Before They Were Bravo Reality TV Stars… Snakkle Looks Back On Their High School Photos

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Dorinda Medley as a Senior at Berkshire School in 1983

Dorinda Medley grew up in the Berkshires and went to Berkshire School in Sheffield, MA and graduated in 1983. After graduating college, Medley went to New York and got started in fashion working at the Liz Claiborne showrooms.

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Dorinda Medley in 2015

NOW: Medley now resides in New York with her daughter Hannah. She's new to the Real Housewives of New York City.

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Emeril Lagasse as a Senior at Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School in 1977

THEN: Emeril Lagasse began his rise to the top of the culinary world as a teen working in a Portuguese bakery in Massachusetts. He later went on to train to become a professional chef before spending over seven years at the well-known New Orleans restaurant Commander’s Palace. After the experience, he opened his first place, Emeril’s, in the Southern city and a star was born.

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Emeril Lagasse in 2012

NOW: Emeril has amassed an empire that includes cookbooks, merchandise and a number of acclaimed restaurants. He’s also perfected the recipe for a successful TV persona, as evidenced by his role as judge on the hit cooking competition Top Chef.

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Padma Lakshmi in Kindergarden in Queens, NY

THEN: Padma Lakshmi was always gorgeous! As a child, Lakshmi split her time between Chennai, India and Queens, New York.

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Padma Lakshmi in 2014

NOW: Padma is a renaissance woman--she's an actress, model AND cookbook author of Easy Exotic which won an award at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. She's hosted Top Chef since 2006.

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Lily Ghalichi as a Junior at Langham Creek High School in 2000

THEN: Lilly Ghalichi got a degree in business at The University of Texas at Austin and then went on to study law at Loyola in Los Angeles. But the self-described “Persian Princess” decided to skip the courts and explore other career options.

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Lilly Ghalichi in 2013

NOW: Lilly fell back on her business instincts and now runs Have Faith Swimgerie—a line of swimsuits with lingerie influences—and the fake-eyelash company Lilly Lashes. The smart entrepreneur most recently found the best way to market all her brands—reality TV! Lilly is a regular on Shahs of Sunset, the Bravo show that follows a group of close knit Iranian friends living in Beverly Hills.

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Mercedes Javin as a Senior at Beverly Hills High School in 1990

THEN: Mercedes Javid graduated from Beverly Hills High School in 1990, and then went on to get her degree in English Literature from California State University, Northridge. She may be brainy, but she definitely isn’t street smart. The Shahs of Sunset star once admitted she was convicted of a felony for bank fraud in 1994.

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Mercedes Javin in 2013

NOW: Mercedes—aka “MJ”—has a good job selling luxury real estate in L.A., but she also works it hard on the party scene. It’s little wonder she still spends a lot of time trying to figure out exactly who she is even though she’s now in her early 40s.

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Reza Farahan as a Sophomore in 1989

THEN: Reza Farahan grew up with a Muslim mother and Jewish father, who converted to Islam to marry her. But after his parents got divorced, Reza suffered since his father’s family had a hard time accepting him. It didn’t help that he already felt isolated because he was gay.

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Reza Farahan in 2013

NOW: Reza turned tough times to his advantage when he decided to go on Shahs of Sunset in hopes that he would be a role model for teens who are bullied for their sexuality. In addition to doing the show, he has found success as a prominent real estate agent.

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James Lipton as a Senior at Central High School in 1944

THEN: From teaching and acting to directing and producing, James Lipton has been there, done that over his long and storied career. He started working as a thespian on the Broadway play The Autumn Garden. In 1953, he embarked on his decade-long run playing a doctor on the soap opera Guiding Light. Writing scripts on the show quickly turned into opportunities to work on other programs, including as producer and director.

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James Lipton in 2012

NOW: Lipton has interviewed over 250 actors and other show business professionals. Plus, he’s racked up fourteen Emmy Award nominations during his time so far as host of the popular show, Inside the Actors Studio. In fact, almost 90 million U.S. households tune in to watch the Bravo hit.

Heidi Klum, young

THEN: Okay, so even at 19, Heidi Klum was a hot ticket. We’re not sure exactly what she’s wearing (or what the story is with that creepy baby in the background), but she sure is selling it to us. (The dress, not the baby.)

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Heidi Klum in 2013

NOW: In fashion judging, either you’re in or you’re out, and Heidi Klum is definitely in. Klum is the recognizable host of Bravo's hit TV show Project Runway. In 2009, the show was moved to Lifetime where it continues to produce interesting reality TV... and fashion.

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Michael Kors as a Senior at John F. Kennedy High School in 1977

THEN: Here's Michael Kors with a full head of hair, looking fresh-faced and showing just a hint of the fashion designer inside (unbuttoned shirt, anyone?).

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Michael Kors in 2012

NOW: One of the original judges on Bravo's Project Runway, Michael Kors provided criticisms and witticisms from a fashion designer's standpoint. Kors was a regular on Seasons 1-10 and we gotta say, we miss Korsisms like "he looks like a cheap version of Gilligan who wandered in from a Luau" and "she looks like a transvestite flamanco dancer at a funeral."

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Kathy Griffin as a Senior at Oak Park and River Forest High School in 1978

THEN: The youngest of five children, Kathleen Mary Griffin was born in Oak Park, Illinois, to Irish-Catholic parents, Maggie and John Griffin. A self-described chatterbox, Kathleen found an audience outside of neighbors and family performing in high school musicals. After graduation, she moved to Los Angeles to monetize her smart mouth.

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Kathy Griffin in 2013

NOW: After making a name for herself as part of the comedy troupe Groundlings, Kathy Griffin went on to pursue comedy. She then jumped from D-list celebrity status to... almost-A-list with her Bravo reality TV series My Life on the D-List. Her brash sense of humor and straight-to-the-point zingers kept viewers engaged for six seasons before the show concluded in 2010.

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Joanna Krupa as a Sophomore at Glenbard East High School in 1995

THEN: Joanna Krupa was born in Warsaw, Poland, but she grew up in Chicago, Illinois. The Windy City wasn’t big enough for Joanna, so at 19 she moved to Los Angeles to try to make it as an actress-model. Fans may remember her guest roles on shows, which include CSI Las Vegas and Dancing With the Stars, or her cover shoots with magazines, like GQ and Maxim.

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Joanna Krupa in 2013

NOW: Joanna now stars on the reality show Real Housewives of Miami. She recently got hitched to her longtime fiancé, the nightclub owner Romain Zago, in a lavish million-dollar ceremony. Sorry guys, this foxy import is off the market!

Globe Photos

Kim Richards Does Native American-Inspired Glam on the Red Carpet in 1980

THEN: As a child, Kim Richards worked in show business, and she became known as the “Disney Girl.” Unlike her sister, Kyle Richards, she had quite a bit of success throughout the years, appearing in hit shows from Different Strokes and CHiPS to Magnum PI and Hello Larry.

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Kim Richards in 2013

NOW: Kim eventually quit entertainment to concentrate on raising her family. But just like her sis, Kyle, she was lured back to TV when Bravo came knocking with the opportunity to star on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. The star also dabbles in various business ventures when she isn’t busy shooting the show.

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Kyle and Kim Richards Out on the Town in 1983

Actress Kyle Richards and actress Kim Richards on April 23, 1983 sighting at The Palace Theatre in Hollywood, California. The Richards sisters were familiar faces on the Hollywood celebrity circuit, appearing at film and TV premieres.

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Kyle Richards in 2013

NOW: Though she’s dabbled in acting throughout her life, Kyle found her biggest television success as a reality star on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. She’s also branched out and now co-owns a clothing boutique called Kyle by Alene Too. “I have four daughters so fashion is a big thing in our house,” says Kyle. “It’s a really natural fit for me and I’ve always been drawn to it.”