Top 10 Times Celebs Appeared on Reality Shows Before They Were Famous
Why do we feel like we know these people from somewhere…? Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top ten times celebs appeared on reality shows before they were famous.
For this list, we’ll be looking at various famous people who appeared on a reality series before striking it big and becoming household names. We’ll be including various types of “reality show”, including traditional reality TV and competition franchises like “American Idol.”
#10: Heather Morris
Most people know Heather Morris as the dimwitted Brittany S. Pierce from “Glee,” but her heart has always been in dance. Heather began dancing when she was nine years old and competed in various competitions throughout Scottsdale, Arizona, where she was raised. In 2006, when Morris was in her late teens, she competed on the second season of “So You Think You Can Dance,” which is essentially “American Idol” for dancers. Surprisingly, Morris failed to make an impact and was eliminated before making the final twenty. However, Heather got the last laugh, as she was quickly recruited into Beyoncé’s troupe and danced with the iconic singer during “The Beyoncé Experience” world tour.
#9: Karamo Brown
Karamo is now known as the “culture expert” on Netflix’s “Queer Eye.” But long before he popped up on the streaming service, he was making TV history. In 2004, Karamo became the first openly gay black man to appear on reality TV when he starred in “The Real World: Philadelphia.” At the time, Karamo was working for an L.A. based social service company called the Brotherhood Crusade. After leaving the show, Karamo found work as a social worker before re-appearing on reality TV in 2016. He starred in seven episodes of TV One’s “The Next :15.” Karamo isn’t the only celebrity to come out of “The Real World,” as actress Jamie Chung starred in “The Real World: San Diego” in 2004.
#8: Lucy Hale
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Known primarily for her work on “Pretty Little Liars,” Lucy Hale began starring as the hipster-y Aria Montgomery in 2010. The show wrapped in 2017, whereupon she began to take on more film roles, starring in the 2018 horror movie “Truth or Dare.” However, music was always Lucy Hale’s first love, and in fact, much earlier in 2003, she competed in the short-lived “American Idol” spin-off, “American Juniors.” She performed quite well, eventually finishing in fourth place. When she moved to Hollywood, she pursued a career in music but instead landed small roles on shows like “Drake & Josh” and “The O.C.” She is now mainly an actress, and that is how we know her.
#7: Kesha
Kesha was born to a very musically gifted mother, Pebe Sebert. She wrote a song for Joe Sun back in the ‘70s called “Old Flames Can’t Hold a Candle to You,” which was then covered by Dolly Parton on her 1980 album Dolly, Dolly, Dolly. Kesha and her mother would often write songs together, and the two quickly formed a bond. Around 2004, Kesha’s mother Pebe noticed that Paris Hilton’s “The Simple Life” was looking for an “eccentric” family to host Paris and Nicole, and she threw her name into the hat. The Seberts were eventually picked and appeared in the 2005 episode “Wedding Planner.” Kesha eventually sang backup vocals on Paris Hilton’s song “Nothing in This World” before signing with RCA and finding her own success.
#6: Laverne Cox
Laverne has broken a ton of ground for transgender advocacy. She is the first openly transgender person to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy thanks to her work on “Orange Is the New Black.” She is also the first transgender person to play a transgender character on network TV, and the first openly transgender person to appear on the cover of TIME. Before staking her claim in history though Laverne was a contestant on VH1’s “I Want to Work for Diddy,” which saw people competing for a job with P. Diddy. She also produced and starred in her own VH1 series called “TRANSform Me,” which saw female contestants receiving makeovers from three trans women.
#5: Cardi B
Cardi B broke onto the mainstream in 2017 thanks to the number one single “Bodak Yellow,” which appeared on her critically acclaimed album Invasion of Privacy, and featured another chart topper in “I Like It.” She was also a successful featured artist, having rapped on the top five singles “No Limit,” “Finesse (Remix),” and “Girls Like You.” But long before all that, Cardi worked as an exotic dancer and found some popularity through her viral Vine and Instagram videos. This possibly led to her stint on VH1’s “Love & Hip Hop: New York.” She was the main star of the sixth and seventh seasons, which spanned from December 2015 to February 2017. “Bodak Yellow” was released the following June, and the rest is history.
#4: Beyoncé
Before she was the world’s biggest pop star, Beyoncé was just another girl from Houston. She quickly gained an interest in music and met LaTavia Roberson while auditioning for a girl group. Beyoncé, Roberson, and Beyoncé’s friend Kelly Rowland were subsequently placed into a group called Girl’s Tyme, which attracted the attention of producer Arne Frager. Frager brought them to California and put them on “Star Search,” which was sort of a predecessor of “America’s Got Talent.” (xref) FYI, Justin Timberlake also appeared on “Star Search” back in the day! Despite the mesmerizing early 90s attire, their performance wasn’t good enough and the group failed to win. No matter. The group pushed on, dropped members and changed their name to Destiny’s Child in 1996, after which they proceeded to rule the airwaves.
#3: Lady Gaga
Now, this may come as a surprise, but Lady Gaga is not actually the singer’s real name. She was just Stefani Germanotta when she appeared on the MTV prank show “Boiling Points” in 2005. In this show, unsuspecting targets are ridiculed and angered, and they earn $100 if they keep their cool through a seemingly arbitrary amount of time. Stefani was eating at a restaurant and had her food taken away during a phone call, and when she asked for it back, it returned coated in garbage. She did not keep her cool. Lady Gaga also appeared in an episode of “The Hills” when Lauren helped her with a wardrobe malfunction before an Interscope Records event.
#2: Emma Stone
As a child, little Emily Stone knew she wanted to be a performer. She just didn’t know…what to do. She had a passion for acting and appeared in countless youth theater productions as a child. However, she also had an interest in sketch comedy and performed in a Phoenix-based improv troupe. She ALSO showed some love for music, and after dropping out of high school and moving to Los Angeles, she appeared on the VH1 talent competition show “In Search of the New Partridge Family.” Stone actually ended up winning the competition and was cast as Laurie Partridge in “The New Partridge Family.” Unfortunately, the pilot was not picked up. Luckily, “Superbad” and superstardom were just around the corner.
Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
Elisabeth Hasselbeck
“Survivor” (2000-)
Analeigh Tipton
“America’s Next Top Model” (2003-)
Jackie Cruz
“Kourtney and Kim Take Miami” (2009-13)
Colton Haynes
#1: Jon Hamm
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Hamm was a bit of a latecomer to stardom, as he was 36 years old when “Mad Men” premiered in July of 2007. But it certainly wasn’t from lack of trying. Hamm moved to Los Angeles in 1995 and found work…as a contestant on a dating show called “The Big Date.” Not much is known or remembered about the dating and relationship reality television series, aside from the fact that a mid-20s Jon Hamm appeared on it! Not only did he lose the competition, but he was eventually dropped by the William Morris Agency for not finding any gigs. Luckily, his role as Burt Ridley on “Providence” prevented him from quitting acting, and he eventually landed one of the most iconic roles in television history.
