Almost 32 Years Later, 'The Real World' Season 1 Cast Is All Grown Up

Millennials may think of reality television as a core genre, but it can typically be traced back to 1992 when the first episode of The Real World premiered on MTV. Season 1, which is now often referred to as The Real World: New York, featured seven strangers as they lived together in a SoHo loft. It was the first American show to feature the confessional format, which basically created the reality television genre.

The original cast consisted of seven “diverse” strangers as they explored mechanisms of race and sexuality in a microcosm of society. They came back together in 2021 for The Real World Homecoming: New York, which was a spin-off mini-series of the show’s first season. But where is the Season 1 original cast now?

Now 56-year-old Rebecca Blasband was pursuing an acting and music career before she went on The Real World at just 24 years old. After the show ended, she signed on with Warner/Chappell Music for an album called The Rebecca Blasband. She also formed a band with Adam Schlesinger, who's known for fronting Fountains of Wayne. In 2018, she released her album, Here.

Andre Comeau is now 55 years old and like Rebecca, he's a musician. He describes himself on Instagram as a "Prototypical #GenX" as he continues to play music in Los Angeles, where he seems to be based.

Heather B. Gardner was actually slightly famous before she was on The Real World because of her involvement in the hip-hop group, Boogie Down Productions. After her time on the show, she and the group signed with Pendulum Records and she then played "Peaches" in the 1995 film Dead Presidents. She has since appeared in several films and recorded various albums. She's also the co-host of the Sirius Satellite Radio show Sway in the Morning. In 2001, Heather B. married hip-hop artist E. Gray aka Horse.

At just 19 years old on the show, Julie was the youngest member of the house and an aspiring dancer. However, for the last 24 years, she has been running a community garden and spending time with her kids. She and her husband, Joshua Gentry, met and married before her time on the show. Her son, Noah, is now 22 years old, and her daughter, Phoebe, is 20 years old. Perhaps we'll see them on The Real World: Next Gen!

Now 57 years old, Norman Korpi was the first openly LGBTQ+ cast member of The Real World, so he broke reality television records. Just after his time on the show, he co-developed a clothing and furnishings design firm called Gouda. He later created Gay Entertainment Television and a production company called Fruit Films. But in the 2021 reunion series, he revealed that he lost his home and belongings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now he seems to be back on his feet after publishing his art book, Techno-Color Reflections.

52-year-old Eric Nies became a Real World sweetheart after his appearance in the first season. He hosted several MTV shows, such as The Grind and Hangin' w/ MTV, and appeared on 13 further seasons and spin-offs of The Real World, among other reality shows. He's still a model/influencer and is passionate about the healing nature of plants. In addition, he's a Wim Hof enthusiast, so he's quite spiritual now.

The oldest member of the Season 1 Real World cast, Kevin is now 57 years old and has been hustling ever since his reality appearance. He wrote 14 books, the latest of which was published in 2022, titled Grocery Shopping with My Mother. Most of his books focus on his social activism, which also inspired him to curate the first exhibit on the history of hip-hop at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Kevin even had political aspirations in Brooklyn, although they didn't pan out.