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Andy Warhol was right -- in the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes. For some, those minutes sustain longer than expected. In the world of Bravo TV, the 'Real Housewives' franchise has proven a huge success, establishing its stars -- from the ladies of Orange County and Beverly Hills to their cohorts on the East Coast and in between -- as household names and frequent tabloid fodder.
Though several fulfill the more traditional "housewife" title, others like Vicki Gunvalson, Phaedra Parks and Kandi Burruss were established career women from the get-go. Now the tremendous exposure and popularity of the series has allowed a number of the 'Housewives' to bank on their celebrity and embark on careers more suited to established Hollywood glitterati, which begs the question: How long will their post-'Housewives' endeavors actually last? After the jump, see our predictions of the most and least likely to succeed.
From authors to songstresses, the 'Housewives' have traveled down gilded career paths, but once they depart their respective series or if Bravo cancels a show, will their careers endure? We took a look at some of the 'Housewives' post-show endeavors and rank them from 'most likely' to 'least likely' to last.
Most Likely to Suceed: Bethenny Frankel (chef/author)
One of the smartest, most successful 'Housewives,' Bethenny had already fashioned herself as the "natural food chef" when the first season of 'The Real Housewives of New York City' began. But as her popularity soared, so did her talents at marketing herself into a successful brand -- Skinnygirl margarita, anyone? She parlayed that growing popularity into her own spinoff show, two best-selling books and a workout DVD.
Bethenny still needs Bravo exposure, but it's likely she'll continue her career high because she stuck to what she knows.
Second Most Likely to Succeed: Sheree Whitfield (fashion designer/aspiring actress)
After much ado, sassy Atlanta 'Housewives' star Sheree managed to pull off a successful fashion show featuring her line, She by Sheree, which debuted at Fashion Week. This season, however, Sheree has been focusing on her budding acting career.
Given her sense of style and sophistication, Sheree proved she has the vision to become a successful fashion designer -- if only she nips this puzzling acting bug in the bud. She claimed, however, to be done with fashion on the current season of 'Real Housewives of Atlanta.'
May or May Not Succeed: Alex McCord and fellow 'Housewives' authors
Several 'Housewives' have published books, including Alex McCord and LuAnn deLesseps of New York and Teresa Giudice of New Jersey. Ranging from etiquette rules (deLessep's 'Class With the Countess') to parenting advice (Alex and hubby's tome), these 'Housewives' have managed to succumb to the most predictable path of celebrities: becoming flash-in-the-pan authors.
It's safe to say McCord and co. won't embark on literary careers, and that this phase shall also pass.
Not So Likely to Succeed: Kim Zolciak (singer)
The only professional songstress in the 'Housewives' family is Atlanta's Kandi, who managed to catapult Kim's career. (Even Orange County's Gretchen Rossi got into the singing mix with a song out last year.) The butt of many jokes on the show, Kim seems determined to continue singing; her website declares, "The pop music scene is one that Kim Zolciak plans to conquer" -- no doubt with a lot of help from Bravo and Kandi.
One can't help but wonder if Bravo eventually feels the need to replace the housewives with a host of new characters, whether Kim will continue to ride Kandi's coattails or retire from the music world with the last laugh.
Least Likely to Succeed: NeNe Leakes (author and TV journalist)
NeNe, possibly the most gregarious of the Atlanta housewives, penned a tell-all memoir, 'Never Make the Same Mistake Twice: Lessons on Love and Life Learned the Hard Way.' This season, she has been hired by a TV station in Atlanta for entertainment segments. No doubt Leakes was hired for the appearance on her hit show and connections to Atlanta's who's-who, but a knack for hard-hitting, in-depth interviews is not a natural talent, but acquired through years of on-the-job practice.
We love NeNe, but even Larry King couldn't master the TV thing after decades on air. We sadly predict NeNe's current position will last as long as Kim's singing career.
See 'Real Housewives' star Phaedra Parks explain how she manages her busy life:
Though several fulfill the more traditional "housewife" title, others like Vicki Gunvalson, Phaedra Parks and Kandi Burruss were established career women from the get-go. Now the tremendous exposure and popularity of the series has allowed a number of the 'Housewives' to bank on their celebrity and embark on careers more suited to established Hollywood glitterati, which begs the question: How long will their post-'Housewives' endeavors actually last? After the jump, see our predictions of the most and least likely to succeed.
From authors to songstresses, the 'Housewives' have traveled down gilded career paths, but once they depart their respective series or if Bravo cancels a show, will their careers endure? We took a look at some of the 'Housewives' post-show endeavors and rank them from 'most likely' to 'least likely' to last.
Most Likely to Suceed: Bethenny Frankel (chef/author)
One of the smartest, most successful 'Housewives,' Bethenny had already fashioned herself as the "natural food chef" when the first season of 'The Real Housewives of New York City' began. But as her popularity soared, so did her talents at marketing herself into a successful brand -- Skinnygirl margarita, anyone? She parlayed that growing popularity into her own spinoff show, two best-selling books and a workout DVD.
Bethenny still needs Bravo exposure, but it's likely she'll continue her career high because she stuck to what she knows.
Second Most Likely to Succeed: Sheree Whitfield (fashion designer/aspiring actress)
After much ado, sassy Atlanta 'Housewives' star Sheree managed to pull off a successful fashion show featuring her line, She by Sheree, which debuted at Fashion Week. This season, however, Sheree has been focusing on her budding acting career.
Given her sense of style and sophistication, Sheree proved she has the vision to become a successful fashion designer -- if only she nips this puzzling acting bug in the bud. She claimed, however, to be done with fashion on the current season of 'Real Housewives of Atlanta.'
May or May Not Succeed: Alex McCord and fellow 'Housewives' authors
Several 'Housewives' have published books, including Alex McCord and LuAnn deLesseps of New York and Teresa Giudice of New Jersey. Ranging from etiquette rules (deLessep's 'Class With the Countess') to parenting advice (Alex and hubby's tome), these 'Housewives' have managed to succumb to the most predictable path of celebrities: becoming flash-in-the-pan authors.
It's safe to say McCord and co. won't embark on literary careers, and that this phase shall also pass.
Not So Likely to Succeed: Kim Zolciak (singer)
The only professional songstress in the 'Housewives' family is Atlanta's Kandi, who managed to catapult Kim's career. (Even Orange County's Gretchen Rossi got into the singing mix with a song out last year.) The butt of many jokes on the show, Kim seems determined to continue singing; her website declares, "The pop music scene is one that Kim Zolciak plans to conquer" -- no doubt with a lot of help from Bravo and Kandi.
One can't help but wonder if Bravo eventually feels the need to replace the housewives with a host of new characters, whether Kim will continue to ride Kandi's coattails or retire from the music world with the last laugh.
Least Likely to Succeed: NeNe Leakes (author and TV journalist)
NeNe, possibly the most gregarious of the Atlanta housewives, penned a tell-all memoir, 'Never Make the Same Mistake Twice: Lessons on Love and Life Learned the Hard Way.' This season, she has been hired by a TV station in Atlanta for entertainment segments. No doubt Leakes was hired for the appearance on her hit show and connections to Atlanta's who's-who, but a knack for hard-hitting, in-depth interviews is not a natural talent, but acquired through years of on-the-job practice.
We love NeNe, but even Larry King couldn't master the TV thing after decades on air. We sadly predict NeNe's current position will last as long as Kim's singing career.
See 'Real Housewives' star Phaedra Parks explain how she manages her busy life: