25 Reality Stars Who Moved On To Bigger Things

And we're not talking about Real World/Road Rules Challenge.

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Complex Original

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When word first reached us about Atlanta's loudest Real Housewife, NeNe Leakes, securing a spot on a new show,  we assumed it had to be some sort of ATL spin-off, or yet another thrusting of reality all-stars into that recycled VH1 mansion to drive one another crazy. Turns out we were wrong: Homegirl's nabbed herself a role in Ryan Murphy's new NBC comedy, The New Normal

Murphy, for those failing to recognize the name at a glance, is one of the forces behind some of TV's most beloved offerings: Nip/Tuck, American Horror Story, and, yes, Glee. Regardless of whether you love or hate the entourage of offbeat teenagers prone to impromptu song and dance numbers, there's no denying the legitimacy of that resume; this could very well be the leap that takes Leakes from reality star to straight-up star.

Though most reality veterans are remembered primarily for their excessive drinking and fight-picking, there are those who managed to parlay their time on the small screen into actual careers, some of whom have even achieved such levels of success that you might've forgotten their humble beginnings. Fortunately for you, we haven't. In their honor, we present to you our list of 25 Reality Stars Who Moved On To Bigger Things.

Written by Lauren Otis(@LaurNado)

Follow @ComplexPopCult

NeNe Leakes

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Ilan Hall

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Elisabeth Hasselbeck

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Christian Siriano

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Kyle Brandt

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Dylan Dilinjah

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Mike Mizanin

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Analeigh Tipton

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Paul "Pauly D" DelVecchio

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Harold Dieterle

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Eric Nies

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Yaya DaCosta

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Jacinda Barrett

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Nicole Scherzinger

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Spike Mendelsohn

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Kevin Powell

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Lauren Conrad

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Kelly Clarkson

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Jamie Chung

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David Giuntoli

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Jennifer Hudson

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Judd Winick

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Bethenny Frankel

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Sean Duffy

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Emma Stone

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