The Real World Cast Where Are They Now Photos

If you’re a Real World megafan, then those words are probably etched into your pop culture-loving brain. That also means you’re probably dying about the fact that the first season of the proto-reality franchise is being rebooted with The Real World Homecoming: New York, which premiered March 4 on Paramount+ and features all seven original cast members coming back to the very same SoHo loft they once lived in to rekindle their decades-old friendships and, in some cases, reignite old beefs (and also, of course, to find out what happens “when people stop being polite…and start getting real”). While The Real World was considered groundbreaking when it debuted in 1992, the franchise went on to span an astounding 33 seasons overall—spawning some bona fide celebrities along the way. In honor of the New York reboot, here are several of the show’s most well-known cast members, along with some updates about where they are now.

Real World cast: Where are they now?

Then: Eric Nies, The Real World: New York and The Real World Homecoming: New York

Season 1’s original hunk was trying to make it as a male model in New York City during his time on the show. Eric Nies wound up becoming Real World’s first show-made celeb, leveraging his fame into a career as a TV host on shows like The Grind, Hangin’ With MTV and Dance Fever.

Now: Eric Nies

Nies is now a wellness guru, yoga enthusiast and overall spiritualist. He’ll also be appearing on The Real World Homecoming: New York, but only via videoconferencing. Why? He told The New York Times cryptically, “It was definitely not my choice, but I accepted the outcome—more will be revealed in the future.”

Then: Kevin Powell, The Real World: New York and The Real World Homecoming: New York

When he joined the Season 1 cast in New York, Kevin Powell was already known around the city as an up-and-coming journalist and poet. His on-camera visits to the Nuyorican Poets Café in Manhattan’s East Village have been credited with the explosive popularity of slam poetry in the ‘90s.

Now: Kevin Powell

Powell unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2008 and 2010. He’s gone on to curate museum exhibitions and lecture on American poetry, history and culture overseas. Cornell University even established a Kevin Powell archive to collect and preserve his work. 

Then: Heather B., The Real World: New York and The Real World Homecoming: New York

During Season 1, Heather B. (full name: Heather B. Gardner) was trying to launch her rap career in New York.

Now: Heather B.

Since 2012, she’s been a cohost of SiriusXM’s Sway in the Morning alongside another former MTV star, Sway Calloway. She’s also appeared in several Real World reunion projects and cameoed in movies and TV shows like Death Wish and Luke Cage.

Then: Tami Akbar, The Real World: Los Angeles

On The Real World: Los Angeles, Tami Akbar tried to launch a singing career as part of an all-female R&B group appropriately called Reality. She also gained some notoriety when she decided to wire her jaw shut in order to lose weight.

Now: Tami Roman

After marrying NBA star Kenny Anderson in 1994 and divorcing him in 2001, the-Tami-formerly-known-as-Akbar starred for several years on another reality franchise, Basketball Wives. She’s also enjoyed a successful acting career with recurring roles on shows like The Family Business, Saints and Sinners and Truth Be Told.

Then: Rachel Campos, The Real World: San Francisco

Rachel Campos was one of the first Latinx Real World cast members ever when she joined Season 3 in San Francisco. She captured viewers’ attention with her fiery support for conservatism and her brief romance with bad-boy housemate David “Puck” Rainey.

Now: Rachel Campos-Duffy

Campos married fellow Real World alum-turned-U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy (more on him below) in 1999 after they met while costarring on Road Rules: All Stars. Besides being a Congressman’s wife, she’s also had her own career as a conservative TV pundit.

Then: Jacinda Barrett, The Real World: London

The first time Real World went overseas to London in Season 4, Aussie native Jacinda Barrett joined the cast as a then up-and-coming model.

Now: Jacinda Barrett

She transitioned from modeling to acting with high-profile roles in films like The Human Stain, The Namesake, Ladder 49, and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason. In 2004, she married Suits star Gabriel Macht. She attended the royal wedding of his costar, Meghan Markle, in 2018.

Then: David “Puck” Rainey, The Real World: San Francisco

Perhaps the baddest “bad boy” in Real World history, Puck (as he was known) worked as a San Francisco bike messenger when he was ultimately evicted from the Season 3 house.

Now: David “Puck” Rainey

Puck reportedly has three children and has made other appearances in the Real World/Road Rules Challenge universe. He’s also been arrested numerous times and has battled substance abuse issues.

Then: Sean Duffy, The Real World: Boston

When Sean Duffy was a member of the Season 6 house in Boston, his big “quirk” was that he competed in lumberjack competitions.

Now: Sean Duffy

A Wisconsin native, Duffy served five terms in the U.S. Congress, representing the state’s 7th district. He retired in 2019 when he and his wife, Real World alum Rachel Campos, learned that their upcoming ninth child would be born with significant health complications.

Then: Syrus Yarbough, The Real World: Boston

Syrus Yarbough was a former college basketball player and a bona fide ladies’ man when he appeared on Real World: Boston.

Now: Syrus Yarbough

Syrus’ Facebook page indicates that he’s involved in an online retail business called BlackDesignerClothing.com. After competing in many seasons ofReal World/Road Rules Challenge, he’s also returned to those roots as a cast member on Paramount+’s reboot, The Challenge: All Stars. 

Then: Tecumseh “Teck” Holmes, III, The Real World: Hawaii

On The Real World’s Hawaii-based season, “Teck” was a ladies’ man who was always ready for a good time. He was also planning on embarking on a career in showbiz.

Now: Teck Holmes

Teck now goes by several names and indeed carved out a credit-packed acting career for himself, with roles in movies like First Daughter and Van Wilder: Party Liaison and shows like Friends, Lincoln Heights and NCIS.

Then: Ruthie Alcaide, The Real World: Hawaii

Teck’s partying partner in crime on The Real World: Hawaii, Ruthie Alcaide (who is Filipino-American and had been adopted as a child) wound up going to rehab at her housemates’ insistence after her heavy drinking got out of hand.

Now: Ruthie Alcaide

She dabbled in acting and MTV’s competition shows after the Hawaii season—and makes a return to those roots on Paramount+’s The Challenge: All Stars.

Then: Irene McGee, The Real World: Seattle

Living in Seattle as part of The Real World’s Season 7 cast, Irene McGee became the infamous recipient of the “slap heard around the world” when one of her castmates smacked her in the face as she was leaving the show due to her battle with Lyme disease.

Now: Irene McGee

She’s gone on to be a sought-after lecturer, podcaster, editor, radio host, storyteller and philanthropist, with her work often focusing on Lyme disease and the harmful effects of mass media.

Then: Melissa Howard, The Real World: New Orleans

Melissa Howard quickly earned a rep as one of the funniest houseguests in Real World history when she starred on the show’s ninth season in New Orleans.

Now: Melissa Beck

She parlayed her sense of humor into a gig on Oxygen’s all-female improv comedy show Girls Behaving Badly, which ran from 2000-2005 and co-starred Chelsea Handler. But since then, she’s kept a low profile, moving to New York and marrying Glassjaw guitarist Justin Beck in 2007. They now share three daughters. She now also cohosts the podcast Imperfect Strangers, about two moms just gettin’ to know each other.

Then: Kelley Limp, The Real World: New Orleans

On The Real World: New Orleans, she was known as the “sorority girl” who took her relationship with her medical-student boyfriend super-seriously. 

Now: Kelley Wolf

In 2002, she met actor Scott Wolfthrough a mutual friend. They married in 2004 and are currently raising three kids while she works as a life coach. According to her Instagram, the family is “based in Vancouver, British Columbia” and she has a book coming out this year.

Then: Danny Roberts, The Real World: New Orleans

Danny Roberts made headlines when he starred on The Real World: New Orleans because of his closeted boyfriend, who served in the military and couldn’t reveal his identity on camera because of the Armed Forces’ since-repealed “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

Now: Danny Roberts

Danny has worked for high-profile companies like MailChimp and Redfin. He lives in Vermont and co-parents a daughter with his ex-husband, Wes Pereria. He also disclosed years ago that he is living with HIV.

Then: Julie Stoffer, The Real World: New Orleans

Stoffer got cast on The Real World: New Orleans because she was a devout Mormon. However, her participation with the franchise ultimately got her suspended from Brigham Young University, a Mormon institution, due to what were called “honor code violations” related to her time on the show.

Now: Julie Stoffer

Stoffer was another Real World-er who kept popping up on other MTV reality competition shows like Extreme Challenge, The Inferno, The Inferno II and The Gauntlet 2. She’s married to a surgeon, with whom she shares three kids. She has a website, PlanetJulie.com, and is mostly busy being a homemaker.

Then: Mike Mizanin, The Real World: Back to New York

When The Real World went Back to New York for Season 10, Mike Mizanin was clearly the cast’s sheltered-kid-from-the-heartland type, who frequently tussled with his castmates over issues of dating and race. He also showed flashes of his wrestling alter ego, The Miz.

Now: Mike “The Miz” Mizanin

Mizanin went all the way with his wrestling alter ego, signing to WWE in the early 2000s and enjoying a lengthy pro career. He can still be seen today on WWE Raw and WWE Smackdown.

Then: Coral Smith, The Real World: Back to New York

Coral Smith was a student and parttime nanny when she was cast on The Real World: Back to New York. She clashed with Miznanin over his questionable views on racism and won “Roommate You Love to Hate” at the 1st-ever Real World Awards Bash in 2008.

Now: Coral Smith

After appearing on the usual gamut of MTV competition shows, Smith is now a mom living in San Francisco. In her Twitter bio, she notes that she’s “down with GLBTQA pride, animal rights, the music, marriage equality and the truth.”

Then: Kyle Brandt, The Real World: Chicago

When he appeared on Season 11 of The Real World in Chicago, Kyle Brandt was a recent Princeton University grad who’d been a high-school football star and dreamed of becoming a professional actor.

Now: Kyle Brandt

Brandt acted on the soap opera Days of Our Lives from 2003 to 2006 before transitioning back to football as a producer, host and interviewer in TV and sports radio. Today, he’s a cohost on the NFL Network’s Good Morning Football.

Then: Aneesa Ferreira, The Real World: Chicago

Cast on The Real World: Chicago, Aneesa Ferreira was a fan-favorite. Not only was she one of the first queer women of color to appear as herself on TV, but she also gained a rep for strutting naked around the cast’s shared living quarters.

Now: Aneesa Ferreira

She’s another MTV lifer, with numerous credits on the Challenge franchise. She also cohosts MTV’s Official Challenge Podcast.

Then: Trishelle Cannatella, The Real World: Las Vegas

The Real World was arguably never crazier than when it went to Las Vegas for its 12th season. And that cast’s No. 1 party girl was Louisiana native Trishelle Cannatella, who threw off the shackles of her conservative upbringing to throw down in Sin City.

Now: Trishelle Cannatella

Cannatella parlayed her Real World fame into a Playboy spread; a Super Bowl commercial for GoDaddy; and appearances on several other reality shows, including The Surreal Life, Celebrity Poker Showdown and Battle of the Network Reality Stars; as well as all the usual MTV shows. She’s now married and back living in Louisiana, but she’s returned to TV on Paramount+’s The Challenge All Stars.

Then: Chris “CT” Tamburello, The Real World: Paris

On The Real World: Paris, he was known as an ambitious college student—and was also a significant source of stress in the house.

Now: Chris “CT” Tamburello

He’s still on his Challenge grind, starring this year on the franchise’s latest season on MTV, subtitled Double Agents. He also revealed last year that he’d separated from his wife of two years, Lilianet Solares.

Then: Jamie Chung, The Real World: San Diego

Jamie Chung was portrayed as a hard-working college student when she appeared on The Real World: San Diego in 2004.

Now: Jamie Chung

The highly successful actress and model has enjoyed roles in Grown Ups, the Hangover franchise and most recently, the hit HBO series Lovecraft Country. She married Hollywood hunk Bryan Greenberg in 2015

Then: Karamo Brown, The Real World: Philadelphia

When he joined the cast of The Real World’s 15th season in Philadelphia, Karamo Brown became the show’s first-ever Black and gay male participant. The distinction even earned him accolades from the GLAAD Media Awards.

Now: Karamo Brown

Queer Eye for the win! Brown’s star shot into the stratosphere when he became the makeover franchise’s resident culture expert. He’s also got a podcast and a memoir.

Then: Wes Bergmann, The Real World: Austin

On The Real World: Austin, Bergmann filled the role of the typical frat jock. He was a junior at Arizona State at the time he taped the show’s 16th season.

Now: Wes Bergmann

Bergmann has appeared steadily on the Challenge franchise since his Real World debut and got married in 2018. 

Then: Paula Meronek, The Real World: Key West

She worked her way up the corporate ladder by day and partied hard at night on The Real World: Key West while also dealing with body-image issues and an abusive ex.

Now: Paula Beckert

After getting sober a few years after the show aired, Beckert is now a married mom of three and a yoga enthusiast.

Then: Johnny “Bananas” Devenanzio, The Real World: Key West

On The Real World: Key West, this Penn State grad had a rep as a flirt and a practical joker, which got him into big trouble when he once removed a female castmate’s bikini top as a “joke.”

Now: Johnny Bananas

He just goes professionally as “Johnny Bananas” and has, like so many Real World alumni, made a career out of appearing on MTV’s slew of competition programs. He’s also hosted NBC’s 1st Look.

Then: Brianna Taylor, The Real World: Hollywood

On The Real World: Hollywood, Brianna Taylor’s tumultuous past, including her abusive relationships and substance abuse problems, was an often-discussed topic on the show. She also was known for wanting to make it as a singer; she competed on American Idol a couple of years prior.

Now: Brianna Taylor

Taylor released a self-titled EP in 2008 and her LP Fireworks at the Fairground in 2009. She doesn’t seem to be very active on social media, but according to her LinkedIn profile, she still works as a self-employed singer.

Then: Ryan Conklin, The Real World: Brooklyn

Before starring on The Real World: Brooklyn, Ryan Conklin had already served in the military, carrying out a tour of duty in Iraq before being honorably discharged from the U.S. Army. His time on the show’s 21st season was cut short when he was recalled to redeploy to Iraq.

Now: Ryan Conklin

His redeployment was the focus of a 2009 MTV documentary, The Real World Presents: Return to Duty. After again being discharged in 2010, Conklin published a memoir about his military service in 2010 titled An Angel From Hell. He’s also lectured about his time in the military

Then: Heather Cooke, The Real World: Las Vegas

A former Division I soccer player, Heather Cooke quickly gained a rep as a “work hard, play hard” houseguest when she joined the cast of the show’s 25th season.

Now: Heather Cooke

Cooke enjoyed a career in international football (what America thinks of as soccer), but is now happy at home with her husband and son.

Then: Alexandra Govere, The Real World: San Diego

Alexandra Govere may have had the most impressive resumé in Real World history when she joined the franchise’s 26th season in San Diego. She’d already been a gymnast who competed on the international stage, the founder of a charity for orphans, a Stanford University student and a successful recording artist!

Now: Shungudzo

Now mostly going by her middle name, Shungudzo, she is still cutting her own music and has written tracks for artists like Jessie Ware, The Chainsmokers and Little Mix.

Then: Arielle Scott, TheReal World: Ex-Plosion

Before joining The Real World’s 29th season (subtitled Ex-Plosion), Arielle Scott was a model, a student at UC Berkeley and the founder of a social media platform that was called GenJuice.

Now: Arrows

Now identifying as trans nonbinary and using the pronouns he/they, this captivating cast member uses the name Arrows and still models and is active on social media. Next, text your knowledge with our 90s trivia.