11 Real Housewives Who Went Into Acting

Did you realize that before they were Bravolebrities, many Real Housewives were actresses playing major (yet mostly not-so-major) roles on TV shows?! From Brandi to Bethenny, Kyle to Kenya, here's a rundown of the ladies who have taken a stab at acting before and after their days as a housewife.

Brandi Glanville of RHOBH makes her acting debut this weekend in the Lifetime movie, Missing at 17. And what we've seen of it already isn't terrible! So go Brandi!

But that doesn't mean Brandi has never made a guest appearance before. She and Camille Grammer appeared as themselves on the most recent season of The CW's 90210.

And while we're on the topic of Camille Grammer, remember when she appeared on an episode of $#*! My Dad Says in 2011?

A major storyline for Heather Dubrow on RHOC season 8 was her acting gigs—she booked two back-to-back on Hot in Cleveland and Malibu Country. The latter show got cancelled shortly afterwards, but that certainly had nothing to do with Heather's performance. Certainly.

And back on the East Coast, Countess LuAnn de Lesseps took a stab at acting when she played an art collector on Law and Order: SVU. And then there's also that pop song she did, but let's not get into it.

The highest-paid housewife, Nene Leakes, of course has nabbed the most high-profile TV gigs, most notably as Coach Roz on Glee and as Rocky on the now-defunct sitcom, The New Normal.

Kim Richards of Beverly Hills hasn't done much acting since she's been a housewife, but before her Bravo fame, Kim starred in films like Race to Witch Mountain and Black Snake Moan.

And Kyle also was a TV star before she was a Bravolebrity! ER, 7th Heaven, CSI—TV is basically her second home.

Former RHONY Bethenny Frankel appeared on the ABC sitcom The Neighbors earlier this year playing a savvy businesswoman who helped launch Debbie's handbag business. That role was clearly appropriate.

Kenya Moore of RHOA probably has the biggest acting resume of all the housewives. Her movie career dates back to the early 90's with Waiting to Exhale! She's also had roles on The Steve Harvey Show, Girlfriends, and in that terrible thriller with Lindsay Lohan, I Know Who Killed Me, to name a few.

Jill Zarin from NY hit the TV jackpot when her first acting gig ever was playing opposite Matt Bomer in White Collar. She played a rich housewife on the show so...yeah.

Miami's Lisa Hochstein doesn't have too many acting credits under her (super skinny) belt just yet, but let's not forget that time she played a stripper in the 2006 Rachel Bilson film, The Last Kiss. Go Google.