Troy Landry of Pierre Part, Louisiana gains celebrity status in south Louisiana.Landry is one of several stars on The History Channel’s new series. “Swamp People” is a documentary television series that follows Cajuns living in the swamps of the Atchafalaya River Basin. The series premiered August 22.
Landry said the people from The History Channel first went to Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries looking for information on alligator hunting.
“When they finished getting their information, they asked the guys if they knew anyone who they could go out in a boat with and take pictures of the swamp,” Landry said.
One of Landry’s friends works for Wildlife and Fisheries and gave the representatives his information.
“He called me right after they left his office and said ‘man, t-buddy I hope you not mad at me, but I gave some people your name and phone number,'” Landry said. “I wanted to help out my buddy, so I figured I would do this favor for him.”
Landry said he had no idea that The History Channel was planning on making a TV series.
“The more I talked to them, the more I realized that they wanted to make a show out of this and pay me for it,” Landry said. “I said well shit, I had to catch the alligators anyhow, so why not let them help me to pay for it?”
Since its premiere, “Swamp People” has been the talk of not only south Louisiana, but also the whole nation. The show has set the ratings record for The History Channel.
“I really never thought the show would be as popular as it is,” Landry said. “I figured the little kids would like it, but even the old people like it. The kids, the momma, the daddy, the maw maw and the paw paw all like the show. Everyone I talk to loves it. It shocked me. I didn’t think a lot of people would like it this much.”
Landry says that things have definitely changed since the beginning of the show.
“I used to be able to go to the grocery store and back in five minutes,” Landry said. “Now it takes me an hour and a half. Everybody I meet wants to talk about the show and how much they like it. I really enjoy it, though.”
Landry’s favorite part about the show is the attention that he gets from the children.
“They actually love the show,” Landry said. “When I meet them somewhere, the first thing they say is ‘Is that the alligator man? Are you the man on TV?’ Sometimes I kid with them and say ‘Oh no, that’s my brother!’ but they know better.”
The first season of “Swamp People” focused solely on alligator hunting. Landry said that The History Channel plans on mixing things up with other subjects such as crawfishing in the next seasons.
Landry often says in the show that he “lives off of the land.” He is currently building a new house for his family that contains no drywall. The interior of the house is made entirely of salvaged wood that he collected from the swamp himself.
Landry says that he plans to be a part of the show for as long as he can. “I hope they like me being on the show, so as long as they want me there, I guess I’ll be on it.
