The Real World: Hollywood
Encyclopedia
The Real World: Hollywood is the twentieth season of MTV
's reality television
series The Real World
, which focuses on a group of diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras document their lives and interpersonal relationships. It premiered on April 16, 2008. Its season finale was broadcast July 9, 2008, and a reunion special was broadcast live on July 12, 2008.
This is the fourth season to be set in a California city after the Los Angeles
, San Francisco
, and San Diego
seasons, making California the most commonly used state to be used for as a setting for the series.
Comedian Andy Dick
guest appears in Episode 3, when the cast begins their work at the Hollywood comedy club iO WEST.
A Real World: Hollywood marathon hosted by Coral Smith
of The Real World: Back to New York
was aired July 4, 2008. It featured commentary by Smith and other alumni of The Real World
and Road Rules
, referred to as "CoralVision".
MTV also aired The Sunny Side of Truth encore special, which features pop-up comments from characters from the Sunny Side of Truth, an anti-tobacco organization. Because a recurring theme of this season involves cast members talking about their struggles with drug and alcohol addiction, the comments often have a drug-abstinence message.
, has included the assignment of a season-long group job or task to the housemates, continued participation in which has been mandatory to remain part of the cast since the Back to New York season. The Hollywood cast was assigned to take improv
comedy classes at iO WEST, a comedy club in Hollywood. The cast names their group WTF, which ostensibly stands for Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, but subtext
ually stands for "What the Fuck", which cast member Dave Malinosky explains in Episode 8 is the reaction the cast predicted they would invoke in their audience.
at the intersection of North Gower Street in Gower Gulch
, Los Angeles
that formerly served as a CBS
broadcast facility where programs such as I Love Lucy
were filmed (Map). The building is part of a 125000 feet (38,100 m) complex that takes up an entire city block, which previously housed eight studios and CBS's local television and radio operations, including KCBS-TV
/KCAL
, KNX Radio
and KCBS-FM
. The complex also included a 1,050 seat auditorium, a restaurant, and a bank. The northeast corner of the complex was used for filming. It is 23.3 miles (37.5 km) from the Venice beach house where The Real World: Los Angeles
was filmed. The property was purchased in August 2006 for $66 million USD by Molasky Pacific, LLC, who intend to redevelop it to attract other residential and office tenants.
According to MTV, this season of The Real World was the first to incorporate environmentally friendly household and lifestyle choices, including a solar-heated swimming pool that uses salt to reduce the need for chemical treatment, Energy Star
appliances, bamboo flooring, recycled glass counters, some sustainable furniture, energy efficient lighting, a computer powered by an exercise bicycle, paperless toilets, a smart stove, an air conditioner system that provides water for an outdoor vegetable garden, a computer that tracks the amount of carbon saved by the housemates, and a hybrid car.
The majority of the cast members are entertainment industry types that could best take advantage of the Hollywood setting to forward their career goals. On December 5, 2007 the cast was filmed performing at IO WEST, which served as the season's workplace, orchestrating a sketch as the comedy troupe Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.
: Age at time of filming.
The cast assembles at the house. Sarah, Kimberly, and Joey perceive Greg to be unfriendly, negative, cocky, and immature. Will is surprised to learn Brianna is a stripper, and she feels that he lost respect for her because of this. She learns an arrest warrant was issued for her back home for an incident in which Bobby, her now-ex boyfriend, hit her and tried to prevent her from leaving their home. She has to return home to resolve it. Will says he has a crush on Sarah. Greg angers Joey by calling him a "weirdo". When Greg dismisses criticism of his behavior, Kimberly, Dave, Joey and Brianna have a group confessional in which they criticize him. In response, Greg calls them "peasants", "fools", and "clowns", saying he doesn't need to change for them because he is "perfection".
Greg and Joey put their differences aside. Greg invites Will out one night, but Sarah is upset that Will will miss her birthday party. The women are offended when, during dinner, the men flirt with a woman who later shows up at the house and is turned away. The same thing occurs the next night when a man Sarah met at her birthday party shows up at the house. Dave and Kim flirt platonically. Joey and Brianna make out and share a bed. Kim and Brianna argue when the house's maximum allowable number of guests (seven) is exceeded. During this Kim says, "Let's not get ghetto", a statement Will sees as racist, but Kim explains Brianna has said this about herself. Greg helps them make up. Brianna is disturbed over how Joey behaves when drunk. Joey himself doesn't like going to bars or drinking any more, but fears he cannot withstand peer pressure.
Kim and Dave insist that they do not want their flirtation to lead to a relationship. Joey and Brianna reveal past problems with substance abuse, and fear recidivism. Greg is suspected to be responsible for a series of pranks. Andy Dick
tells the cast they will take improv
comedy lessons at the iO WEST theater with Artistic Director Charna Halpern, who will be their coach. The cast feels Greg's disinterest in this comes across as rude, and his refusal to attend a mandatory comedy night with them gets him in trouble with Charna. Brianna and Joey's relationship experiences tension, in part due to Brianna's dalliance with another man named JoJo.
Brianna returns to Philadelphia with Will to resolve her legal troubles. Dave and Joey are angered by Kim and Sarah, whom they think are too judgmental of people who become strippers out of financial necessity. Conflict stemming from roommates bringing home guests early in the morning recurs, as from Joey's alcohol-fueled temper, including a tantrum from him that frightens his roommates. He agrees to leave the house to begin a 30-day treatment program. Brianna returns to the house, and realizes she still has feelings for Bobby, her ex.
Kim and Dave's relationship, which is revealed to have become sexual, experiences conflict. Greg lands a fashion show that conflicts with his improv classes. Brianna ponders her music career prospects, and her lack of motivation. Brianna brings JoJo home, and has sex with him as Kim and Sarah lie awake in their beds nearby, angering them, particularly Sarah. Will plays his music for rapper Sticky Fingaz, who responds positively. Brianna makes up with Sarah, and resolves to work harder on her music.
Tension is created by a visit by Sarah's boyfriend, Ryan, by Dave's dalliances with other women, despite his having consummated his relationship with Kimberly, and by comments made by Greg, Sarah and Kimberly about these women. As a result, Greg claims to now be on bad terms with every one of his housemates. The conflict continues when Sarah reports her underwear stolen from her drawer, for which Greg ultimately admits responsibility, and when Will romances Reva, a girlfriend of Greg's.
Tension between Greg and Will continue, as with the others over Greg's cleanliness and continued pranks. This leads to a exchange of insults, threats, and thrown objects, and an intervention by the producers, who have Will leave the house for one night, before deciding that he and Dave must take anger management
classes. The cast enjoys a visit to Joey in rehab, and are consulted as to how to support his recovery upon his return. The cast continues their improv performances.
Joey returns home from rehab, but perceives his roommates as unsympathetic to his needs, as they refuse to abstain from drinking in his presence. Will meets Janelle Casanave from The Real World: Key West
, whose connections may help his career, and to whom he is attracted. Brianna's attempts to resolve her legal troubles continue. Joey feels his lack of practice hurt his improv performance, but Charna insists that it was decent, and praises his courage in going on stage after coming back from rehab. She also implores the others to help Joey, invoking the memory of comedian Chris Farley
, who was best friends with IO Artistic Director James Grace, and whose addictions killed him. Charna also fires Greg for missing yet another improv performance, and he moves out. With his next improv performance, Joey finds his confidence increasing.
Joey feels his struggle to remain sober may be threatened by a visit by his friend Mike, who first introduced him to cocaine. Sarah's attempt to help him is rebuffed, and Joey confesses to fearing failure in his career, and feeling depressed. Will introduces Brianna to a music producer who offers positive words of encouragement, but her mother worries about Brianna's lack of a backup plan. She also gets to sing with Alex Band
of The Calling
. Feeling that his return from rehab has not improved things, and realizing that he has lost interest in acting, Joey decides to move out, and return to Chicago. Before he leaves, he reads to the others the goodbye letter to alcohol that he wrote in rehab, which brings him to tears.
Will's feelings for Janelle deepen as their relationship continues. She also introduces him and Dave to some of her friends from past Real World seasons. Alcohol threatens Dave's performance during an improv show. Nick and Brittini, the two new roommates, move in. Will and Brittini share a mutual attraction and enjoy flirting, much to Kimberly and Sarah's disapproval. Because of Janelle, however, their friendship experiences conflict. Dave gets the opportunity to experience hosting duties at the iO.
Alex Band's plans for Brianna don't mesh with her music, but other opportunities present themselves. Nick's late-night cavorting with a woman upsets Sarah and Kimberly. The three of them begin internships at Movies.com
, whose producer, Brandon Schantz
, is undergoing treatment for cancer, but who has high hopes for Nick, who becomes friends with him. Kimberly and Nick excel at interviewing moviegoers, but Sarah is disappointed with her performance, though she also gets work as a correspondent for think.mtv.com. She later drinks too much during a night out with the girls, resulting in nausea, and conflict between her and Nick. The roommates learn Brandon has passed away. Carson says he will help Nick with his career, but Nick is devastated.
The cast vacations in Cancun, Mexico. Will tries and give his friendship with Brittini a chance, but escalating flirtation between the two leads to a passionate kiss, much to their subsequent regret. Brianna is angered by comments Sarah and Kimberly have made about her. Nick and Dave have one-night stands with two Canadian women. Janelle breaks up with Will after he confesses his infidelity, but after returning to Hollywood, Brittini holds off on telling her boyfriend, Jeremy, who visits the house. Dave tries to cheer Will up by taking him out, resulting in a foursome involving them and two women back at the house. Will later regrets this upon a call by Janelle, who agrees to try to renew their relationship. She later realized that she no longer saw him as she did when she first met him, and broke with up with him again, later learning that his activities went beyond a mere kiss when this episode aired.
As the cast's time in Hollywood comes to an end, they prepare for their final performance at the iO. In Chicago, Joey ponders what he has given up by leaving Hollywood, and is persuaded back to Hollywood to see their final show. Dave is attacked at a club, leading to an altercation involving his roommates, and a black eye for him. Brittini receives mixed feedback when she tried to sign with a new modeling agency. Nick, Kimberly and Sarah have an opportunity to interview Shanna Moakler
for Entertainment Tonight
, but Kimberly's interview does not go well. The roommates are elated to see Joey, and their final show goes well. After emotional farewells, one by one, the roommates leave the house.
on July 12, 2008, and was hosted by Lyndsey Rodrigues
. All cast members appeared except for Greg, whose absence was not explained, but was the source of speculation. (Greg later indicated in an interview that he was upset over his eviction from the show, and would never again participate in a Bunim-Murray production.) Among the topics of discussion were Greg's behavior, Will's reasons for his confrontation with Greg in Episode 7, the attack on Dave in the final episode, Sarah's outspokenness, the conflict between Kimberly and Brianna concerning Brianna's lifestyle, Joey's alcoholism, the portrayal of his roommates' responsiveness to his struggle to remain sober, Nick and Brittini's experiences as the replacement roommates, and the various romantic and sexual relationships among the cast. Among the relationships discussed were Dave and Kimberly, Joey and Brianna, Sarah's revelation that she was now engaged, the triangle between Will, Janelle and Brittini, and the subsequent foursome involving Will, Dave and two women. Present during the taping was Janelle herself, who took to the stage to air her criticisms of Will's behavior.
In January 2010, Joey, spurred by the impending birth of his and his girlfriend's child, appeared on the third season of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew
, where he sought help for his addiction to cocaine
, ecstasy and alcohol
. After completing treatment, he indicated that after helping his girlfriend, Nikki, move into their new home, he would get a sponsor, go to meetings, and go to a sober living facility.
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
series The Real World
The Real World
The Real World is a reality television program on MTV originally produced by Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray. First broadcast in 1992, the show, which was inspired by the 1973 PBS documentary series An American Family, is the longest-running program in MTV history and one of the...
, which focuses on a group of diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras document their lives and interpersonal relationships. It premiered on April 16, 2008. Its season finale was broadcast July 9, 2008, and a reunion special was broadcast live on July 12, 2008.
This is the fourth season to be set in a California city after the Los Angeles
The Real World: Los Angeles
The Real World: California is the second season of MTV's reality television series The Real World, which focuses on a group of several diverse strangers living together for several months, as the cameras follow their lives and interpersonal...
, San Francisco
The Real World: San Francisco
The Real World: San Francisco is the third season of MTV's reality television series The Real World, which focuses on a group of diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras follow their lives and interpersonal relationships...
, and San Diego
The Real World: San Diego
The Real World: San Diego is the fourteenth season of MTV's reality television series The Real World, which focuses on a group of diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras follow their lives and interpersonal relationships. The San Diego season...
seasons, making California the most commonly used state to be used for as a setting for the series.
Comedian Andy Dick
Andy Dick
Andrew R. "Andy" Dick is an American comedian, actor, musician and television/film producer. His first regular television role was on the short-lived but highly influential Ben Stiller Show. In the mid-1990s, he had a long-running stint on NBC's NewsRadio...
guest appears in Episode 3, when the cast begins their work at the Hollywood comedy club iO WEST.
Season changes
Previous seasons were aired as half-hour episodes. This season is the first to be aired as 13 one-hour episodes, a move that is credited as helping MTV rank as the #1 network in the Wednesday 10pm - 11pm time slot among people age 12-34. MTV continued with this format with the following seasons. MTV has also supplemented the airings with The Real World Dailies, an online series of unaired production footage launched in mid-April 2008 that, as of May 13, 2008, amassed 3 million hits by nearly 400,000 unique visitors.A Real World: Hollywood marathon hosted by Coral Smith
Coral Smith
Coral Jeanne Smith is an American reality television personality known as a cast member on MTV's The Real World: Back to New York, and for her appearances on various seasons of The Real World's spin-off show, Real World/Road Rules Challenge...
of The Real World: Back to New York
The Real World: Back to New York
The Real World: Back to New York is the tenth season of MTV's reality television series The Real World, which focuses on a group of diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras follow their lives and interpersonal relationships...
was aired July 4, 2008. It featured commentary by Smith and other alumni of The Real World
The Real World
The Real World is a reality television program on MTV originally produced by Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray. First broadcast in 1992, the show, which was inspired by the 1973 PBS documentary series An American Family, is the longest-running program in MTV history and one of the...
and Road Rules
Road Rules
Road Rules was an MTV reality show that debuted on July 19, 1995. The series, which was MTV's second reality show after The Real World followed six strangers between the ages of 18 and 24 after stripping them of their money and putting them on an RV traveling from location to location only guided...
, referred to as "CoralVision".
MTV also aired The Sunny Side of Truth encore special, which features pop-up comments from characters from the Sunny Side of Truth, an anti-tobacco organization. Because a recurring theme of this season involves cast members talking about their struggles with drug and alcohol addiction, the comments often have a drug-abstinence message.
Ratings
For the first four weeks, the season posted a 2.5 rating among people 12-34, a 14% increase from the prior season-to-date. The season also saw growth among females 18-24 with a 6.1 rating, a 39% increase over the previous year. The season made MTV the #1 network for the Wednesday 10pm - 11pm time slot among people 12-34, exceeding even broadcast networks for the same demographic. As of May 13, 2008, the season reached 44 million viewers, 23 million of which are in the network's 12-34 target demographic core.Assignment
Almost every season of The Real World, beginning with its fifth seasonThe Real World: Miami
The Real World: Miami is the fifth season of MTV's reality television series The Real World, which focuses on a group of diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras follow and document their lives and interpersonal relationships...
, has included the assignment of a season-long group job or task to the housemates, continued participation in which has been mandatory to remain part of the cast since the Back to New York season. The Hollywood cast was assigned to take improv
Improvisational theatre
Improvisational theatre takes many forms. It is best known as improv or impro, which is often comedic, and sometimes poignant or dramatic. In this popular, often topical art form improvisational actors/improvisers use improvisational acting techniques to perform spontaneously...
comedy classes at iO WEST, a comedy club in Hollywood. The cast names their group WTF, which ostensibly stands for Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, but subtext
Subtext
Subtext or undertone is content of a book, play, musical work, film, video game, or television series which is not announced explicitly by the characters but is implicit or becomes something understood by the observer of the work as the production unfolds. Subtext can also refer to the thoughts...
ually stands for "What the Fuck", which cast member Dave Malinosky explains in Episode 8 is the reaction the cast predicted they would invoke in their audience.
The residence
The cast residence, Stage 20, was located at Columbia Square, in a seven-story, 105000 square feet (9,754.8 m²) building at 6121 West Sunset BoulevardSunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard is a street in the western part of Los Angeles County, California, that stretches from Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles to the Pacific Coast Highway at the Pacific Ocean in the Pacific Palisades...
at the intersection of North Gower Street in Gower Gulch
Gower Gulch
Gower Gulch is a nickname for the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Gower Street in Hollywood, California. Since the days of silent film, the surrounding area had contained several movie studios, including the Christie Studios during the 1920s, then later, Columbia and Republic Studios to the...
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
that formerly served as a CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
broadcast facility where programs such as I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy is an American television sitcom starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, and William Frawley. The black-and-white series originally ran from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, on the Columbia Broadcasting System...
were filmed (Map). The building is part of a 125000 feet (38,100 m) complex that takes up an entire city block, which previously housed eight studios and CBS's local television and radio operations, including KCBS-TV
KCBS-TV
KCBS-TV, channel 2, is an owned-and-operated television station of the CBS Television Network, located in Los Angeles, California. KCBS-TV shares its offices and studio facilities with sister station KCAL-TV inside CBS Studio Center in the Studio City section of Los Angeles, and its transmitter...
/KCAL
KCAL
KCAL may refer to:*KCAL , a radio station licensed to Redlands, California, United States*KCAL-FM, a radio station licensed to Redlands, California, United States...
, KNX Radio
KNX (AM)
KNX is an all-news radio station in Los Angeles, California, USA. The station operates on a clear channel and is owned by CBS Radio. KNX broadcasts from facilities shared with sister stations KFWB, KCBS-FM, KTWV, and KAMP on Los Angeles' Miracle Mile...
and KCBS-FM
KCBS-FM
KCBS-FM is a radio station in Los Angeles, California broadcasting to the Greater Los Angeles area on 93.1 FM. KCBS-FM airs an adult hits music format branded as "Jack-FM"....
. The complex also included a 1,050 seat auditorium, a restaurant, and a bank. The northeast corner of the complex was used for filming. It is 23.3 miles (37.5 km) from the Venice beach house where The Real World: Los Angeles
The Real World: Los Angeles
The Real World: California is the second season of MTV's reality television series The Real World, which focuses on a group of several diverse strangers living together for several months, as the cameras follow their lives and interpersonal...
was filmed. The property was purchased in August 2006 for $66 million USD by Molasky Pacific, LLC, who intend to redevelop it to attract other residential and office tenants.
According to MTV, this season of The Real World was the first to incorporate environmentally friendly household and lifestyle choices, including a solar-heated swimming pool that uses salt to reduce the need for chemical treatment, Energy Star
Energy Star
Energy Star is an international standard for energy efficient consumer products originated in the United States of America. It was first created as a United States government program during the early 1990s, but Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan and the European Union have also adopted...
appliances, bamboo flooring, recycled glass counters, some sustainable furniture, energy efficient lighting, a computer powered by an exercise bicycle, paperless toilets, a smart stove, an air conditioner system that provides water for an outdoor vegetable garden, a computer that tracks the amount of carbon saved by the housemates, and a hybrid car.
Cast
MTV revealed the cast on The Real World Awards Bash, which aired April 2, 2008. This season is the first in which a cast member was chosen by the fans via a multistage online poll from a pool of 20,000 applicants. The seventh cast member as voted by the fans was 20-year-old model Greg Halstead.The majority of the cast members are entertainment industry types that could best take advantage of the Hollywood setting to forward their career goals. On December 5, 2007 the cast was filmed performing at IO WEST, which served as the season's workplace, orchestrating a sketch as the comedy troupe Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.
| Cast Member | Hometown | Biography | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,... |
Brianna is an exotic dancer and aspiring singer who once auditioned for American Idol American Idol American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment... and reached the top 44 on Season 5 American Idol (season 5) The fifth season of American Idol began on January 17, 2006 and concluded on May 24, 2006. Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell returned to judge, and Ryan Seacrest returned to host. It is the most successful season to date ratings-wise and also with 18 contestants getting record deals -... . According to mtv.com, she is outspoken in her views, and does not tolerate disrespect, but has a sensitive side. She had a volatile relationship with her now-ex boyfriend, Bobby, prior to moving to Hollywood. According to Brianna, Bobby cheated on her repeatedly, and at one point caused a physical altercation that resulted in a warrant for her arrest that she had to return home to resolve. She reveals in Episode 2 that she used to use crystal meth Methamphetamine Methamphetamine is a psychostimulant of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of psychoactive drugs... and cocaine Cocaine Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic... as recently as two months prior. She initially develops a mutual attraction with Joey, but is disturbed by how he behaves when drunk. She returns to Philadelphia in Episodes 4 and 8 to resolve her legal troubles, and ponders her lingering feelings for Bobby. |
|
| 22 | Waynesboro, Pennsylvania Waynesboro, Pennsylvania Waynesboro is a borough in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, located northwest of Baltimore, Maryland, 67 miles southwest of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and north of the Mason-Dixon Line. The population within the borough limits was 9,614 at the 2000 census. When combined with the surrounding... |
According to mtv.com, Dave is a humorous, outgoing man who loves to use shock humor, and a naturally gifted athlete who enjoys all sports from football to cheerleading. As he is very comfortable in front of a camera, he hopes to become an actor or TV host. He and Kimberly become attracted to one another, and it is indicated in Episode 5 that their relationship was consummated sexually. | |
| 20 | Daytona Beach, Florida Daytona Beach, Florida Daytona Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, USA. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city has a population of 64,211. Daytona Beach is a principal city of the Deltona – Daytona Beach – Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which the census bureau estimated had... |
Greg is the first cast member to be selected by a viewer poll. He refers to people around him as "peasants", and to women as "associates", is extremely competitive in sports, and a prankster around the house. He studied criminal justice at the University of Florida University of Florida The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906... , but is a model. His Internet screen name in the viewer poll was "PretyBoy", and says that viewers picked him because he is very attractive. The rest of the cast is offended by what they see as standoffish on his part when they first meet him, a personality trait of his that causes recurring problems, as in Episode 3. He shows little interest in performing improv with the others, and after missing a number of performances, he is fired from the job in Episode 8, and moves out. |
|
| Joey Kovar | 24 | Chicago, Illinois | A personal trainer and former bodybuilder who constantly works out, Joey has never ventured outside of Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,... . He is an aspiring actor. Though focused today, he has survived a past that has included addiction. In his audition tape, he explains his health regimen by saying he eats only things such as water, tuna, eggs, protein drinks, fruits and vegetables and oatmeal. He says he comes from a home where he was frequently beaten, remarking, "I ain't no pretty little white boy." He and Brianna develop a mutual attraction in the first two episodes, but it is complicated by his attempts to overcome his alcoholism. He enters a 30-day treatment program in Episode 4, and returns to the house in Episode 8. Fearing a relapse, he moves out in Episode 9. He returns to see the cast's final performance at the iO in the final episode, and as of The Real World: Hollywood Reunion, he revealed that he had been sober for ten months, and had returned to acting, having filmed a movie called 10,000 Doors. |
| 24 | Columbia, South Carolina Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan... |
Kimberly is a Southern woman, raised in a devoutly religious household, who is sometimes perceived as "ditsy". According to mtv.com, she doesn't always think before speaking, and at times, her roommates often find her statements offensive. She hopes to become host of an entertainment show. She and David become attracted to one another, and it is indicated in Episode 5 that their relationship was consummated sexually. | |
| 21 | Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data... |
A recent Arizona State University Arizona State University Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona... graduate, Sarah is a feminist and aspiring broadcast journalist with some strong conservative, traditional views. She is close to her family, and this is the first time she has lived so far from them. The move to Hollywood also put a strain on her relationship with her boyfriend, who used to be her debate coach. At The Real World: Hollywood Reunion, she revealed that she was engaged. |
|
| 24 | Detroit, Michigan Detroit, Michigan Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River... |
MTV.com describes Will, a DJ and aspiring music producer who does work at weddings, parties and bar mitzvahs, as cute, charismatic, witty, and the ladies' man of the house. He dates Janelle Casanave from The Real World: Key West The Real World: Key West The Real World: Key West is the seventeenth season of MTV's reality television series The Real World, which focuses on a group of diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras follow their lives and interpersonal relationships... , whom he meets in Episode 8, but his attraction to his housemate Brittini, who moves in in Episode 10, causes conflict for all three of them. |
|
| 22 | Tempe, Arizona Tempe, Arizona Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale... |
Brittini is one of the two roommates who move into the house in Episode 10, following the departure of Greg and Joey. She is a model. MTV.com describes her as a confrontational young woman of mixed race who grew up an only-child conflicted about her racial identity, but who recently began wearing her hair more naturally. She is trying to mend fences with her estranged African-American father. She is described as a "flirt", but has a long-distance boyfriend named Jeremy. She forms an immediate attraction with Will, who returns the flirtation, but his feelings about this in light of his girlfriend Janelle cause conflict between him and Brittini. | |
| 23 | New Rochelle, New York New York New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east... |
Nick is one of the two roommates who move into the house in Episode 10, following the departure of Greg and Joey. Nick is a Jamaican-born man from New York, and a recent college graduate; he is an aspiring model and television host. He is very close with his family, though he has some unresolved issues with his father. MTV.com describes him as a "ladies man", but he doesn't consider himself a player, as he respects each one of them. He comes into conflict with Sarah in Episode 11, and grieves over the loss of a loved one in the same episode. | |
: Age at time of filming.
Episodes
- Episode 1. "Welcome to Hollywood"
- Premiered April 16, 2008
The cast assembles at the house. Sarah, Kimberly, and Joey perceive Greg to be unfriendly, negative, cocky, and immature. Will is surprised to learn Brianna is a stripper, and she feels that he lost respect for her because of this. She learns an arrest warrant was issued for her back home for an incident in which Bobby, her now-ex boyfriend, hit her and tried to prevent her from leaving their home. She has to return home to resolve it. Will says he has a crush on Sarah. Greg angers Joey by calling him a "weirdo". When Greg dismisses criticism of his behavior, Kimberly, Dave, Joey and Brianna have a group confessional in which they criticize him. In response, Greg calls them "peasants", "fools", and "clowns", saying he doesn't need to change for them because he is "perfection".
- Episode 2. "Let's Not Get Ghetto"
- Premiered April 23, 2008
Greg and Joey put their differences aside. Greg invites Will out one night, but Sarah is upset that Will will miss her birthday party. The women are offended when, during dinner, the men flirt with a woman who later shows up at the house and is turned away. The same thing occurs the next night when a man Sarah met at her birthday party shows up at the house. Dave and Kim flirt platonically. Joey and Brianna make out and share a bed. Kim and Brianna argue when the house's maximum allowable number of guests (seven) is exceeded. During this Kim says, "Let's not get ghetto", a statement Will sees as racist, but Kim explains Brianna has said this about herself. Greg helps them make up. Brianna is disturbed over how Joey behaves when drunk. Joey himself doesn't like going to bars or drinking any more, but fears he cannot withstand peer pressure.
- Episode 3. "Where's Joey?"
- Premiered April 30, 2008
Kim and Dave insist that they do not want their flirtation to lead to a relationship. Joey and Brianna reveal past problems with substance abuse, and fear recidivism. Greg is suspected to be responsible for a series of pranks. Andy Dick
Andy Dick
Andrew R. "Andy" Dick is an American comedian, actor, musician and television/film producer. His first regular television role was on the short-lived but highly influential Ben Stiller Show. In the mid-1990s, he had a long-running stint on NBC's NewsRadio...
tells the cast they will take improv
Improv
Improv may refer to:* Improvisation, an act of spontaneous invention* Musical improvisation* Improvisational theatre* The Improv, a chain of U.S. comedy clubs* Lotus Improv, a spreadsheet program...
comedy lessons at the iO WEST theater with Artistic Director Charna Halpern, who will be their coach. The cast feels Greg's disinterest in this comes across as rude, and his refusal to attend a mandatory comedy night with them gets him in trouble with Charna. Brianna and Joey's relationship experiences tension, in part due to Brianna's dalliance with another man named JoJo.
- Episode 4. "Joey's Intervention"
- Premiered May 7, 2008
Brianna returns to Philadelphia with Will to resolve her legal troubles. Dave and Joey are angered by Kim and Sarah, whom they think are too judgmental of people who become strippers out of financial necessity. Conflict stemming from roommates bringing home guests early in the morning recurs, as from Joey's alcohol-fueled temper, including a tantrum from him that frightens his roommates. He agrees to leave the house to begin a 30-day treatment program. Brianna returns to the house, and realizes she still has feelings for Bobby, her ex.
- Episode 5. "I Need Lovin'"
- Premiered May 14, 2008
Kim and Dave's relationship, which is revealed to have become sexual, experiences conflict. Greg lands a fashion show that conflicts with his improv classes. Brianna ponders her music career prospects, and her lack of motivation. Brianna brings JoJo home, and has sex with him as Kim and Sarah lie awake in their beds nearby, angering them, particularly Sarah. Will plays his music for rapper Sticky Fingaz, who responds positively. Brianna makes up with Sarah, and resolves to work harder on her music.
- Episode 6. "Greg Vs. The House"
- Premiered May 21, 2008
Tension is created by a visit by Sarah's boyfriend, Ryan, by Dave's dalliances with other women, despite his having consummated his relationship with Kimberly, and by comments made by Greg, Sarah and Kimberly about these women. As a result, Greg claims to now be on bad terms with every one of his housemates. The conflict continues when Sarah reports her underwear stolen from her drawer, for which Greg ultimately admits responsibility, and when Will romances Reva, a girlfriend of Greg's.
- Episode 7. "Get It On"
- Premiered May 28, 2008
Tension between Greg and Will continue, as with the others over Greg's cleanliness and continued pranks. This leads to a exchange of insults, threats, and thrown objects, and an intervention by the producers, who have Will leave the house for one night, before deciding that he and Dave must take anger management
Anger management
The term anger management commonly refers to a system of psychological therapeutic techniques and exercises by which someone with excessive or uncontrollable anger & aggression can control or reduce the triggers, degrees, and effects of an angered emotional state...
classes. The cast enjoys a visit to Joey in rehab, and are consulted as to how to support his recovery upon his return. The cast continues their improv performances.
- Episode 8. "Arrival and Departure"
- Premiered June 4, 2008
Joey returns home from rehab, but perceives his roommates as unsympathetic to his needs, as they refuse to abstain from drinking in his presence. Will meets Janelle Casanave from The Real World: Key West
The Real World: Key West
The Real World: Key West is the seventeenth season of MTV's reality television series The Real World, which focuses on a group of diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras follow their lives and interpersonal relationships...
, whose connections may help his career, and to whom he is attracted. Brianna's attempts to resolve her legal troubles continue. Joey feels his lack of practice hurt his improv performance, but Charna insists that it was decent, and praises his courage in going on stage after coming back from rehab. She also implores the others to help Joey, invoking the memory of comedian Chris Farley
Chris Farley
Christopher Crosby "Chris" Farley was an American comedian and actor. Farley was a member of Chicago's Second City Theatre and cast member of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live from 1990 to 1995....
, who was best friends with IO Artistic Director James Grace, and whose addictions killed him. Charna also fires Greg for missing yet another improv performance, and he moves out. With his next improv performance, Joey finds his confidence increasing.
- Episode 9. "Joey Checks Out"
- Premiered June 11, 2008
Joey feels his struggle to remain sober may be threatened by a visit by his friend Mike, who first introduced him to cocaine. Sarah's attempt to help him is rebuffed, and Joey confesses to fearing failure in his career, and feeling depressed. Will introduces Brianna to a music producer who offers positive words of encouragement, but her mother worries about Brianna's lack of a backup plan. She also gets to sing with Alex Band
Alex Band
Alex Band is an American musician and singer-songwriter, best known for his work in his former band The Calling and their signature song "Wherever You Will Go", which peaked at #3 on the Top 40 in 2001.Along with bandmate and fellow songwriter Aaron Kamin as part of The Calling, the pair achieved...
of The Calling
The Calling
The Calling is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California, best known for their hit single, "Wherever You Will Go." The group formed in 2000 and have released two albums. They have been on an indefinite hiatus since 2005.-Band history:...
. Feeling that his return from rehab has not improved things, and realizing that he has lost interest in acting, Joey decides to move out, and return to Chicago. Before he leaves, he reads to the others the goodbye letter to alcohol that he wrote in rehab, which brings him to tears.
- Episode 10. "In With The New"
- Premiered June 18, 2008
Will's feelings for Janelle deepen as their relationship continues. She also introduces him and Dave to some of her friends from past Real World seasons. Alcohol threatens Dave's performance during an improv show. Nick and Brittini, the two new roommates, move in. Will and Brittini share a mutual attraction and enjoy flirting, much to Kimberly and Sarah's disapproval. Because of Janelle, however, their friendship experiences conflict. Dave gets the opportunity to experience hosting duties at the iO.
- Episode 11. "Making It"
- Premiered June 25, 2008
Alex Band's plans for Brianna don't mesh with her music, but other opportunities present themselves. Nick's late-night cavorting with a woman upsets Sarah and Kimberly. The three of them begin internships at Movies.com
Movies.com
Movies.com is a website in the Fandango family, operated by Comcast. It was acquired from Disney in June 2008. It is the second-most visited movie-related website, second only to IMDb. The website has information about movies, upcoming movies, and theater information...
, whose producer, Brandon Schantz
Brandon Schantz
Brandon Scott Schantz was a broadcaster, sports director and television producer. He was, perhaps, best known as an on-camera host for Movies.com and for producing music videos for the rock band Rooney...
, is undergoing treatment for cancer, but who has high hopes for Nick, who becomes friends with him. Kimberly and Nick excel at interviewing moviegoers, but Sarah is disappointed with her performance, though she also gets work as a correspondent for think.mtv.com. She later drinks too much during a night out with the girls, resulting in nausea, and conflict between her and Nick. The roommates learn Brandon has passed away. Carson says he will help Nick with his career, but Nick is devastated.
- Episode 12. "Mexi-Loco"
- Premiered July 2, 2008
The cast vacations in Cancun, Mexico. Will tries and give his friendship with Brittini a chance, but escalating flirtation between the two leads to a passionate kiss, much to their subsequent regret. Brianna is angered by comments Sarah and Kimberly have made about her. Nick and Dave have one-night stands with two Canadian women. Janelle breaks up with Will after he confesses his infidelity, but after returning to Hollywood, Brittini holds off on telling her boyfriend, Jeremy, who visits the house. Dave tries to cheer Will up by taking him out, resulting in a foursome involving them and two women back at the house. Will later regrets this upon a call by Janelle, who agrees to try to renew their relationship. She later realized that she no longer saw him as she did when she first met him, and broke with up with him again, later learning that his activities went beyond a mere kiss when this episode aired.
- Episode 13. "It's A Wrap"
- Premiered July 9, 2008
As the cast's time in Hollywood comes to an end, they prepare for their final performance at the iO. In Chicago, Joey ponders what he has given up by leaving Hollywood, and is persuaded back to Hollywood to see their final show. Dave is attacked at a club, leading to an altercation involving his roommates, and a black eye for him. Brittini receives mixed feedback when she tried to sign with a new modeling agency. Nick, Kimberly and Sarah have an opportunity to interview Shanna Moakler
Shanna Moakler
Shanna Lynn Moakler is an American model, actress, reality television star and a former beauty queen. She was the winner of the Miss New York USA pageant in 1995 and was originally the first runner-up at Miss USA 1995. She was later crowned Miss USA after Chelsi Smith won Miss Universe...
for Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight
Entertainment Tonight is a daily tabloid television entertainment television news show that is syndicated by CBS Television Distribution throughout the United States, Canada and in many countries around the world. Linda Bell Blue is currently the program's executive producer...
, but Kimberly's interview does not go well. The roommates are elated to see Joey, and their final show goes well. After emotional farewells, one by one, the roommates leave the house.
After filming
The reunion special for The Real World: Hollywood was held live in Times SquareTimes Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
on July 12, 2008, and was hosted by Lyndsey Rodrigues
Lyndsey Rodrigues
Lyndsey Rodrigues born July 23, 1981 in Sydney, Australia, is an Australian TV host, actress and former MTV VJ, known as a co-host of the MTV TV series Total Request Live...
. All cast members appeared except for Greg, whose absence was not explained, but was the source of speculation. (Greg later indicated in an interview that he was upset over his eviction from the show, and would never again participate in a Bunim-Murray production.) Among the topics of discussion were Greg's behavior, Will's reasons for his confrontation with Greg in Episode 7, the attack on Dave in the final episode, Sarah's outspokenness, the conflict between Kimberly and Brianna concerning Brianna's lifestyle, Joey's alcoholism, the portrayal of his roommates' responsiveness to his struggle to remain sober, Nick and Brittini's experiences as the replacement roommates, and the various romantic and sexual relationships among the cast. Among the relationships discussed were Dave and Kimberly, Joey and Brianna, Sarah's revelation that she was now engaged, the triangle between Will, Janelle and Brittini, and the subsequent foursome involving Will, Dave and two women. Present during the taping was Janelle herself, who took to the stage to air her criticisms of Will's behavior.
In January 2010, Joey, spurred by the impending birth of his and his girlfriend's child, appeared on the third season of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew
Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew
Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew is a reality television show airing on the cable network VH1 that chronicles a group of celebrities as they are treated for alcohol and drug addiction by Dr. Drew Pinsky and his staff at the Pasadena Recovery Center in Pasadena, California. The first season premiered...
, where he sought help for his addiction to cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
, ecstasy and alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
. After completing treatment, he indicated that after helping his girlfriend, Nikki, move into their new home, he would get a sponsor, go to meetings, and go to a sober living facility.
Real World/Road Rules Challenges
| Cast Member | RW/RR Challenges Real World/Road Rules Challenge The Challenge is a reality television game show on MTV that is both dependent on and spun off from the network's two flagship reality shows, The Real World and the now cancelled series, Road Rules. It is currently hosted by T.J... |
Challenges Won |
|---|---|---|
| The Ruins Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Ruins Real World Road Rules Challenge: The Ruins is the eighteenth season of the MTV reality television game show, Real World/Road Rules Challenge, and follows The Duel 2. The Ruins took place in Phuket, Thailand, with former cast members from MTV's The Real World and Road Rules competing along with... |
None | |
| The Island Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Island Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Island is the sixteenth season of the reality television game show, Real World/Road Rules Challenge, which aired on the American cable tv network MTV. It premiered on September 10, 2008 at 10pm ET/PT... |
None | |
| - | - | |
| Joey Kovar | - | - |
| The Duel II, The Ruins | None | |
| - | - | |
| - | - | |
| The Duel II | None | |
| The Duel II, The Ruins | None | |
- Challenge in bold indicates that the contestant was a finalist on The Challenge, but lost in the final race.