Movies And TV Shows You've Seen These Real Housewives In
It is no secret that the women who appear on Bravo's "Real Housewives" franchise enjoy the camera –- they are, after all, reality stars. Some of these women, however, have onscreen aspirations that go beyond reality TV, and for many, acting has been a long-held passion. There are a number of "Real Housewives" who had established acting careers before they joined the show, especially on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," given its proximity to Hollywood. Others tried for a long time, with little success, or had previously acted and given it up. Finally, a couple of the women have been able to use the "Housewives" franchise to successfully springboard into acting.
No matter how or when they got into acting, it's worth taking a look at the resumes of some of your favorite reality stars. From soap operas to sitcoms to film, these women have amassed many interesting and varied credits. While not every "Real Housewives" city is represented here, the acting bug extends well beyond Beverly Hills. The list includes wives from Atlanta, Orange County, and –- in a lesser capacity –- New York, Dallas, and Miami. Here are some of the movies and TV shows where you may have seen "Real Housewives" do their thing.
Kyle Richards
Kyle Richards is currently starring in "Halloween Kills," the latest installment in the incredibly popular Halloween horror franchise. In the film, Richards reprises the role of Lindsey, a role that she played in the original "Halloween" all the way back in 1978. "Halloween" was one of the first big gigs for Richards, who first credit was in the television show "Police Woman," in 1974 when she was only five years old. The other most notable job that Richards had as a child was "Little House on the Prairie," on which she appeared in 18 episodes over a number of years. As a teenager, Richards was a regular on "Down to Earth," a fantasy sitcom that ran from 1984 to 1987.
While Richards had a lot of smaller parts and guest-starring roles as a kid actress, she has had less success as an adult (though, to be fair, she also had four children and it is possible she intentionally put her career on the back burner). Since coming of age, her biggest role has been as nurse Dori Kerns on "ER," wherein Richards can be seen in 21 episodes over the course of eight years (1998 to 2006). She has also guest-starred on shows like "CSI," "Days of Our Lives," "Beverly Hills, 90210," and "7th Heaven." With the success of "Halloween Kills," it was announced recently that Richards may be back in the role of Lindsey Wallace for the next installment, "Halloween Ends" (per Collider). While her future on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" may be uncertain, her acting creds certainly aren't.
Kim Richards
Kyle Richards is not the only Richards sister to have made her mark as a child actress –- older sisters Kathy Hilton and Kim Richards both acted, with Kim being the most successful of the three sisters. Kim was a notable child star, starting with her role as Prudence in "The Nanny and the Professor," a television show that ran from 1970 to 1971. She was also an accomplished Disney star, with roles in movies like "Escape to Witch Mountain," "Return to Witch Mountain," and "No Deposit, No Return," and in television programming like "The Magical World of Disney" and "The Whiz Kid and the Carnival Caper."
By the age of 20, Richards had a sizable number of credits under her belt and was positioned for a substantial career in Hollywood. Unfortunately, things tapered off around 1984 –- when Richards was 20 –- and the actress has only two other credits up until 2002. In 2002, she participated in a short film wherein she reprised her "Witch Mountain" role (called "The Blair Witch Mountain Project") and she has had a handful of other roles since. "Black Snake Moan" is the only noteworthy role Richards has undertaken in the aughts, though it must be said that she was quite good in the small part of Sandy Doole in the 2006 film.
As chronicled on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," Richards has had struggles with addiction and the law, and it is likely that her alcoholism impacted her acting career. According to People, Richards began drinking in her mid-20s, which is shortly after her acting credits dried up. By the time she hit screens as a reality star, she had already been struggling for quite some time. Richards has faced several allegations over the years, including tax evasion.
Nene Leakes
When "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" debuted in 2008, there was no doubt that Nene Leakes was the breakout star. Leakes had a sharp wit, a big mouth, and charisma oozing out of every pore, which is the reason why she lasted so long on the show. By the time she left for the first time –- after seven seasons as a full-time housewife –- Leakes had already branched out into acting. Ryan Murphy gave Leakes her first big break, casting her as swim coach Roz Washington on "Glee." Leakes appeared in 13 episodes of the show.
Leakes' biggest role was actually in another Murphy production, the sitcom "The New Normal," which aired for one season in 2012-2013. The show revolved around a gay couple and their surrogate, and Leakes played Rocky Rhoades, one of the main character's assistants. She has not had a ton of on-screen roles beyond those, but she did recently appear as herself on an episode of "Dynasty" and has guested on a few other programs. Additionally, Leakes has starred on Broadway (in "Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella" and "Chicago"), co-hosted "Fashion Police" on E!, and done stand-up all around the country.
Drew Sidora
In 2020, Drew Sidora joined "The Real Housewives of Altanta" for its thirteenth season, and she was quick to start some drama on the show. And drama is something Sidora knows how to do, given that she has been acting since childhood. Her first credit was a role in "Divas," a 1995 television movie, though it would be eight more years before Sidora added any other parts to her resume. She picked up acting again in 2004 -– presumably upon high school graduation -– and was cast in numerous small parts in television and film, including "White Chicks" and "Never Die Alone."
In 2004 and 2005, Sidora played the recurring part of Chantel on "That's So Raven," which remains one of her more memorable roles. She also played a fictionalized version of herself in "The Game," appearing in three 2007 episodes. Other credits include the television shows "One Love" and "Hindsight," the dance movie "Step Up," and the TLC biopic "CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story," wherein she played lead singer T-Boz. "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" has not slowed down Sidora's bookings, either, as she has a number of acting projects on the horizon. This includes a television movie called "Line Sisters" and a film based upon the novel "Sanctified, Holy and Full of It."
Denise Richards
She may not be known for starring in a lot of serious films, but Denise Richards was certainly known as an actress when she joined "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" in 2019. Richards spent two seasons on the reality program, though she continued to act the whole time she was shooting for Bravo. Her slate is currently quite busy, with her IMDB listing a dozen projects for 2021 and beyond. This includes "The Bold and the Beautiful," on which Richards has been appearing for a couple of years, as well as the upcoming television show "Glow and Darkness," co-starring Joan Collins.
Richards started her acting career with guest spots on shows like "Life Goes On," "Saved by the Bell," "Beverly Hills, 90210," and "Seinfeld," and gained wider public attention when she appeared in the science fiction action flick "Starship Troopers" in 1997. The next handful of years were especially busy for Richards, whose notable credits include the satirical black comedy "Drop Dead Gorgeous," the campy thriller "Wild Things," and "The World Is Not Enough," a Bond movie in which she unconvincingly portrayed a scientist named Dr. Christmas Jones. Richards has also appeared in a number of quickly canceled television series, such as "Sex, Love and Secrets" in 2005 and "Blue Mountain State" in 2010-2011.
Garcelle Beauvais
Garcelle Beauvais was a breath of fresh air when she joined "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" in 2020, and she has continued to be a fan favorite housewife in 2021, her second season on the show (and the franchise's eleventh season). While appearing as a "Real Housewife," Beauvais also picked up a second regular gig appearing as a co-host on the daytime talk show "The Talk." And somehow, she is still finding time for acting projects, like "Coming 2 America" and the upcoming TV movie "Caught in His Web."
Beauvais –- who modeled before she started acting –- first appeared onscreen in a 1984 episode of "Miami Vice," at the age of 18. While she did not get a ton of acting work in the 1980s, she did notably appear as Rose Bearer in the first "Coming to America" film in 1988. In 1994, she got her first starring role in a television series, though "Models Inc." lasted only one season on FOX (despite being an Aaron Spelling production). Nonetheless, Beauvais scored one of her best-known roles only two years later –- that of Fancy Monroe in "The Jamie Foxx Show," which ran for 100 episodes across five seasons.
From there, Beauvais has a truly stacked IMDB page, particularly in television series. She appeared as A.D.A. Valerie Heywood in 84 episodes of "NYPD Blue," which is perhaps her best-known television role next to "The Jamie Foxx Show." She was also at one point a main cast member on "Eyes" and "Franklin and Bash," and recurred on a number of other programs including "Grimm," "The Magicians," "Siren," and "Merry Happy Whatever."
Heather Dubrow
Heather Dubrow does not act much anymore, but back before she was a "Real Housewife" or even a wife at all, Dubrow racked up quite the resume under the name Heather Paige Kent. Dubrow was a series regular on a number of television shows in her late 20s and early 30s, including Jenny McCarthy's sitcom "Jenny," "Stark Raving Mad," and "That's Life," a dramedy on which Dubrow played the main protagonist.
Dubrow married plastic surgeon Terry Dubrow (of "Botched" fame) in 1999, and she seems to have stopped acting when the pair started having children (they have four). Dubrow started on "The Real Housewives of Orange County" in 2012, which is around the time she began to reemerge on the acting scene. In addition to a handful of one-off guest roles, she appeared in 12 episodes of the series "Sequestered" in 2014. Dubrow's last acting role was in an episode of "Young & Hungry" in 2017, and it may perhaps remain her last credit for a while, since she recently rejoined the "Real Housewives" after having left in 2016.
Lisa Vanderpump
Lisa Vanderpump –- or LVP -– is one of the biggest Bravolebrities that have ever existed, but few people know that she was actually a working actress long before she was playing a heightened reality television version of herself. She started her screen career with an uncredited appearance in the 1973 film "A Touch of Class," and continued acting throughout the 1970s and 1980s. She even had a few roles in the 1990s, including guest stints on "Baywatch Nights" and "Silk Stockings." Other credits include the 1978 horror movie "Killer's Moon" and six episodes of a British television series called "Kids."
Vanderpump is an original cast member of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," and she starred on the show until a scandal caused her to leave in Season 9. One reason she likely felt comfortable leaving –- aside from her restaurants -– is "Vanderpump Rules," her other long-running Bravo reality show that just returned for its ninth season. Vanderpump has recently further capitalized on her strong relationship with Bravo by developing programs for the Peacock streaming service and E! –- both of which, like Bravo, are owned by NBCUniversal. "Vanderpump Dogs" premiered in June 2021, shortly after the finale of "Overserved with Lisa Vanderpump." And really, who needs acting when you can get played to play yourself on three different shows in the same calendar year?
Kim Fields
Kim Fields is by far the most famous actress to have ever appeared on "The Real Housewives of Atlanta." While she is a fantastic thespian, Fields never quite gelled with the rest of the housewives, and her exit was rather quick. Fields appeared in Season 8, which aired in 2015 and 2016. Her mellow, polite personality was no match for the shady theatrics of "The Real Housewives," but Fields has not shied away from reality television altogether. She has since appeared on everything from "Dancing with the Stars" to "Battle of the Network Stars."
Fields first rose to prominence as Dorothy Ramsey (aka: Tootie) on the teen show "The Facts of Life," which aired from 1979 to 1988. She had only been acting for two years with "The Facts of Life" premiered but spent nearly the entirety of her teenage years on the program and became a household name in the process. Fields is also widely known for her work as Regine Hunter on "Living Single," the Queen Latifah-fronted sitcom that ran from 1993 to 1998. Her other credits include "Living the Dream" and "The Upshaws," a Neflix series on which she currently appears.
Lisa Rinna
By the time Lisa Rinna joined "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" in Season 5, she was already an established celebrity. And, sure, she had a lot of other reality shows under her belt (like "Dancing with the Stars," "The Apprentice," "Sing Your Face Off," and "Harry Loves Lisa"), but her acting career is nothing to slouch at either. Rinna is a soap opera icon, known for playing Billie Reed on nearly 700 episodes of "Days of Our Lives" and in various offshoots, including a couple of TV movies and the miniseries "Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem."
Rinna is also known for appearing as Taylor McBride in the final three seasons of "Melrose Place," and she has many guest roles under her belt, appearing on series such as "Baywatch," "8 Simple Rules," and "The Middle." Finally, the actress has starred in a fair number of television films, many of them with names like "Another Woman's Husband," "Lies Before Kisses," and "Bratty Babies," which could be plucked right from "Real Housewives" storylines.
Eileen Davidson
When Lisa Rinna joined "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," so too did her on-and-off again "Days of Our Lives" costar Eileen Davidson. Davidson only lasted as a "Real Housewife" for three seasons, but she still occasionally pops up as a guest. An accomplished actress, Davidson won her first of two Daytime Emmy Awards in the same year that she signed on for reality TV. Though she has a handful of other acting credits, Davidson has worked primarily in daytime television and she has become a soap opera staple.
Starting in 1991, she spent two years playing Kelly Capwell on "Santa Barbara," but that was just the start of it. Davidson's two most notable roles are ones that she has played on and off for decades, leaving and returning as soap actors tend to do. First, she has appeared in nearly 1,800 episodes of "The Young and the Restless" as Ashley Abbott, a character she also played in 137 episodes of "The Bold and the Beautiful" in 2007 and 2008. In addition, Davidson spent years playing Kristen DiMera (and various other characters) on "Days of Our Lives." Her last episode on "Days" was in 2017, but Davidson recently appeared as Kristen on the primetime miniseries "Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem."
Eva Marcille
Her winning appearance on "America's Next Top Model" earned Eva Marcille (then Pigford) the nickname "Eva the Diva," but her years on "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" were much tamer. A few big fights notwithstanding, Marcille was a relatively low-key cast member, perhaps because she has chilled out with age, but also maybe because she was pregnant for the bulk of her three years on the show (one as a "friend" and two as a "wife").
As many models do, Marcille ventured into acting once she had established herself in beauty and fashion. Her first acting job was a two-episode guest stint on "Kevin Hill" back in 2005, and she followed that with other TV guest roles and small supporting parts in film. In 2008, she began playing a recurring character on the soap opera "The Young and the Restless," and ultimately appeared in 72 episodes as Tyra Hamilton. She has continued to act – most notably in television, with roles in shows such as "House of Payne," "Born Again Virgin," and "All the Queen's Men."
Kandi Burruss
Kandi Burruss is hands-down one of the most successful women ever to appear on the "Real Housewives," across all cities of the franchise. Nonetheless, the bulk of her success has been in music and in business. While Burruss has restaurants, a sex toy line, and a cosmetic line, to name a few ventures, acting is a newer passion for her. Her first acting role was in 2008's "Make It Rain," but only recently has she started making a splash in this arena.
Most markedly, Burruss has appeared on 13 episodes of "The Chi," the Lena Waithe drama series that airs on Showtime. In 2021, she also served as narrator for a television miniseries, "Keeping Up with the Joneses" and in the TV movie "Envy: Seven Deadly Sins." Earlier credits include guest stints on "Insecure" and "Saints & Sinners," and though it was not an acting part, we would be remiss if we did not mention that she also won season three of "The Masked Singer" as the Night Angel.
The Others
While we have already covered the "Real Housewives" with the most notable credits, plenty of others have given acting a whirl (or seven). For example, fans of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" saw Kenya Moore produce a pilot for "Life Twirls On" back in 2015. While the pilot did not go anywhere, Moore has an IMDB page filled with bit parts that have kept her working since her time as Miss USA. Fellow Atlanta wives Claudia Jordan and Lisa Wu have some acting experience as well. Wu's credits include small films such as "Envision" and "Professor Mack," and Jordan has a varied resume, which has included roles in the television program "Diary of a Champion" and the miniseries "The Sin Within."
In a memorable episode of "The Real Housewives of New York," Ramona Singer accused Bethenny Frankel of appearing in a "porno." The flick in question is actually a movie called "Hollywood Hills 90028" which, while risqué, is not actually that scandalous. Frankel's acting resume has only a couple of other credits, and fellow New York wife Alex McCord's is only slightly longer. McCord's most notable role was as McCarthy in eight episodes of the daytime soap opera "One Life to Live."
Others who attempted the acting thing, with various degrees of success, include OC "Housewife" Jeana Keough, Dallas "Housewife" LeAnne Locken, Miami "Housewife" Joanna Krupa, and Joyce Giraud, a one-season wife from Beverly Hills. Giraud's resume is the most impressive of the bunch, with 17 credits including Tyler Perry's "House of Payne" and "Jeepers Creepers 3."