'Real World' Stars Who've Found Success

March 27, 2013— -- intro: With the premiere of "The Real World Portland" tonight on MTV, we have been talking about the show almost nonstop around the office (and trust us, these conversations have outed a few very unlikely co-workers as rabid viewers). These conversations ranged from the best moments in "Real World' history. We ultimately narrowed it down to the slap heard ran the world from "Seattle" and the threesome in the shower from "Miami." But still, there were too many great moments and not enough time to truly narrow them down. So we turned to the characters and found ourselves consistently discussing who had found success beyond the "Real World." And no, success on "The Challenge" does equal true success. So without further ado, our top five picks for the "Real World" stars who have made it in the real world.

quicklist: 1title: Eric Nies, "Real World New York," Season 1, 1992text: Eric was the first, but certainly not the last, "Real World" stud. Every girl, including his housemate Julie, had a crush on him. He was the epitome of '90s hot – spiky hair, ripped abs, baggy jeans and, though you couldn't smell him, you know he was rocking some Drakkar Noir or Cool Water. He was a bit cocky (it comes with the territory for aspiring models) but also had a soft side. Over the course of the season, he acquired a slew of adoring female – and, let's be honest, male – fans, and MTV knew it. He soon began hosting MTV's dance show "The Grind" which spawned a series of work out videos featuring Nies.media: 18825476

quicklist: 2title: Jacinda Barrett, "Real World London," Season 4, 1995text: Jacinda is the one of the two "Real World" stars who has gone on to find Hollywood success for her acting chops. While "London" was panned by many for being a boring season, which was sort of true, Jacinda stood out as the beautiful Aussie who started as a professional model at age 14. But seriously, the only thing you truly remember about the fourth season is when someone bites off part of punk rocker Neil's tongue. But we digress. Jacinda's good looks obviously served her well in Hollywood and she's appeared in movies such as "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason," "Ladder 49" and "The Middle Men." Most recently she appeared the very short-lived ABC drama "Zero Hour," opposite Anthony Edwards.media: 18825562

quicklist: 3title: Jamie Chung, "Real World San Diego," Season 14, 2004text: Jamie is the other "Real World" star who found Hollywood success. You would expect her to have been a huge drama queen or spotlight stealer, but to say Jamie was pretty much a nonentity in "San Diego" is an understatement. Seriously, try to think of a story line that included her. You can remember Robin talking about her chest or having a drunken meltdown. You can sort of remember the flirtation between Brad and Cameran and definitely know Frankie had cystic fibrosis. Randy was the lovable goofball. Even Jacques brings back that tinge of "oh yeah, he was that smart, down-to-earth guy." But Jamie? Nada. And yet, arguably she's had some of the most memorable roles since the show. She's appeared in major movies like "Grown Ups" and "The Hangover Part II" and has a role on ABC's hit show "Once Upon a Time." media: 18825489

quicklist: 4title: Sean Duffy, "Real World Boston," Season 6, 1997text: Looking back at "Boston," you never would've seen Capitol Hill in Sean Duffy's future. He was the fun-loving party guy, but he wasn't very memorable. Of course when you're competing for camera time with Montana, who allowed kids at the daycare the cast worked at to take sips of alcohol, or Genesis, who was drama queen with a drag queen best friend, it's hard to stand out. During the first season of "The Challenge," he caught the eye of "Real World San Francisco" alum, Rachel Campos, whom he married in 1999 and now has six children with. In 2002, Duffy was named district attorney of Ashland County in Wisconsin, and in 2011, he assumed office in the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin's 7th District.media: 18825618

quicklist: 5title: Mike "The Miz" Mizanin, "Real World Back to New York," Season 10, 2001text: Mike, or The Miz as he's better known, is undoubtedly the most successful of all "Real World" stars. It was clear from the get-go The Miz was going to be a star. Throughout the season, he constantly took on the form of what would become his professional wrestling alter-ego to entertain (and annoy) not only everyone in the house but viewers. But it was more than his ability to play The Miz that made him stand out. Even when he was in screaming matches with his finger-pointing housemate Coral, you didn't hate him. It was that charm that took him to the final round of the WWE reality competition "Tough Enough." He lost, but that appearance was the start of his professional career. In 2006, he made his official WWE appearance as The Miz and in 2010 he won the WWE championship. According to a 2011 article on Bleacher Report, The Miz now pulls in about $800,000 per year.media: 18825552

quicklist: 6title: Bonus: Kelly Limp, "Real World New Orleans," Season 9, 2000, and Tami Roman, "Real World Los Angeles," Season 2, 1993text: Kelly and Tami make our list for one single reason: who they married. While we realize that does not equate success, it does keep them part of the celebrity conversation in a way that few other "Real World" stars have been able to do, despite their best attempts. In 2002, Kelly began dating Scott Wolf, who's best known for his role on "Party of Five." They married in May 2004 and had their first child in March 2009. Tami's marriage is a little bit less happily ever after. Tami married NBA star Kenny Anderson, but after six years of marriage, the two went through a rather public and rather nasty divorce. And it didn't end there, Tami went on to star on the VH1 reality show "Basketball Wives," where she often spoke out about her ex not paying child support. Finally after seven years, the two reportedly reached a settlement.media: 18825535