When Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Orange County premiered in 2006, no one could have predicted just how successful the series would become. Surprisingly, the drama on the reality series proved to be just as theatrical as any scripted series, and soon after, a franchise of spin-offs was born.
Covering cities across the United States, the franchise has captured the lives of the wealthy and affluent from New Jersey to Beverly Hills. The franchise has become so popular that an entire convention known as Bravo Con launched in 2019 and awarded fans an opportunity to see their favorite housewives up close. As housewives have come and gone, one thing remains is that the original cast members, who laid down the foundation of the series, are the spirit of the series. Going strong nearly fifteen years later now is the perfect opportunity to revisit the personas and personalities that launched a reality TV empire.
10 Kim Zolciak-Biermann
When she left in the middle of season five of The Real Housewives of Atlanta (2008), fans were shocked. Shortly after, the onetime aspiring country recording artist earned her own Bravo spinoff, Don’t Be Tardy (2012). The series follows her marriage to former NFL player Kroy Biermann and their children.
During her time on the show, Kim became well known for her love of wig and mysterious relationship with a man known as “Big Poppa.” She returned in a “friend” role for Season 10 of RHOA but has since stuck to her show and launched a cosmetics line with her daughters, Ariana and Brielle. Although she hasn’t been part of the Real Housewives franchise for many years, she continues to reign supreme on the reality show circuit.
9 Kyle Richards
The cast of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (2010) is the most lavish bunch in the Housewives universe, and philanthropist Kyle Richards is no exception. She's a relative to the Hilton hotel dynasty and is an aunt to Paris Hilton. As a former child star, she appeared in films such as Escape from Witch Mountain (1975) and the Halloween (1978) franchise.
Since joining the RHOBH, she has continued her acting career by appearing on Days of Our Lives and CSI. Her next role will see her come face to face with horror icon Michael Myers when she revisits her role as Lindsey Wallace in the upcoming Halloween Kills (2021). Always direct and no stranger to confrontation, she has appeared in all 211 episodes of Beverly Hills and is the group's tried and true anchor of her ensemble.
8 Karen Huger
One of the latest installments in the Real Housewives franchise, The Real Housewives of Potomac (2016), had a lot of pressure to live up to its predecessors. Since then, the spinoff has become a fan favorite, and part of its success is thanks to the one and only, Karen Huger.
The “Grand Dame” of Potomac, Huger is a self-proclaimed diva and isn’t afraid to serve up frankest with a side of the shade, and fans love her for it. She is one of the most glamourous cast members in the franchise, and her entrepreneurial spirit has found her success in the beauty and fashion industries. RHOP has had only four seasons, which means fans will undoubtedly have a lot more epic Huger content for years to come.
7 Luann de Lesseps
From countess to cabaret singer, Bravo fans have stuck by Luann de Lesseps through thick and thin. A natural-born performer, fans have watched her deal with two divorces, legal issues, and her journey to sobriety. Whatever the challenge may be, Luann always arms herself with a sense of class and poise as she heads into battle.
Never letting viewers forget of her Countess title, there is no denying that she has grown a person and a friend throughout 12 seasons of The Real Housewives of New York City (2008). It’s always a pleasure to see what new artistic venture she’s cooking up with fun singles such as “Chic, C’est la Vie” and “Viva La Diva.” No matter what, fans can always count on her to leave fans “Feelin’ Jovani.”
6 Ramona Singer
For all 12 seasons of The Real Housewives of New York City, Ramona Singer has been the only cast member to remain with the series since it started in 2008. Her signature wide-eyed expression and sometimes prudish mentality always result in side-splitting laughter.
Audiences have watched Singer deal with divorce, empty nest syndrome, and the constant ups and downs of her friendships. Claiming to have “50 best girlfriends,” she is a true social butterfly and thrives as both an attendee and hostess with the mostest. Sometimes, she can teeter on the side of being hypocritical, but there’s no denying that her friendships are important to her, and she always strives to keep them intact.
5 Lisa Vanderpump
The London born, Vanderpump has become not only an iconic Housewives figure but a reality television powerhouse. When she joined the inaugural cast of RHOBH in 2010, no one could predict the massive amount of influence she has at Bravo. Her posh and opulent persona made her a real standout as a cast member. Outside of her onscreen work, she is also a restaurateur, owning a slew of restaurants in Los Angeles and London.
She starred her career off as an actress appearing in several 80’s music videos and British films and series. After making her Bravo debut, she earned a spinoff, Vandperpump Rules (2013), which became a smash hit. Season 9 of the series has been put on hold for the foreseeable future but will always be known for making Vanderpump a household name.
4 Bethenny Frankle
Of all the Housewives cast members, Bethenny Frankle might have the most bite. When the series started in 2010, Frankle was a jolt of fiery energy that rounded out the ensemble. Know for her signature sarcasm, the entrepreneur ended up later earning her two Bravo spinoffs, Bethenny Ever After (2010) and Bethenny & Fredrik (2018).
Her time in the Housewives universe resulted in her launching her self-titled talk show, Bethanny (2013), and running her extremely successful lifestyle empire, Skinny Girl. Since she left RHONY in 2019, biting words and crass honesty left a mark that no other Real Housewives star has since matched.
3 NeNe Leakes
Although she is no longer a main cast member of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, NeNe Leakes remains a fan favorite. During her run from seasons 1-7, she was the leader of the group. When she returned for seasons 10-12, she continued to bring her trademark honesty and humor to every scene she was in, and fans were delighted to have her back.
Since her days on Atlanta, NeNe has launched a successful acting career appearing on Glee, The New Normal, and First Wives Club. In 2014, she showed off a new skill set when she competed on Dancing with the Stars and later made her Broadway debut in 2015. In addition, she is also an author and designer. One would be hard-pressed to find a talent that Leakes hasn’t conquered.
2 Teresa Giudice
Arguably, Teresa Giudice might have the most dramatic story arc of any housewife in the Bravo universe. From her tension-filled relationship with her brother, Joe, and sister-in-law and co-star, Melissa Gorga, Giudice is objectively the most public Real Housewife cast member.
The born and bred Jersey mother of four always manages to find the tricky balance of protecting her family while documenting her private life for the world to see. She's remained with the series for an impressive 11 seasons and shows no signs of slowing down. Between The Real Housewives of New Jersey (2009) , her charity work, best-selling cookbooks, and more, the housewive is getting it all done. Her trademark temper, which earned her notoriety during the series's early seasons, has since become more refined...just make sure never to bring her Sprinkle Cookies.
1 Vicki Gunvalson
The self-declared “OG from the OC,” Vicki Gunvalson, enjoyed a 14 season stint on The Real Housewives of Orange County (2006) before being demoted to a featured role. In early 2020, she announced that she would be stepping away from the series after her successful run.
During her time on the series, she always played a vital role in every dramatic story arc and was a constant source of comedy. Sometimes, she fell into some questionable situations (ex. her relationship with Brooks), but she always managed to come out of every situation with more clarity and perspective. Today, Vicki continues to run her insurance business, hosts a podcast, and is engaged to former homicide detective Steve Lodge. Perhaps one day, she’ll make a triumphant return to the series, but until then, fans can thank her for teaching us all how to “Whoop it up!”.
source https://screenrant.com/the-real-housewives-best-original-cast-ranked/
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