These reality stars had roles in major television shows

Kim Kardashian embodies reality TV. The multi-hyphenate has used her star power to dabble in nearly every business a Hollywood starlet can dip their toes into, and she’s been successful in several. Back when it was in its prime, Kim Kardashian was on an episode of How I Met Your Mother, and she’s got an upcoming role in a new season of American Horror Story. 

Vanderpump Rules star Katie Maloney hasn’t done a ton of television. Still, like many of her SUR co-workers, Maloney did give acting a go before completely leaning into her status as a Bravo-lebrity. In a video promoting his movie Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 , Chris Pratt revealed that Maloney had a small role in the television show Everwood back in the early 2000s alongside Pratt himself.

Most reality television stars try to use their status as reality television stars to find work in other areas, but Kyle Richards took the opposite route. The former child star was known for her work in shows like Little House on the Prairie before becoming the longest-running Housewife in Beverly Hills history and one of the longest-running Housewives in Bravo history.

Garcelle Beauvais had a similar career path to Kyle Richards, though hers started at an older age. The Haitian-born actress who had a part in Coming to America has also had quite a television career starring in series like The Jamie Foxx Show and NYPD Blue. After joining The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Beauvais got a part on a popular daytime talk show, The Real, though it was canceled shortly after she joined.

Denise Richards is another Real Housewife with a legitimate acting career before joining the cast. Before her short tenure as a Housewife, the former Beverly Hills 'wife had roles in several television shows like Friends and Melrose Place . Richards was also married to Charlie Sheen, who is known for his roles on television shows like Two and a Half Men.

Now that Lisa Rinna is off The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Bravo needs to find another soap star to fill the void. Rinna took her role on the show very seriously, and she imbued some of the drama she learned from years of starring on Days of Our Lives into the reality series. In addition to her soap work, Rinna has had guest roles on shows like Community and Awkward. 

Eileen Davidson is another soap star to have joined the Bravo universe. Davidson has been on Days of Our Lives and The Young and the Restless for decades, and her joining the cast of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills was a major get for the network. Davidson's work has stayed mainly within the soap and reality television spaces. 

Karamo Brown has become well known for his role on Queer Eye, but before joining the Fab Five, he was an MTV star. Brown started on The Real World: Philadelphia and was one of the first openly gay men on the series. Brown is also known for his work on Big Mouth and Raven's Home. 

It’s not often that a reality star turns into a legitimate actor, but Jamie Chung has defied the odds. Chung started on MTV's The Real World: San Diego, eventually moving to the big and silver screens. She’s had plenty of roles in movies, but she’s also known for her work in television shows like Once Upon a Time and My Dad the Bounty Hunter. 

The Real Housewives of Orange County's Heather Dubrow has made a career in reality television by having a big house and loving champagne. But before those were her two most well-known modifiers, Dubrow worked as an actor. She’s even maintained her acting career while working in reality television, and she even filmed an episode of The Real Housewives from the set of Hot in Cleveland when she scored a guest spot on the sitcom.

The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Nene Leakes won the world over on the Bravo show, and she proved that she's one of the most hysterical people to come from reality television. Leakes used that natural talent to make audiences laugh and got more acting gigs. She can be seen in old episodes of The New Normal and Glee. 

When Tinsley Mortimer joined The Real Housewives of New York City, everyone on the cast gushed over how well-known she was in New York social circles. Mortimer was an it girl through and through. She was such an it girl that before she joined the Bravo cast, she had a role in an episode of Gossip Girl. And just to reiterate how much of an it girl Mortimer was, she played herself on the hit CW show.

Laguna Beach was one of the most popular reality shows of the 2000s, and for a while, some of its stars maintained major popularity, even after filming had wrapped. Though he’s largely stepped out of the spotlight now, Stephen Colletti did pursue an acting career and had a longtime role on One Tree Hill. Today he can be heard on the podcast he co-hosts with his former co-star and ex-girlfriend, Kristen Cavallari.

Many reality television stars try to make a living as an actor after their reality television days, but others take a different route. Elisabeth Hasselbeck, for example, who was on Survivor, used her notoriety to earn jobs on talk shows like The View and Fox and Friends. Hasselbeck also had roles in scripted series like Entourage and Ugly Betty.

Lauren Conrad went from The Hills to a few different film sets. However, one of the former MTV star's only stints in television was animated. She had a part in one episode of Family Guy. But Conrad stayed true to her major career aspirations that she had on The Hills, and she eventually stepped out of the spotlight to run her small fashion empire.

Kelly Osbourne was known for being Ozzy Osbourne’s daughter before her time on reality television, but the world got to know her better when she was on The Osbournes for four seasons. The show, an Emmy-winning reality series, was successful, but Kelly had roles on other successful television shows, too, like Drop Dead Diva and Phineas and Ferb. 

After his time on The Bachelorette, Tyler Cameron had about every opportunity possible thrown at him thanks to his good looks. Cameron was cast in a few different film projects, including the television series Single Parents, where he acted alongside silver-screen vets like Taran Killam and Leighton Meester. 

Paris Hilton walked so Kim Kardashian could run. She invented being famous for being famous, and she used that fame to garner every opportunity possible. Hilton can be seen on old episodes of shows like The O.C. and George Lopez, and in 2021, she had her own Netflix series called Cooking with Paris. 

Paris Hilton is widely recognized, and rightfully so, but The Simple Life wouldn’t have been as iconic as it is without Nicole Richie. Hilton’s BFF provided ample comic relief in the series, and she used it as proof that she was fit for acting gigs. Richie has had roles in shows like Chuck and Empire, and she starred in the 2021 Quibi series Nikki Fre$h. 

If Bethenny Frankel proved anything while she was on The Real Housewives of New York City, it’s that she isn’t afraid to work. The former Bravo star seems to be up for trying anything at least once, including acting. Frankel has had parts on shows like The Neighbors and Nightcap. Now, though, she’s most prolific on her podcast and TikTok account.