From a pro clown to a fitness instructor, these experts had surprising past lives.
Before your favorite HGTV stars skyrocketed to home renovation fame, they had other jobs. Some had straightforward paths in interior design and real estate that led to their current success, while others took on more unexpected gigs, like being a professional clown or model. Below, we’re taking a closer look at the jobs some current HGTV stars did before they found their design entertainment footing.
The Property Brothers were destined to perform, starting with their careers as professional clowns and actors. "At 8 years old, we started getting hired out as apprentice clowns, and we did that for years, until we were making like fifty bucks an hour," Jonathan told People. Following their clown careers, the Scotts appeared on a Canadian show called Breaker High. They then secured small acting roles in Smallville (Drew) and The X-Files (Jonathan).
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When Ben and Erin Napier were contacted about shooting a TV series in their hometown of Laurel, Mississippi, the pair owned a wedding stationery company called Lucky Luxe. According to the company's old website, their clientele included professional athletes, actors, universities, and rock bands, like the Goo Goo Dolls. Now, in addition to their series Home Town, they own a handful of shops, including Laurel Mercantile, Scotsman Co., and Scent Library.
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Unsurprisingly, Christina Haack was a realtor before she began flipping houses on Flip or Flop—but before she became a real estate and design pro, she actually wanted to be a sports agent. “I always loved looking at houses with my parents, especially model homes, and I always wanted to be my own boss,” she wrote on Instagram. “So in college, when I was called (intuitively) to get my real estate license at a local community college, I followed my intuition. I got started in real estate at 21, which led to selling houses, which led to flipping houses, which led to TV.”
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Fixer to Fabulous stars Jenny and Dave Marrs actually met at their former jobs. Dave was offered a job working at Newell Brands' Rubbermaid after graduating from college in 2002. Through this role, he met Jenny, who was working in a different department at the time. And the rest is history!
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Similar to his ex-wife, Christina Haack, Tarek El Moussa’s career path clearly led him to where he is today; he got his real estate license and started working as an agent. He then realized the potential profit in house flipping and eventually teamed up with Haack to invest in properties together before landing their HGTV show. His now-wife, Heather El Moussa (formerly Young), worked as a model (including for Playboy), pilates instructor, and actress before Selling Sunset fans came to know her as a real estate agent on the Netflix series. They've since starred in HGTV's The Flipping El Moussas and The Flip Off.
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Following a stint as a fitness instructor, Jasmine Roth’s entrance into home building actually started with her first house. The Help! I Wrecked My House star was living in Southern California at the time and working a corporate gig. “My husband and I thought we could hire a builder to manage building our own house and an investment project on the side,” she told Voyage Utah. “The project was much bigger than we expected, and two years in, I decided to leave my job and help finish our project. I always joke that I never went back to ‘work.’”
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Alison Victoria always had her sights set on interior design. After graduating college in Las Vegas, she started her career as a designer for Christopher Homes. After returning to Chicago, building a design empire, and dealing with legal troubles, the designer is back in Sin City full-time—and has a new HGTV series following her new work chapter and life journey.
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