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When word first reached us about Atlanta's loudest Real Housewife,NeNe Leakes, securing a spot on a new show, we assumed it had to be some sort of ATL spin-off, or yet another thrusting of reality all-stars into that recycled VH1 mansion to drive one another crazy. Turns out we were wrong: Homegirl's nabbed herself a role in Ryan Murphy's new NBC comedy, The New Normal.
Murphy, for those failing to recognize the name at a glance, is one of the forces behind some of TV's most beloved offerings: Nip/Tuck, American Horror Story, and, yes, Glee. Regardless of whether you love or hate the entourage of offbeat teenagers prone to impromptu song and dance numbers, there's no denying the legitimacy of that resume; this could very well be the leap that takes Leakes from reality star to straight-up star.
Though most reality veterans are remembered primarily for their excessive drinking and fight-picking, there are those who managed to parlay their time on the small screen into actual careers, some of whom have even achieved such levels of success that you might've forgotten their humble beginnings. Fortunately for you, we haven't. In their honor, we present to you our list of 25 Reality Stars Who Moved On To Bigger Things.
Written by Lauren Otis(@LaurNado)
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NeNe Leakes
Reality TV show: The Real Housewives of Atlanta (2008-2012)
Leakes' over-the-top personality made her grating to watch, yet mesmerizing—an undeniable ratings magnet. It was only a matter of time until someone came along and helped her find a way to put that sassy screeching to some better use. Little did anyone guess that someone would turn out to be Ryan Murphy, one of the most awesome showrunners in the game.
Those who've found themselves lacking in Leakes can tune into The New Normal this fall to check her alongside The Hangover's Justin Bartha and The Book of Mormon's Andrew Rennells, who star as a gay duo that find an unlikely surrogate mother.
Ilan Hall
Reality TV show: Top Chef (2006-2007)
The innovative Top Chef contestant might have arrived on the Bravo show a line cook, but he left a star, snatching the title, the cash prize, and presumably more shit from the Glad family of products than any man could ever need. Thanks to the establishment of his acclaimed L.A. eatery, The Gorbals, which offers up inventive (sometimes sacrilegious) eats like bacon-wrapped matzoh balls and banh mi poutine, we can all see taste for ourselves that that money was truly put to good use.
Elisabeth Hasselbeck
Reality TV show: Survivor: The Australian Outback (2001)
Now a talk show host who's come to be known for her conservatism and YouTube-ready showdowns with guests, it can be easy to forget that The View co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck initially rose to prominence on Survivor, where you could catch her starving alongside other competitive schmoes in the Australian Outback. With a salary that's now reportedly in the millions, we doubt she'll be getting her hustle on for peanut butter and rice dinners again anytime soon.
Christian Siriano
Reality TV show: Project Runway (2007-2008)
Siriano, the youngest designer to be crowned the winner of Project Runway, beat out the competition for both the title and was also the fan favorite, but the guy honestly didn't even need the win—the publicity he and his crazy couture designs scored from his appearance on the show's fourth season would've been more than enough.
Unlike other struggling contestants, Siriano's time on Bravo served as a serious launching pad for his career. Since being propelled into the spotlight, he's cranked out collections and collaborations that can be found at the likes of Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Payless, Victoria's Secret, and more.
Kyle Brandt
Reality TV show: The Real World: Chicago (2002)
After spending a season unleashing his charms on the women of the Real World's Chicago household, perhaps Brandt realized there was more cash to be made doing the same—only this time in a soap opera. From 2003 to 2007, he starred as the prosthetic leg-sporting Philip Kiriakis on NBC's Days of our Lives. But just because he's no longer delivering cheesy one-liners doesn't mean that he hasn't found his groove behind the scenes. Brandt now serves as the executive producer of sports talk show The Jim Rome Show.
Dylan Dilinjah
Reality TV show: Making the Band 2 (2002-2004)
All right, we truthfully don't know—or really care, for that matter—what the former Making the Band star has been up to since Diddy made him walk his ass to Brooklyn to get him some Junior's cheesecake, but being immortalized in one of Dave Chappelle's greatest sketches definitely warrants a spot on this list. (Also worthy of recognition: David "Come On Be My Baby Tonight" Broome.)
Mike Mizanin
Reality TV show: The Real World: Back to New York (2001)
You might remember Mike Mizanin as the guy who couldn't stop putting his foot in his mouth with the backwards racial remarks, getting him into numerous fights with fellow castmember Coral Smith, who had no tolerance for that nonsense.
These days, his showdowns take place within a wrestling ring. "The Miz," which he used to jokingly refer to his wrestler alter ego, turned out to be the name that millions would come to know him by after he went on to sign a contract with WWE, for which he's been competing within and hosting matches since 2003.
Analeigh Tipton
Reality TV show: America's Next Top Model (2008)
Tipton sadly lost out to finalist McKey Sullivan in her season of America's Next Top Model, but with appearances in flicks like Crazy, Stupid, Love., Damsels in Distress, and HBO's Hung, not to mention the surge of critics dubbing her a face to watch, the Minnesota-born model-turned-actress ultimately rose far above her food-scorning competition.
Paul "Pauly D" DelVecchio
Reality TV show: Jersey Shore (2009-2012)
Hear us out on this one: While the Jersey Shore star hasn't technically bid adieu to the reality game, there's no denying that the the Rhode Island DJ has milked his airtime for all that it's worth, his career reaching shocking new heights as a result. Over the past few years, we've watched him go from spinning sets at sad Seaside bars to getting tapped to open for Britney Spears and Nicki Minaj on tour, getting signed by 50 Cent, and landing gigs and residencies at some of the country's most prestigious venues.
It's anyone's guess as to how the remainder of the cast will get hired once they're off the air, but this GTL enthusiast has definitely laid the foundation for a feasible post-show professional life. Now that beats making lame college campus appearances to pay the bills.
Harold Dieterle
Reality TV show: Top Chef (2006)
Harold Dieterle was Top Chef's very first champion, who, prior to the show's overwhelming success, served as a model of what the title and the exposure could possibly mean for contestants to come. Unlike later competitors, the Harrison sous-chef didn't head into the game in hopes of promoting a spot he'd already launched, but instead used the money and fame from his win to open a brand new restaurant of his own. Perilla opened in 2007 to great reviews and is still up and running on Jones Street in New York, and in 2010 he added his well received Thai restaurant, Kin Shop.
Eric Nies
Reality TV show: The Real World: New York (1992)
Nies' 2009 appearance on Confessions of a Teen Idol, that show hosted by Scott Baio in which aged former teen stars tried to re-launch their careers, was pret-ty depressing. (At least on The Surreal Life, there's a teensy bit more subtlety.) But we've got to give credit where credit is due: The guy hosted The Grind. If you were watching MTV in the '90s when they were still about music, you know this show was the shit back then.
Yaya DaCosta
Reality TV show: America's Next Top Model (2004)
Analeigh Tipton isn't the only Top Model alum to make a successful leap into acting. Cycle 3's Yaya DaCosta, known for killing it in photos, but not so much with the personality, surprisingly wound up parlaying her ANTM stardom into stable screen work. From recurring spots in shows like Ugly Betty and All My Children, she worked her way up to supporting roles in notable flicks like Tron: Legacy and the Academy Award-nominated The Kids Are All Right.
Jacinda Barrett
Reality TV show: The Real World: London (1995)
Yeah, it's easy to shine when you've been cast in the most boring Real World season on record (London). Then again, being the token hot chick doesn't mean that the doors of Hollywood automatically open themselves to you. Fortunately, Australian model Barrett was able to show studios that there was talent to go with those looks and before we knew it she was landing roles on screens small and big, including Poseidon, The Last Kiss, and The Namesake.
Nicole Scherzinger
Reality TV show: Popstars (2001)
Before Nicole Scherzinger was urging dudes to loosen up her buttons, declaring your girlfriend busted, and banging out other dance floor anthems with the help of her Pussycat Doll associates, the former X-Factor co-host was just struggling to get noticed on the WB's Popstars, a reality show centered around finding the right members for a girl group. Though "Eden's Crush" didn't last especially long, Scherzinger did have the group to thank for helping officially put her on the map, where she has been blazing hot ever since.
Spike Mendelsohn
Reality TV show: Top Chef (2008)
The fedora-loving cheftestant didn't make off with the Top Chef title (due to a little incident that viewers love to refer to as "scallopgate"), but that certainly hasn't kept Mendelsohn from doing big things in the wake of the show. Rather than opting to revolve post-Bravo life around some stiff $500 a head joint, he set up shop in DC to open one of the city's most beloved burger spots (and rumored Obama haunt), Good Stuff Eatery, followed by an equally savory neighbor, We, The Pizza.
Kevin Powell
Reality TV show: The Real World: New York (1992)
After appearing on Real World's inaugural season (and getting into that famous "race plus power equals racism" argument with Julie in the SoHo streets), Powell found additional outlets through which to voice his opinions. He served as a senior writer at Vibe from 1992 to 1996, where he conducted one of Tupac's very last interviews before dedicating himself full-time to activism, public speaking, and politics (leading to a run for Congress back in 2008).
Lauren Conrad
Reality TV shows: Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County (2004-2006), The Hills (2006-2010)
How episode after Hills episode of petty drama concerning Conrad's vapid ladyfriends and toolbag dating prospects turned her into a pop culture fixture...we'll never truly understand. However, it's got to be said that other reality stars should take notes from this girl—she knew her audience well and just how to capitalize on that fanship.
The end of Conrad's MTV stint very well could've marked the beginning of the end, but on the contrary, it was the beginning of the beginning. In addition to launching her successful eponymous clothing line for Kohl's, her L.A. Candy series of young adult novels earned her a spot on the New York Times Bestseller list, as well as her subsequently released style guide. She now has additional books in the works, along with a potential movie.
Kelly Clarkson
Reality TV show: American Idol (2002)
American Idol's inaugural winner didn't need to keep up reality appearances in order to remind the world she existed. It's been 10 years since Kelly Clarkson was crowned and she's still churning out chart-toppers. Not only has she sold millions of albums and hit singles since releasing her first in 2003, but she's got two Grammy Awards to show for her efforts—not an accolade too many reality stars can claim.
Jamie Chung
Reality TV show: The Real World: San Diego (2004)
Despite appearing on one of the Real World's more forgettable seasons (we challenge you to name another San Diego castmate), Jamie Chung proved to be anything but once she graduated from reality TV and moved onto the real deal. After stints on shows like Greek and Days of Our Lives, she expanded her fan base tenfold with prominent roles in Sucker Punch and The Hangover Part II. In the upcoming drama Eden, she shows that she can handle more serious fare too, portraying a real-life woman who was abducted into sex slavery.
David Giuntoli
Reality TV show: Road Rules: South Pacific (2003)
If you thought Detective Burkhardt, protagonist of the fantasy crime drama Grimm, looked vaguely familiar, you no doubt saw actor David Giuntoli similarly chasing down clues in his past life on Road Rules: South Pacific. Then again, it was hard to notice anyone with a chick like Cara Zavaleta walking around.
Jennifer Hudson
Reality TV show: American Idol (2004)
Beyoncé, mother of Jay-Z's child and 16-time Grammy Award winner, is a nearly impossible woman to upstage. Nearly. In 2006, an American Idol finalist by the name of Jennifer Hudson was plucked from post-reality obscurity and cast alongside her in a big screen adaptation of Broadway's Dreamgirls, Hudson's very first acting role.
To say that she stole the show would be an understatement—mountains moved, seas parted, and grown men bawled like babies after she brought houses down worldwide with her rendition of "And I Am Telling You." Hudson was presented the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, and the movie, music, and endorsement offers only continued to flow in.
Judd Winick
Reality TV show: The Real World: San Francisco (1994)
Grimy bike messenger Puck may have nabbed all the Real World: San Francisco camera time, but let's be real, Judd Winick was more of a behind-the-scenes kind of guy anyway. After leaving the house, he began providing the illustrations for the Complete Idiot's Guide collection of books, as well as taking the reins on a series of comic books, including Green Arrow, Green Lantern, Batman, and others. He also created the animated Cartoon Network series The Life and Times of Juniper Lee, which ran for three seasons.
Bethenny Frankel
Reality TV shows: The Apprentice: Martha Stewart (2005), The Real Housewives of New York City (2008-2010)
After making it to the finals of The Apprentice: Martha Stewart, NYC housewife Bethenny Frankel pulled off several notable feats during her time on Bravo. On top of turning out to be surprisingly likable and self-aware among a crew of status-consumed gargoyles (let alone the only 'housewife' sans husband—at least for several seasons), the working girl smartly managed to leverage her time on the network into successful book and alcohol launches that have ensured she'll never need to join the ranks of golddiggers.
Her 2009 healthy eating guide, Naturally Thin, became a New York Times Bestseller while the sale of her once-laughable-seeming Skinnygirl Margarita brand earned her a reported $120 million last year. Not bad! Definitely a much better use of the platform than those chicks trying to get their singing careers off the ground by making out with Bret Michaels.
Sean Duffy
Reality TV show: The Real World: Boston (1997)
Remember him? The all-American lumberjack from the Boston house that used to spar all the time with Kameelah and wastedly converse with Montana about apes masturbating for oranges? He could've opted to forgo real employment in favor of never-ending Real World/Road Rules challenges like other show alums (he did 2002's Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Battle of the Seasons), but he decided to take the road less traveled. After serving as a district attorney in his native Wisconsin, he's now quite literally running shit (or helping) as a Republican U.S. Representative for the state's 7th congressional district.
Emma Stone
Reality TV show: In Search of the Partridge Family (2004)
That's right! Emma Stone's introduction to the public wasn't actually via Superbad, as many assume, but on a rough-sounding VH1 reality competition called In Search of the Partridge Family. (Our guess? You didn't know because you weren't watching. We definitely weren't.) Though the pilot wound up being the only episode produced, we're eternally grateful that her would-be spot as Laurie didn't end up role-blocking her from the flicks we've come to know and love her in.