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We now live in a world where the seventh-best American Idol contestant is an Oscar-winning actress. This got me thinking. Who are the most successful people whose careers were launched on reality shows? It’s a short list, and I’m definitely casting a wide net.
• Jennifer Hudson (American Idol), Oscar-winning Dreamgirls actress.
• Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, Carrie Underwood (American Idol), recording artists. Kelly & Carrie own Grammy Awards. Clay has sat in for Regis.
• Elisabeth Hasselbeck (Survivor), co-host of The View.
• Rob & Amber Mariano (Survivor), the Rolling Stones of the genre. They’ve certainly explored the reality show studio space, appearing on Survivor: All Stars, The Amazing Race, The Amazing Race: All Stars, Rob & Amber Get Married, and Rob & Amber: Against All Odds.
• O-Town (Making the Band), the result of an MTV reality series designed to assemble the next great boy band. They hung around for a while, and recorded a few songs for the Pokemon movie.
• Eric Nies (original Real World), went on to host The Grind, which hasn’t been on in ten years.
• Steven Bailey (My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance), plays the bartender on Grey’s Anatomy. I’m stretching.
• Jack & Kelly Osbourne (The Osbournes), though I’m not exactly sure what it is they do now.
• Mike Hall (Dream Job), won the ESPN reality show to find the next great host. Now he’s the lead anchor on ESPN U, their college sports network.
I’m sure I’m missing some easy ones.
There is a band called “Danity Kane” that was also from “Making the Band,” I belive the second season.
posted by Max on 3-1-2007 at 5:00 pm
How about those folks on The Apprentice? I didn’t follow it, and therefore don’t know any of the names, but wasn’t the point of that show to get a career opportunity?
posted by Bet on 3-1-2007 at 5:02 pm
Popstars had the group ” Eden’s Crush” with Nicole Scherzinger, who is now the lead singer for the Pussycat Dolls.I would say selling 5.5 million albums is very successful! And I wish I was Hot like her…oh wait I am LOL!!
posted by CropTillDawn on 3-1-2007 at 6:02 pm
What is unusual is how people like Jerri Manthey have become recycled again and again in the Reality show world (i.e. her appearance on the Surreal Life, and Battle of the Network Reality Stars)
posted by Bill on 3-1-2007 at 6:03 pm
Teck Holmes
From Real World Hawaii
posted by Micah on 3-1-2007 at 6:33 pm
Yoanna House, winner of “America’s Next Top Model,” went on to host “The Look for Less”
posted by leofishy on 3-1-2007 at 6:34 pm
It’s a stretch, but Chip Arndt, who was on the Amazing Race, is Lance Bass from N’Sync’s first openly gay boyfriend, as far as I know.
posted by Alison on 3-1-2007 at 9:45 pm
Kelly has a show on Much Music (in Canada, at least) where she’s trying to live in Japan and Jack has another show on the same channel where he and two friends go around the world doing a bunch of adrenaline-pumping things. Not that I actually watch these shows…often….
posted by st_erin on 3-1-2007 at 10:21 pm
Colleen Haskell, went on to co-star in the Rob Schneider film, The Animal
Puck, from the ‘94 season of the Real World, hosted a show on MTV, and was featured in People magazine last August. (which tells you it was a slow news month)
posted by Daylightrambler on 3-2-2007 at 3:20 am
If you consider Star Search a reality program–it’s basically the same as American Idol without the snarky or inebriated judges–Rosie O’Donnell and a slew of others have been successful from that launch.
posted by Dawn on 3-2-2007 at 8:22 am
Kelly Osbourne is also the host of a show on SKY TV in the UK that is a reality show about fashion designers who have to compete with each other. It’s called “Project Catwalk” and it sucks ass. Not because of her per-se, all she does
really is stand there looking dumb.
posted by Christian on 3-2-2007 at 11:27 am
Dave Holmes was runner-up in the Wanna be a VJ contest on MTV and went on to host numerous MTV shows (Say What Karaoke) and is now host of DVD on TV on FX. Not sure if that counts as a reality show, as it was a series of contests I think on TRL, but its close.
posted by chickenman on 3-2-2007 at 11:45 am
Dont forget about Mr T who was discovered on a televised bouncer competition in 1980.
posted by vttex on 3-2-2007 at 12:24 pm
Oh, thought of another one - Kimberly Caldwell from American Idol (season 1, maybe?) also hosts the TV Guide Channel.
posted by chickenman on 3-2-2007 at 12:59 pm
Jacinda Barret (sp?), an actress/model who was in the London season of the Real World has gone on to act in many major films, with very large parts in some recent films, including School for Scoundrels.
Melissa Howard, a Real World castmember from the New Orleans season, was a co-host on the Oxygen show, “Women Behaving Badly”.
posted by Matt on 3-2-2007 at 1:14 pm
I’d hate to be that super annyoning person to point this out, but Danity Kane is from the THIRD season of Making the Band.
And their hit “Show Stopper” is my ringtone.
posted by Mallory on 3-2-2007 at 1:31 pm
Kim Caldwell is from Season 2 of American Idol, fyi.
Also I would add:
Kendra (winner of Apprentice season 3) hosts some shows on HGTV (I think) about real estate.
I’m not sure if this counts, but Lee (runner up on Apprentice season 5) was offered a job with Trump’s organization and I believe is doing quite well for himself, even if he’s not in the spotlight anymore.
Last Comic Standing has produced some successes, perhaps most notably Ralphie May, who recently had a special on Comedy Central, and also Ant, who is a “personality” on VH1 now, hosting Celebrity Fit Club and doing bits on their “I Love the…” shows.
Also, there seems to be a contingent of people who make a living appearing on MTV’s Real World / Road Rules challenge.
posted by Sara R on 3-4-2007 at 3:09 am
Rob and Amber must die.
posted by beajerry on 3-4-2007 at 5:08 am
Judd Winick has been writing for DC Comics for years. He was on Real World: San Francisco.
posted by Outsdr on 3-6-2007 at 3:45 pm