bare minimum.
“Life Below Zero” aired for the first time on 19 May 2013, and for nearly ten decades now the show enjoyed popular reception with National Geographic’s expansive audience, leading the show to continue its success on the air for a total of seventeen seasons.
Produced by BBC Studios, “Life Below Zero” never fails to entertain, and while the drama intensifies with every season, following the daily survival and struggles of the show’s stars, it also on occasion provides heart-warming content for its many fans and viewers.
Of course, if the suspenseful action and humane nature of “Life Below Zero” doesn’t pique one’s interest, then the stunning visuals on offer might. Although focused on the activities of the hunters, the show more often allows viewers a first-hand peek at the beautiful landscapes of the far Northern wilderness in Alaska and the Arctic Circle.
In fact, the show’s popularity earned it recognition with the Primetime Emmy Awards, walking away with numerous nominations and a couple of wins. From 2016 through 2022, “Life Below Zero” earned Emmy awards for outstanding cinematography for a reality television series, and was also nominated for the outstanding editing award on numerous occasions. The show also earned a nomination for its sound mixing and production, but unfortunately did not win that Emmy.
The show introduced viewers to six hunters, who all eventually became recognised reality television stars and familiar faces among the followers of “Life Below Zero”, namely Sue Aikens, Chip Agnes, Jessie Holmes, Andy Bassich, Erik Salitan,and Ricko DeWilde.
However, one name, though no longer on the show, might stand out for viewers, as he will not be forgotten, and that is Glenn Villeneuve.
Nine month old bull moose calf. Got 8 yards from him before he decided to take off. pic.twitter.com/Wz9eQLFnN4
— Glenn Villeneuve (@GlennVilleneuve) February 19, 2020
Although he left the show, the viewers and fans of “Life Below Zero” continue to express their admiration for Glenn, and as such, many have been wondering where he is today, and what he’s up to now that the series no longer documents his life.
Who Is Glenn Villeneuve?
Very little is known about Glenn before his appearance on “Life Below Zero”, as the reality television star remains secretive about his early life and personal details, though he’s never reluctant to share his thoughts on the things he’s passionate about.
Born on 18 August 1969 in Burlington, Vermont USA, Glenn lived his life by unconventional means. According to certain reports on the hunter, Villeneuve expressed an interest in a subsistent life early during his childhood, and allegedly didn’t attend school.
Instead of the usual by-the-book life, Glenn broke free from the ordinary, spending his early childhood in the forests of Vermont where he would find his initial introduction to surviving the wilderness. It was around this time in his life that Glenn learned the basics of hunting and surviving, eventually becoming the iconic person viewers met on “Life Below Zero”.
In 1999, Villeneuve left his hometown of Burlington to begin a lifelong journey discovering the wilderness of Alaska.
Although Glenn admits that he was happy during his life in Vermont, he felt hindered and in need to move much closer to nature, which ultimately prompted his decision to move to Alaska.
For the most part, Glenn lived alone in Chandalar, a small, unrecognised community in the Yukon region of Alaska, isolated 200 miles north of Fairbanks, and approximately 65 miles or 100kms from the Arctic Circle.
While one might believe that living as a nomad, and surviving on wit and self-taught skills would prevent Glenn from being a family man, fans might be surprised to learn that Villeneuve was married.
However, although divorced and now in a relationship with his new girlfriend, Trisha Kazan, very little is known about Glenn’s previous marriage. While nothing can be dug up about his first wife, it is commonly known that Glenn met her in Vermont, and also fathered two children with her.
According to the reality star, while he might spend months far from society, he makes time to spend with his daughter, the eldest, Willow Leaves, and his son Wolf Song.
Most recently, Glenn also fathered a child named Amelia with his girlfriend, Trisha, both of whom appeared in the show with him. Throughout his many years surviving the wilderness of Alaska, as one can expect, Glenn went on many adventures, some life-threatening, while others were simply exciting.
Among some of his adventures, the most iconic for which he is well known is spending time among the wild wolves of Alaska. On occasion, which Glenn often shares with viewers, he was surrounded by a pack of twenty wolves but miraculously survived the ordeal without a confrontation with the pack.
Having moved to Alaska in 1999, Glenn boasts of more than 20 years of experience living off the land as a hunter, spending all those years exploring the wilderness of Alaska, but also making a living, and providing for himself and his family.
Then in 2012, Glenn was approached by the producers of “Life Below Zero”, and in 2013, Villeneuve made his first appearance on the show, remaining in the series until his departure in the eleventh season. Villeneuve only appeared in one episode of the latter season, raising concern among his fans, and later that year Glenn announced on Facebook that he would no longer be appearing in the show.
Of course, this was heart-breaking news for his fans, and many inquired as to the reason for his departure.
According to Glenn, as he disclosed when making a guest appearance in Joe Rogan’s podcast series, the rift between him and “Life Below Zero”s producers had long been growing.
Glenn stated that he was also concerned about his position in the show, and eventually emailed the producers after they stopped coming around to film his day-to-day survival. Glenn also disclosed that the main reason for their dispute centred on creative differences.
According to Glenn, he wanted to film more educational content while keeping it entertaining with an adventurous edge, but the producers behind “Life Below Zero” insisted that Glenn stick to the usual, which included little more than cutting down trees and his frequent hunting activities.
As a result of his unfair dismissal, fans took to social media to voice their desire to see Glenn return to the show, and according to certain reports, even went as far as threatening to boycott the series if Glenn didn’t return. Unfortunately, Villeneuve’s follower’s efforts have yet to produce a result, as Glenn hasn’t returned to the show since 2019.
What Is Glenn Doing Today?
Unfortunately, very few reports on Glenn’s current life and affairs have surfaced since then, so it’s hard to tell what he’s up to nowadays.
However, it is known that he still makes appearances in media, as he manages his own YouTube channel, and has also guest-starred on the Joe Rogan podcast.
Aside from this, Glenn is also reportedly working as a real estate and stock market investor, while still continuing his hunting exploits in Alaska.
According to several reports, the former reality television star now lives in Fairbanks, Alaska, with his girlfriend and partner, Trisha, where they are raising their daughter. Glenn is also very active on Facebook, but other than this, there is little to report on Villeneuve’s recent activities.
