Unscripted To Prime Time: 12 Reality Stars Who Made The Move To Streaming Movies
Some surprising household names got their start in reality TV.
March 20 2020, Published 4:45 p.m. ET
Reality TV thrives on drama and taking already interesting personalities then turning up their intensity. So it should come as no surprise that many of the players in the reality TV game feel they are ready to make the jump to scripted entertainment and become real actors. It’s just learning a few lines, right? Well, not exactly. Reality TV and scripted film are two very different ball games. Just ask the likes of Lisa Rinna or Denise Richards who have successfully done both.
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Ultimately, not many reality stars can seamlessly make that leap but when they do, it can be spectacular. For instance, Jamie Chung went from The Real World: San Diego to a role in the X-Men-related series The Gifted. And you can not forget about Jennifer Hudson.
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Faces that might shock and surprise you are featured in this gallery. From Justin Timberlake to Jon Hamm and Emma Stone, many of today’s streaming movie stars got their break on reality TV.
1. Jon Hamm.
Before Mad Men star Jon Hamm was known as ad man Don Draper, he was just an ordinary guy looking for love on a dating show called The Big Date. Hamm, 25 at the time, was passed over by two women on the show. The Big Date aired from 1996 to 1997. Hamm went on to have a much more successful Hollywood career, starring in the feature film Beirut, streaming on Amazon Prime.
2. Jennifer Hudson.
Many think of Oscar winning actress/singer Jennifer Hudson as one of the powerhouse performers in Dreamgirls. But the versatile Hudson got her big break on American Idol. Hudson made it into the top seven before being eliminated. Soon after, her voice and acting skills landed her a role in the movie version of Dreamgirls where she won her academy award. Hudson also starred in Winnie Mandela, streaming on Amazon Prime.
3. Jamie Chung.
Actress Jamie Chung has been seen on the soap opera Days of Our Lives and voiced GoGo on Disney’s Big Hero 6, streaming on Disney+. But back in her college days, Chung was a reality TV regular, appearing as a cast-mate on MTV’s The Real World and later on the spin-off Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Inferno II.
4. Emma Stone.
Fan-favorite Emma Stone got her start winning a short lived reality series called In Search Of The New Partridge Family. The show featured contestants auditioning before stars of the original Partridge Family for a place in a rebooted pilot of the show. Stone won the role of Laurie Partridge, but a series was never picked up. Stone went on to a superstar career starring in such films as Superbad, streaming on Amazon Prime. Maybe it was for the best.
5. Analeigh Tipton.
Actress Analeigh Tipton started her entertainment career by placing third on the 11th season of America’s Next Top Model. From there she scored a role in The Green Hornet before going on to star in Hung and Crazy, Stupid, Love, streaming on HBO Go.
6. Justin Timberlake.
Superstar actor Justin Timberlake shot to stardom as a member of NSYNC. But Timberlake had star-making appearances going back to when he was an 11-year-old competing on Star Search. That led to him joining the cast of The Mickey Mouse Club. Timberlake has starred in many films since including Trolls, streaming on FX.
7. Britney Spears.
Singer Britney Spears’ road to fame matches that of fellow Mouseketeer Justin Timberlake. She started on Star Search then landed a role in The Mickey Mouse Club. The “Toxic” singer then went on to worldwide fame in the pop world. Spears has also appeared in movies such as Crossroads, a road-trip movie that also costarred Zoe Saldana, streaming on Amazon Prime.
8. Matt Lanter.
Actor Matt Lanter began his road to stardom on Bravo reality series Manhunt: The Search For America’s Most Gorgeous Male Model. He landed seventh place but his acting skills landed him much more such as a lead role in Pitch Perfect 3 streaming on Hulu.
9. Yaya DaCosta.
Actress Yaya DaCosta’s story is similar to Analeigh Tipton’s. Both got their start on America’s Next Top Model. From there she moved into commercials, then soap operas, then prime time TV with Ugly Betty, Chicago Med and The Butler, currently streaming on Amazon Prime.
10. David Giuntoli.
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Actor David Giuntoli was a reality hunk in the MTV series Road Rules: South Pacific but his star was destined to shine in bigger things. He graduated to playing Detective Nick Burkhardt in the hit series Grimm as well as 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi alongside John Krasinski, streaming on Amazon Prime.
11. Laverne Cox.
Even Orange Is the New Black star Laverne Cox got her start in reality TV. Cox — the first trans actress to be nominated in the acting category for a primetime Emmy — got her start on the VH1 reality series I Want to Work for Diddy in 2008, where she placed eighth. Cox has made numerous guest appearances such as on Curb Your Enthusiasm and starred in Carl(a), streaming on Tubi.
12. Colleen Haskell.
Actress Colleen Haskell made her debut on the first season of CBS’ Survivor back in 2000. That quickly turned into a lead acting role in The Animal, a movie starring the ex-SNL cast-member Rob Schneider and streaming on Amazon Prime. She also appeared in That 70’s Show and Maybe It’s Me.
