The Truth About Heather Dubrow's Acting Career

Before she was a "The Real Housewives of Orange County" fan-favorite, Heather Dubrow had a career in acting.

Heather falls into the same category as numerous other ladies across the "Housewives" universe whose first passion was film and television before jumping into reality TV stardom. "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" stars like Denise Richards were first known for their film roles, and viewers saw Garcelle Beauvais balance her thespian duties at the same as being on the Bravo cast, per Screen Rant. Other stars like "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" alum NeNe Leakes forged a successful film and stage acting career after "Housewives" gave her the spotlight.

"RHOBH" star Kyle Richards recently made her return to the big screen in "Halloween Kills," reprising the role she played in the original 1978 film, along with appearing in the Peacock original film "The Housewives of The North Pole." "It was so much fun to be back doing what I love the most," the former child star gushed over acting again, according to Goss.ie (via Heavy). "My first love was acting." Like Kyle, "RHOC" star Heather revived her acting career around the same time she stepped into the Bravo limelight. Many are wondering about what she does when the "RHOC" cameras aren't rolling — and the truth about her acting career may surprise you.

Though her run on "The Real Housewives of Orange County" rivals that of cast newcomers, Heather Dubrow's rap sheet as an actor is even longer. According to IMDb, Dubrow's acting career dates back to the early 1990s, when she appeared in numerous television projects. Most notably, Heather starred as Lydia in the sitcom "That's Life" from 2000 to 2002. The "RHOC" star also starred alongside her longtime friend actor Jenny McCarthy in the series "Jenny" in 1997. It appears the actor's BFA in Music Theatre from Syracuse University worked in her favor, as Heather's TV jobs allowed her to work with Hollywood big names like Roseanne Barr and Norm MacDonald, per Reality Tidbit. Heather remembered her time working with MacDonald when she shared an Instagram photo of an on-screen kiss she shared with the comedian shortly after he died in September 2021.

Heather revealed she had trouble getting work as an actor after becoming an Orange County celebrity. "I think because I'm now so well-known for being 'me' that it's just an odd thing," Heather explained in an interview with Amy Phillips. "And the kinds of things they call me about are to either be myself — which I don't wanna do — or kind of a 'stereotypical of my character as it's perceived on the show' role." However, Heather ultimately went on to star in series like "Sequestered" and "Young & Hungry" with her "Housewives" fame in tow.

Heather Dubrow's acting career famously collided with the drama of "The Real Housewives of Orange County" when she sparred with her co-star about a television role on "RHOC" Season 8. According to Bravo TV, Heather was offered a spot on the series "Malibu Country," which fellow "RHOC" star Gretchen Rossi claimed also tapped her to be a talent. Gretchen claimed to have turned down the job to support Tamra Judge on her dress shopping trip, but Heather called Gretchen's bluff about being offered the gig, firing back that "Malibu Country" was not even scheduled to film that particular day. Star of the sitcom Sarah Rue confirmed on Twitter that Heather "had it all correct" when she called out her co-star, via Radar Online.

Heather left "RHOC" for a hiatus of five years starting in 2016 before asking fans "Orange you glad I'm back?" when she returned for Season 16. In an exclusive interview with Nicki Swift, Heather reflected on adding reality TV to her extensive résumé. "I never thought I would do something like that, but I have to say, I mean, it opened doors for me that I didn't realize that it would open," she said of "RHOC." "It changed the trajectory of not just my career, but honestly, my life. It's kind of cool to be such an interesting part of this pop culture phenomenon."