15 reality stars with surprising careers before TV

Watching Kenya Moore on shows such as The Real Housewives of Atlanta or Celebrity Apprentice is always exciting for any reality TV fan. Her quick wit, extensive vocabulary, and ability to shade her cast like no other make her such an entertaining watch. But her time as a peach holder on Bravo isn’t the only thing she’s known for. Kenya rose to fame in the early ‘90s when she was crowned Miss Michigan 1993. Later that year, she would become the second Black woman in history to win the title of Miss USA. She represented the United States in ‘93 at Miss Universe, where she placed sixth. 

Before joining the cast of The Real Housewives of Atlanta in 2009, Kandi Burruss gained notoriety in 1992 as a member of the girl group Xscape. After disbanding in 1998 to pursue solo projects, Kandi shifted her focus to songwriting and music production. Although her debut album Hey Kandi… was released in 2000, her writing efforts on successful hits like "Bills, Bills, Bills" by Destiny’s Child and "There You Go" by Pink elevated her status in the industry. In ‘99, Burruss won a Grammy Award for penning the song "No Scrubs" performed by TLC at the 42nd Grammys. 

Tiny Harris, also a member of Xscape, received a Grammy Award alongside Kandi Burrus for co-writing "No Scrubs." She and Burruss also have songwriting credits on Ed Sheeran's No. 1 Billboard hit, "Shape of You." Since 2011, Harris has starred in numerous reality shows with her husband, T.I., and their children. Some credits include TI & Tiny: The Family Hustle, Xscape: Still Kickin It, and SWV & Xscape: The Queens of R&B.

Although Sanya Richards-Ross is still new to The Real Housewives of Atlanta, she isn’t new to reality television. In 2013, Sanya starred in the docuseries Glam and Gold, which followed the star and her family as she balanced life, work, and training. But before living in front of cameras, Sanya was busy sprinting toward gold in the Olympic games. She is the first female athlete in history to win first in the women's 4 x 400m relay at three consecutive Olympics games (2004 in Athens, 2008 in Beijing, and 2012 in London). She also snagged gold in London during the individual 4 x 400m race running a 49.55.

Garcelle Beauvais has been a staple in Hollywood since her breakout role in The Jamie Foxx Show . Since then, she’s starred in series like NYPD Blue and Franklin & Bash. In 2017, she joined the Marvel Universe by originating the role of Doris Toomes in Spider-Man: Homecoming. After appearing in CBS All Access and Netflix original productions, Garcelle joined the cast of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills ahead of its 10th season in 2020.

Eileen Davidson joined the cast of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in 2014. She stayed on the series until her departure in 2017. Before reality TV, Eileen starred in popular soap operas like The Young and the Restless and Days of Our Lives. Although she no longer appears on Housewives in a full-time role, she has made a few guest appearances in seasons eight and 10. 

Lisa Rinna, one of the biggest villains in the history of The Real Housewives, starred in the Beverly Hills iteration of the franchise from 2014-2022. Before her run on reality television, Rinna was known for her time as Billie Reed on the NBC soap Days of Our Lives. In addition to her televised work, Lisa also played the role of Roxie Hart in Chicago on Broadway. 

Today, many people know Kyle Richards as the longest-running cast member on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. However, she initially began her career as a child actress. She’s had roles in films Little House on the Prairie and Eaten Alive. However, one of her most significant roles has to be her portrayal of Lindsay Wallace in the Halloween franchise. Although the original film debuted in 1978, Kyle returned to reprise her role in the 2021 and 2022 films Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends.

Like her sister, Kyle, Kim Richards also got her start in Hollywood as a child star. Kim rose to fame after starring in productions like Nanny and the Professor, Escape to Witch Mountain, and Return from Witch Mountain. From 2010-15, Kim was a full-time cast member on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. After departing the series, Kim appeared on the shows The Mother/Daughter Experiment: Celebrity Edition and Marriage Bootcamp: Reality Stars. 

From 1979-1988, Kim Fields played the role of Dorothy “Tootie” Ramsey on the NBC sitcom The Facts of Life. In 1993, she appeared as Regine Hunter on the Fox series Living Single. Kim joined the cast of The Real Housewives of Atlanta in 2015, where she feuded with veteran cast member Kenya Moore. 

Some reality TV fans may know Lolo Jones from shows like The Challenge and Celebrity Big Brother. However, before that, she competed with Team USA during the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics. Although she’s never won an Olympic medal, the track and field athlete does have several indoor national and two world indoor championship titles.

In 2011, Toni Braxton starred alongside her family in the hit reality TV show Braxton Family Values. The show ran for seven seasons before being canceled in 2020. While it may be true that the show's success thrust the Braxtons back into the limelight, Toni was one of the most successful R&B singers in the industry before the show. She has seven Grammy Awards and nine Billboard Music Awards. Additionally, she’s sold over 70 million records and has produced two No. 1 hits ("Un-Break My Heart" and "You're Makin' Me High/Let It Flow"). 

Yolanda Hadid is best known for her time on shows including The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Project Runway, and Making a Model. But before reality TV, Hadid was discovered by Eileen Ford after walking in a fashion show for Dutch designer Frans Molenaar. After being signed by Ford Models, Yolanda posed worldwide in locations like Paris, Milan, and Tokyo.

Before joining the cast of The Real Housewives of Atlanta on Bravo, Drew Sidora was primarily known for her time on the BET comedy/drama, The Game , where she starred alongside actress Tia Mowry. She has also had roles in films such as Step Up and the VH1 biopic CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story.

Cynthia Bailey, widely known for her time on The Real Housewives franchise, started as a model at the age of 18. She’s worked in New York City, Paris, and Milan and has modeled for brands like Maybelline, Oil of Olay, and Target. Not only, but Cynthia has also posed in Vogue, Elle, Glamour, and Vanity Fair. Since departing RHOA, Cynthia placed third on season three of Celebrity Big Brother and starred in the BET+ movie Blossom.