5 Best Real Housewives Cast Members, Ranked

Bravo's "Real Housewives" franchise has a reputation that precedes it, one that is bold, brash, and totally addicting. The reality TV brand has become a cultural behemoth over the last 20 years — and, if we're being honest, Bravo owes the overwhelming success of the franchise to its incredible stars, the Real Housewives themselves.

Naturally, that notion had us desperate to narrow down the five best Housewives and rank them. But a word of warning before you check out our selections. So many incredible ladies have graced the small screen in the name of "Housewives" over the years that it would be impossible to include them all. Sadly, icons like Vicki Gunvalson, Camille Grammer, Kim Zolciak, Luann de Lesseps, and Ramona Singer didn't make the cut, but they — and many of their "Housewives" peers — will always be a key part of the franchise's legacy.

As for the ladies we did include, it came down to the Housewives who have been thrust into levels of stardom unforeseen before joining their respective shows. Each of these women were stars-to-be in their own right — but through letting their strong personalities shine, "Housewives" made them household names. 

Actress Lisa Rinna already had a robust career in the public eye before she joined the greater franchise and was added to "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" in 2014 — but as a result, she's one of the best examples of how the Bravo franchise is able to make megastars out of the most engaging personalities among its casts. Rinna was perhaps most famous for her longtime stints on soap operas and in hosting at the time of her casting, but her boisterous, fun, and uncompromising personality quickly helped her rise.

Although she left the show in 2023 after eight seasons, Rinna garnered more opportunities outside of the series, from other reality shows to front row at fashion week. No matter what she did, her outrageous persona, the one front and center of the many "RHOBH" episodes she starred in, kept presenting her with opportunities to turn her into a megastar in the public consciousness.

Sure, she'd already snagged Emmy nominations and starred in "Chicago" on Broadway before she joined the reality show's cast, but she only shot to global fame thanks to the watchability of her wild on-screen antics and self-assured character. This also made her popular on social media and she went on to be immortalized through memes. Simply put, she is one of the most fabulous and free-spirited Housewives we have, and she should get her flowers for being her true (and very entertaining) self from day one.

With "The Real Housewives of New York" being the second "Housewives" series ever — following "The Real Housewives of Orange County," of course — it could be argued that star Bethenny Frankel was one of the first Housewives to truly command the audience's attention. Admittedly, she was part of a cast of strong women who were bound to make an impression (and if we had more space, they'd all make this list). But Frankel stood out from the beginning of "RHONY" as a compelling, no-nonsense New Yorker with charm and cool girl attitude, and her ascent quickly kicked into gear.

When audiences met Frankel, she was an entrepreneur who had previously been on "The Apprentice," so her endeavors thrived, as a result. Her drinks line, Skinnygirl, saw a period of major success, and branched out to other food products, a cookware line, and even shapewear. Frankel also found success on television beyond her home on "Housewives." Bravo quickly gave her a spin-off, "Bethenny Ever After," which chronicled her engagement and marriage to then-fiancé Jason Hoppy over three seasons.

After leaving "Housewives" following Season 3, she hosted her own talk show, simply titled "Bethenny," which only lasted for ran for one season. But that was fine, as she later rejoined "Housewives," a landscape she arguably thrived the most in — and though she didn't stick around forever, the response to her return alone proves she will always be considered "Housewives" royalty.

Any self-respecting "Housewives" fan knows the word "iconic" doesn't even begin to describe "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" legend Teresa Giudice. She shot to stardom in the show's first season through her unapologetic and endlessly quotable Italian-American persona, which culminated in a bombastic blow-up directed toward fellow cast member Danielle Staub during a party. 

Despite losing her cool, Giudice's moment was immortalized in the franchise and in pop culture at large. The reality star became the center of "RHONJ," and her family and friendship dynamics have been the anchor ever since she became the breakout star during Season 1. Her popularity gifted her with other opportunities, as well, including several best-selling cookbooks, two memoirs, a bellini cocktail line, and a spot on the fifth cycle of "The Celebrity Apprentice."

In 2013, Giudice and now ex-husband Joe Giudice were charged in a major fraud case, shocking the "Housewives" audience. Two years later, she served nearly a year in prison and fans were so tapped into her legal woes that Bravo aired a special three-episode series about how the family was coping titled "Teresa Checks In." It wasn't the only special Bravo would produce about the icon. Years later, her wedding to second husband Louie Ruelas was chronicled on "Teresa Gets Married" in 2023.

Giudice's uncompromising dedication to being herself made her a near-instant "Housewives" legend — and subsequently allowed her to maintain that status to this day.

"The Real Housewives of Atlanta" has always been filled with larger-than-life personalities, but it feels like, to this day, no one has made quite the same impact on the series as the iconic NeNe Leakes. Her New York roots mixed with her Georgia upbringing made her one of the most outgoing, outspoken, and confident Housewives the franchise has ever seen — and a joy to watch to boot.

Soon after shooting to stardom in the early days of "RHOA," she competed on "Celebrity Apprentice," got a recurring role on "Glee," and appeared as a series regular on the Ryan Murphy sitcom "The New Normal." She guest-hosted a few talk shows, had a Bravo spin-off series about her second wedding to her now-late partner Gregg Leakes titled "I Dream of NeNe: The Wedding," and even did "Dancing With the Stars," as well as a stint on Broadway.

Needless to say, NeNe was everywhere — and her hilarious and bold personality not only made her fun to follow, but turned her various popular responses and memorable quotes into beloved memes in the zeitgeist over her ten collective seasons as an original cast member on "RHOA." Without Leakes, "Real Housewives of Atlanta" would simply not be the same, and that's considering the legendary original cast alongside her, too. None of the Georgia peaches quite compare to Miss Linnethia, and her 2020 departure from "RHOA" marked the true end of an era. 

"The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" was the sixth entry in the massive franchise, but despite its late arrival, it feels like Lisa Vanderpump walked so the other Housewives could run. Vanderpump quickly became a major fan favorite on "RHOBH," catapulting her to stardom in what felt like an instant through the show's focus on her sharp personality, sense of humor, and lavish lifestyle.

Though she was already a successful Los Angeles restaurateur when she was cast on the series, Vanderpump's opportunities skyrocketed across the board. She released several alcoholic offerings under the Vanderpump brand and competed on Season 16 of "Dancing With the Stars." Even more indicative of her rise to fame, she led several spin-offs for Bravo and Hulu, some that have seen the same levels of success as "RHOBH" itself. "Vanderpump Rules" began airing less than three years into the "Beverly Hills" run, and the series has become a generational hit thanks to its engaging young cast (and their cheating scandals). 

Vanderpump also helmed "Vanderpump Dogs" and "Vanderpump Villa," while expanding her real estate presence into Las Vegas with new restaurants and a hotel. Throughout it all — and her shocking departure from "RHOBH" in 2019 — her strong, uncompromising presence on "Beverly Hills" helped her achieve immortality in the Bravo world and beyond. After all, a successful Housewife with a smart, sharp attitude will always be reality TV gold: LVP just perfected it.