13 Stars Who Launched Their Careers On The Real World

Most of the people that became famous as reality show personalities owe a debt of gratitude to the OG reality show: MTV’s The Real World.

photo: WENN

Aside from fights, sex, and the occasional drunken bender, The Real World gave the blueprint for how to become famous without any tangible skills. The handful of castmates with real talent are still out there. So next time you see some birds snatching each other’s weaves on TV, salute these 13 stars who launched careers on The Real World.

—
Photo: WWE Screen Capture

Heather B. Gardner

From her crush on Larry Johnson to making waves with “All Glocks Down,” Heather B. holds a special place in many a Hip-Hop head’s heart. You can pretty much see and hear her chime in daily as a co-host on Sway’s Universe, and she puts her mixology skills on display at her Happy Hour With Heather B site.

photo: WENN

Jacinda Barrett

Barrett parlayed a role on The Real World: London into a legit acting career. She’s held down roles in The Following, Poseidon, Suits, New York, I Love You and a ton of other stuff.

Kevin Powell

As another OG from the first season of The Real World, Powell may have the most distinguished career of any former reality star. He rose up the ranks from pushing the pen at VIBE to ESPN, Esquire, and Rolling Stone to writing 11 book and getting involved in politics.

Mike “The Miz” Mizanin

In terms of speaking something into existence, it doesn’t get much realer than “The Miz.” He went from acting like a corny wrestling clone on the 2001 edition of The Real World: Back To New York to being a real, professional WWE star.

photo: WENN

Tami Roman

Tami’s controversial introduction to fame involved getting an abortion and, in an unrelated incident, getting David kicked out of the house on The Real World: Los Angeles. More than 20 years later, she’s still just as controversial for her work on Basketball Wives, formerly being married to Kenny Anderson, and flipping a reality show stint into a viable career in television, radio, and the makeup industry.

photo: WENN

Jamie Chung

The relatively low key Chung is knee-deep in Hollywood as an actress. After The Real World: San Diego wrapped, Chung has been seen in and on Veronica Mars, CSI, Days Of Our Lives, and Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.

photo: WENN

Trishelle Cannatella

After The Real World: Las Vegas, Trishelle took a page out of Tami Roman’s book and turned being famous for nothing into an art. She can make a claim as being the precursor to Kim Kardashian in terms of being famous for just being famous. She went on to do a bunch of different reality shows, posed for Playboy, and she’s apparently a skilled professional poker player. The hustle continues.

Rebecca Blasband

There’s a pattern evident with the cast members from the inaugural season of The Real World. Blasband signed to to Mercury and dropped the album Rapt in 1997. She also signed to Warner to lesser fanfare. It’s hard to believe the first season of The Real World produced two bona fide, major label musicians.

photo: WENN

Kyle Brandt

Maybe the drama from The Real World: Chicago was the perfect training ground for Brandt. His next moves were as Philip Kiriakis on Days Of Our Lives, followed by work with the ever-drama Jim Rome as a co-host and executive producer.

Rachel Campos-Duffy

If Campos-Duffy’s face looks familiar, it’s because she’s been “this” close to permanently co-hosting The View in 1999, 2003, and 2013. She’s also been a regular on Fox News.

Julie Stoffer

Is former The Real World: New Orleans cast mate Julie the first Mormon video vixen? She’s appeared in Eminem’s “Without Me,” New Found Glory’s “Hit Or Miss,” and she was once the host of G4TV’s Electric Playground.

Melissa Beck

Aside from a brief cameo on The Jamie Foxx Show, Melissa briefly hopped back on the reality show circuit when she co-hosted Girls Behaving Badly. The Real World: New Orleans may have had some of the most low key, random star power.

Norman Korpi

Like most of the people in Hollywood, Norman is getting that behind the scenes, entertainment money. He’s done design, film making and some production work with the Academy Awards. Chalk up another win for the OGs from Season 1.