I’m a Real Housewives casting director – here’s how I find the best stars for new seasons

ONE of the most successful franchises in the Bravo universe is the Real Housewives. In fact, there is a total of 11 in the United States and 21 international ones.

But how exactly do these women end up in front of the cameras if they aren’t already in the limelight? A casting director has revealed exactly how it happens.

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A casting director has revealed how they pick Housewives for the different Bravo franchises[/caption]

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Bravo boss Andy Cohen is included in the process[/caption]

When looking to hire for new shows and new seasons, casting directors will first look for women with whom the cast already has a genuine and authentic connection, according to Pamela Gimenez, VP Of Current Production on Real Housewives of Miami.

RHOM recently came back after an eight-year hiatus.

With this show specifically, they brought back some of the original cast – Alexia Echevarria, Lisa Hochstein, Larsa Pippen, Adriana, and Marysol Patton – but they also introduced fans to new faces to show that Miami, like the show, had evolved.

That’s how they brought in Guerdy Abraira, Julia Lemigova, and Dr. Nicole Martin, as well as Kiki Barth.

But how were they cast?

Gimenez told Bravo.com that they “were very open to options.”

“It was just looking at it globally, seeing, OK, what could we do? What is really going on? Who are really friends?

“I mean, the thing with Housewives is it needs to be organic and authentic. So Alexia’s been down there, and she’s still maintained those relationships with, you know, Marysol, Adriana, and Lisa.

“So that was kind of a given,” Gimenez explained.

“But also, like, what are you doing in your life? Right, what are your entrepreneurship, parenting, you know, universal themes that are very, very relatable to the fans. Raising kids, getting married, opening businesses. Those are the things that anyone can relate to.

“And I think we wanted to make sure that there was a nostalgia factor.”

But in a more global sense for the franchise, every hopeful Housewife must audition.

From that, casting directors, including Bravo boss Andy Cohen, will narrow down the list based on an on-camera interview.

After that, they will do a home shoot.

Network producer Ryan Flynn said, per Bustle, they ask “What does a day in the life look like for our top choices?

“You know [we] meet husbands, meet kids, meet friends … you know what does that life look like?”

As for what they look for in a Housewife, Cohen revealed previously: “Someone who is willing to be open, live their life fully in front of the camera, someone with a point of view, someone hopefully who’s got a sense of humor or at least is funny or humorous, or different in some way.”

Cohen also added that it’s important that a cast member is someone who “you know will have something to say.

“[They] won’t be run over and will open their lives up to the camera and share something we haven’t seen.”

But your job isn’t over if you’re hired. Your livelihood in the franchise also depends on you delivering entertaining television, which is why every episode is filled with tons of drama.

In fact, it was previously reported that Teddi Mellencamp, who was on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills for three years, was rumored to have been fired for “being boring.”

A source close to Bravo’s production team revealed to the Daily Mail: “The network has not been impressed with her performance on the show.

“They considered cutting her last season but gave her one last chance.”

The insider added: “She is boring and stale and does not offer anything to the franchise with her robotic and staged delivery when interacting with the other cast members.

“The issue is, the other cast members don’t particularly like her and beyond Kyle [Richards], no one is friends with her.”

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