20 reality stars who got parts in major films

What hasn’t Kim Kardashian done? The billionaire reality star has built multiple businesses, including her makeup line and SKIMS. She’s working toward her law degree and even had a few roles in feature films. The first movie she had a role in was 2008’s Disaster Movie, and she’s been in a couple of others since then. But her biggest acting role to date is her part in Ryan Murphy’s television series American Horror Story. 

Though she’s best known for playing herself on The Real Housewives of Atlanta, Kenya Moore has had a long career in the entertainment industry, and she’s had parts in quite a few films, including the fourth installment of the Sharknado series, Sharknado 4: The 4th Awakens. But perhaps the biggest film she acted in was 2003’s Deliver Us From Eva. 

Vanderpump Rules star Lala Kent infamously dated her ex-fiance Randall Emmett for years on the show, and his Hollywood connections proved helpful in her acting career. Emmett has produced major films like The Irishman and Silence, and he was on the production team for 2021’s Out of Death , which starred Kent, Jamie King, and Bruce Willis. Given their acrimonious breakup, it’s unlikely Kent will be cast in any of Emmett’s future films. 

Kendra Wilkinson, Holly Madison, and Bridget Marquardt became reality superstars in the late 2000s from their show, The Girls Next Door, which documented their life living at the Playboy Mansion while dating the late Hugh Hefner. Their popularity even scored the trio roles in two major films, The House Bunny and Scary Movie 4. Marquardt had previously had roles in some films, while Madison and Wilkinson both scored parts on their own in Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!

Laguna Beach’s own Kristin Cavallari parlayed her reality television career into a successful business career, but she took an acting detour along the way, acting in films such as Fingerprints and Wild Cherry. Cavallari returned to reality television for her show Very Cavallari for a few seasons before separating from her ex-husband Jay Cutler, and she was featured in a couple of episodes of The Hills: New Beginnings. 

The Real World fanatics remember Jamie Chung from her time on the San Diego installment of the series and subsequent spinoffs, but it didn’t take long for her reality television career to become exclusively an acting career. Now Chung is better known for her roles in projects like Big Hero 6 and Eden. 

It’s not nearly as big of news now when it's announced Paris Hilton will be acting in a film as it was when she was starring in The Simple Life. In 2005, despite having a few acting credits to her name, Hilton’s starring role in the horror film House of Wax was headline-worthy. Now most of her entertainment ventures are in DJing and reality television, but she still acts occasionally. 

Perhaps Paris Hilton got the acting bug from her mother and aunts. The Richards sisters began their careers as child actors, with Kim Richards and Kyle Richards carrying it into adulthood. All three have also appeared on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, with Kyle remaining the longest. Kyle is also known for her role as Lindsey in three Halloween movies, including the original and two of its sequels. 

Though her acting career hasn’t been as prolific as her The Simple Life co-star Paris Hilton’s, Nicole Richie could still use her star power from the reality show to land roles in multiple films. Her first movie role was in Kids in America, and she’s been in multiple made-for-TV movies. Richie can also be seen in various television shows, like Empire and Grace and Frankie. 

Being a reality star earned Kendall Jenner a career as a model. Being a model earned her an invitation to the Met Gala. And an invitation to the Met Gala earned her a role in Ocean’s 8, the all-female revival of the heist franchise. Jenner, along with her famous friends who regularly attend the exclusive event, just had a cameo appearance in the film, but she was in it nevertheless. 

Included in the group of famous friends next to Kendall Jenner in Ocean’s 8 was her sister, Kylie Jenner. Kylie hadn’t been featured in any films before Ocean’s 8, nor has she been in any since, but she has a slew of credits for features in music videos to her name thanks to her famous relationships with rappers Tyga and Travis Scott. 

Considering her connections and status, Kourtney Kardashian probably could’ve gotten at least a cameo in a movie any time in the past 15 years, so we assume her lack of acting experience is by choice. Still, the reality star has one film credit to her name: a part in He’s All That, the 2021 gender-reversed remake of She’s All That. Kardashian acted alongside her friend, Addison Rae, who starred in the film. 

Say what you want about Tyra Banks’s behavior in America’s Next Top Model, but she had those contestants prepared for anything that might come their way (though likely most of it never did come because it was quite absurd). Just ask Lio Tipton (née Analeigh Tipton), who went on from the series to have an acting career. Tipton has had roles in films like Crazy Stupid Love and Warm Bodies. 

Lauren Conrad has done a stellar job of separating herself from her reality fame. Though she’s still known for her time on Laguna Beach and The Hills, she’s built successful businesses and hasn’t been on reality programming in over a decade. During her reality television reign, though, Conrad did have parts in a couple of major films, Epic Movie and Life Happens. 

Some stars are destined to be on reality television their entire careers, but others use it as a tool to break further into the entertainment industry. David Giuntoli of Road Rules fame now has a legitimate acting career, with credits in films like 13 Hours and Buddymoon. More notably, though, he starred in the long-running ABC drama A Million Little Things. 

Maddie Ziegler danced her way into the hearts of the American public as a star on the Lifetime reality series Dance Moms . Thanks to her unbelievable talent as a dancer, she was one of the few cast members who wasn’t berated by instructor Abby Lee Miller on a weekly basis. Her talent also led her to star in several of Australian singer Sia’s music videos, and she landed a role in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story. 

Before he was a contestant on The Bachelorette, Tyler Cameron was just a ridiculously good-looking guy working construction in Florida. His time on the reality show led him to a successful modeling career, and he had a role in the Iliza Shlesinger movie Good on Paper, in which he fittingly played the part of Ruggedly Handsome Man. 

Now she’s known for being part of the royal family, but before that, Meghan Markle had a job as a briefcase model on Deal or No Deal. Markle, of course, went on to star in the legal drama Suits, but she also had roles in feature films like Remember Me and Horrible Bosses. When she joined the royal family, Markle had to give up her acting career. Though she could return to the craft now, she’s stated she has no plans to do so. 

Drew Sidora has gained notoriety in the past few years thanks to her part on The Real Housewives of Atlanta, but before she joined the Bravo family, she was a working actor. Sidora had roles in features like Step Up and Wild Hogs, and she’s even got a few producing credits on her resume. 

Like several Real Housewives who’ve come before her, Garcelle Beauvais had a career in entertainment long before she was fighting with her castmates at dinner parties. Beauvais has had roles in iconic movies like Coming to America and its sequel, as well as Spider-Man: Homecoming. Her television career has been successful, too, with parts in series like The Jamie Foxx Show and NYPD Blue.