Over 20 years since MTV began their televised social experiment of throwing complete strangers into a house, adding some booze and watching the sparks fly, we decided to take a look back and see where some of the more outstanding members are today. We’ve pretty much stuck with the earliest seasons as the show has, how shall we say, gone downhill since the beginning.
Eric Nies – Real World: New York
Eric went on from Real World to host MTV’s The Grind and competed on four Real World/Road Rules challenges. He also appeared on the 2008 VH1 show Confessions of a Teen Idol. He is about to turn 42.
Puck – Real World: San Francisco
Puck married his wife Betty during The Real World. The couple has two kids together. Puck was arrested on domestic violence charges in 2009 and 2011. In 2010 he was arrested for driving while intoxicated after an accident with his son in the car.
Jacinda Barrett – Real World: London
Jacinda went on to pursue an acting acreer, appearing in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, Poseidon and The Human Stain. She has a child with her husband, actor Gabriel Macht.
Mike Mizanin “The Mix” – Real World: Back to New York
Better known now by his professional wrestling name, ‘The Miz,’ Mike Mizanin rode his reality TV stardom into WWE. He appeared on the show Tough Enough to earn himself a spot in the WWE ring. He currently stars in his own series Clash Time.
Trishelle Cannatella – Real World: Las Vegas
Trishelle went on to pose in Playboy and also played in the Lingerie Bowl. She has appeared on the E! show Kill Reality and the horror movie it spawned, The Scorned. She also plays celebrity poker.
Heather B Gardner – Real World: New York
Heather went on from The Real World to release three albums, with her latest CD Open Bars dropping in 2010 and contributes to the Sway in the Morning Sirius show.
Kevin Powell – Real World: New York
Kevin Powell has published ten books since Real World and unsuccessfully ran for Congress in New York’s 10 congressional district three times. He is also a nationally-recognized activist who speaks against violence toward women, appearing on The Oprah Winfrey Show in March 2009.
Judd Winick – Real World: San Francisco
Judd married Real World: San Francisco co-star Pam Ling in 2001 and they now have two kids. He wrote the book Pedro and Me about housemate and AIDS activist Pedro Zamora, who died of AIDS-related illness the day after the season finale aired. Judd currently works for DC comics and created the Cartoon Network show The Life & Times of Juniper Lee.
Pedro Zamora – Real World: San Francisco
Pedro was an openly gay and openly HIV-positive cast member on The Real World: San Francisco. He was praised by President Bill Clinton for humanizing those living with HIV and for activism that brought international attention to AIDS and LGBT issues. In November 1994, the day after the season finale of Real World: San Francisco aired, Pedro passed away of AIDS-related illness.
MTV’s A Tribute to Pedro Zamora
Pam Ling – Real World: San Francisco
A Phi Beta Kappa member from Harvard and perpetual overachiever, Pam Ling is now married to housemate Judd Winick. The couple continues Pedro Zamora’s work in AIDS education. Ling completed her residency in primary care at the University of California, San Francisco in 1999, and entered into an AIDS-research fellowship. She currently specializes in HIV and AIDS research.
Neil Forrester – Real World: London
Neil came onto Real World: London as the lead singer for Unilever, a fledgling underground punk band and is now a researcher and academic in England. He specializes in the field of developmental disorders and language at the University of London.
Danny Roberts – Real World: New Orleans
Before Real World: New Orleans began, Danny had recently started a relationship with Paul Dill, a US Army captain. Because of the U.S. Military “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, Paul’s face was blurred on television a great deal of national attention was brought to the issue. In early 2004, MTV aired a special where Paul (then out of the military) revealed his face for the first time and the policy and subsequent effects were discussed. In November 2006, Roberts announced in The Advocate magazine that he and Dill had broken up. Danny is currently a secretary in Seattle.
Kyle Brandt – Real World: Chicago
Getting his start on The Real World: Chicago, Kyle Brandt is now best known for playing Philip Kiriakis on the NBC soap opera Days of our Lives. Today he is a writer and producer for the Jim Rome radio and TV shows.
