It comes as a surprise to no one, but there was life before Real Housewives. The ladies we see on our television screens all have a past, and some of their pasts are quite juicy.
Before getting married or starting a family, some Real Housewives had a completely different life. Specifically in Los Angeles, where dreams of acting often turn into nightmares. Many Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast have paid their dues in Hollywood, even if they aren’t currently paying their Amex card. The life of a thespian is not easy, especially if you take your craft seriously.
Some people were bred for the stage and some… not so much. But several of our RHOBH favorites, past and present, have appeared in big-budget major motion pictures. They’ve also shown up in a few low-budget efforts. Let’s take a look at some of our Beverly Hills babes and see what they’ve done on the big screen versus the small one.
Lisa Jane Vanderpump
RHOBH started with Lisa Vanderpump but she was off and running long before Bravo had a heartbeat. As one of the more glamorous Real Housewives in the history of the franchise, before Lisa opened restaurants, she found herself in the world of “acting.”
While Lisa has made a name for herself in the food-service industry, her acting credits linger in her past. She has previously been in music videos for UK band, ABC, but there was also… a horror movie. Yes, Lisa was in an inexpensive flick called, Killer’s Moon. It was a 1978 British film and Lisa played a girl who was forced to seek shelter after a bus broke down. Unfortunately, she was then terrorized by mental patients on LSD.
Thankfully, Killer’s Moon allowed Lisa to create tools in the acting world she could later use in the real world. What better practice for dealing with Beverly Hills crazy than training yourself with psychos on LSD? I will be on a personal mission to find that movie as soon as possible.
Kyle Egan Richards
No one can forget Kyle Richards’ most memorable role in film. It’s a cult classic. It’s on every single year. Filled with nudity and gore and a tiny Kyle wearing braids and running away from Michael Myers.
Kyle played the character of Lindsey Wallace in the original 1978 movie Halloween. Kyle was only 9 years old at the time, and she developed a long-term relationship with the film’s star, Jamie Lee Curtis. The two are still close today and the Oscar-winning Jamie Lee has appeared on RHOBH several times.
She might be most well-known for being an OG cast member and fighting with her sisters, for horror movie fans, Kyle will always be little Lindsey running from the boogeyman. Or, you know, Lisa Vanderpump. Fans found out Lindsey was still alive and kicking when Kyle showed up in Halloween Kills in 2021 and Halloween Ends in 2022 respectively.
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Denise Lee Richards
Before Denise Richards decided to take another go at reality television, she had quite a career in the entertainment industry. Prior to movies and tv, Denise began as a teen model. In the 1990s, things started taking off. Denise appeared in several features but in 1997, Starship Troopers came a-callin’. From that, she went to Wild Things where she kissed another female and every man in the world lost his damn mind.
1999 was a breakout year because Denise nailed the role of a Bond girl. She appeared as Jones, Christmas Jones, in The World Is Not Enough. Denise was also nominated for the Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actress for that role.
In recent years, Denise has stayed pretty close to the small screen with Hallmark movies and showing up on RHOBH. After she was treated like absolute crap by her co-stars, Denise left the Bravo show but she has filmed scenes for the show’s most recent season.
Garcelle Beauvais
Ah, the iconic beauty of Garcelle Beauvais has personally haunted me since Coming to America. She has brought a level of panache to RHOBH that it certainly didn’t have prior to her arrival. You’ve seen her in the MCU when she had a role in Spider-Man: Homecoming and she recently did Coming 2 America, a sequel to the first movie.
While Garcelle’s main career is acting, her main role is mom. She authored a children’s book with her twin sons and she is heavily involved with numerous charity organizations.
Garcelle nabbed a first-look development deal in 2022 with NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. So in addition to Real Housewives, her long-term film and television career, and being a devoted mother (and grandmother!), hopefully we’ll be seeing her face for years to come.
Kim Erica Richards
If you are of a certain age, no one had to tell you who Kim Richards was when RHOBH showed up on Bravo. Along with her sister Kyle, she kicked off one of the most popular Real Housewives franchise shows. Kim brought along some memories of her Hollywood past and the current demons she was battling.
Kim was an extremely successful actress in the 1970s and 1980s. She appeared in several popular films, including Escape to Witch Mountain, The Watcher in the Woods, and Tuff Turf. My GOD Tuff Turf was a great movie. Also, I am ancient. Kim was known in the entertainment biz for her natural acting ability and her ability to connect with audiences on an emotional level. Despite facing personal struggles in her life, she continued to work and is still an absolute idol to Disney fans all over the world.
While Kim took a break from filming RHOBH with Kyle, due to a recent feud between Kathy Hilton and Kyle, Kim was brought back by Bravo to film the show’s 13th season.
TELL US- WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE REAL HOUSEWIFE WHO APPEARED IN A MOVIE? WHO WOULD YOU ADD TO THIS LIST? WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE BETWEEN KYLE AND KIM RICHARDS?
[Photo Credit: Peter Kramer/Bravo]