4 Celebs You May Have Forgotten Were On America's Next Top Model

"America's Next Top Model" ran for upwards of 300 episodes over the course of its highly successful, 15-year reality TV tenure, which began on UPN back in 2003 and ended on VH1 in 2018, even briefly surviving "ANTM's" 2015 cancellation by UPN successor The CW. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that dozens upon dozens of contestants took part on the hit show during its time on the air, including no shortage of notable names who have become inseparably synonymous with the "America's Next Top Model" brand. But there are also a number of contestants who are bound to make you say, "Oh yeah, she was on that show."

Now, we don't mean that as a dig at the individuals in question — quite the opposite, in fact. Rather, the "ANTM" contestants we're referring to have since become famous almost completely independent of the show that originally made their names. As a result, they've cultivated a fan following who either primarily know them for something else, or didn't realize that they were even on the modeling competition show in the first place. So, without further ado, here are four A-listers that you may have forgotten were ever on "America's Next Top Model."

Eva Marcille initially rose to prominence in 2004, when she won Cycle 3 of "America's Next Top Model," beating out the likes of Camara "Yaya" DaCosta and Toccara Jones. Marcille used this  momentum to transition into an acting career, landing one-off roles on shows like "Smallville" and "Everybody Hates Chris." She's since also enjoyed more prominent turns on "Born Again Virgin" and "All the Queen's Men." That being said, the model has kept one foot firmly planted in the world of reality television too. Nowadays, she's arguably better known for her time on "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" than she is for "ANTM."

Marcille joined "RHOA" in 2017, originally only as an occasional presence on the show. However, she was quickly upgraded to regular-cast status, having made quite a big impression on viewers. Marcille ultimately announced her departure in 2020, in order to focus on motherhood. That being said, she quickly returned to the "Real Housewives" franchise for "The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip." As for what Eva Marcille is up to now, she's continued to take the occasional acting job here and there. But although she's been able to build a brand for herself beyond "ANTM," it was no easy task.

During a 2026 interview with Us Weekly, Marcille confessed that while she still greatly respects and appreciates beleaguered host Tyra Banks, she has a complicated relationship with the show itself, as winning the competition pigeonholed her considerably in the fashion industry. "I got the scarlet letter. I changed my name to Marcille so that when I walked into an audition, I wasn't prejudged," the model, formerly known as Eva Pigford, explained. Even so, she clarified that she doesn't blame Banks for this.

Winnie Harlow didn't do especially poorly, nor particularly well, when she competed on Cycle 21 of "America's Next Top Model" in 2014, finishing the competition in a respectable sixth place. Despite this, however, she went on to have an incredibly successful career in the modeling industry. Much like the aforementioned Eva Marcille, Harlow has also pivoted towards acting in recent years too. After a string of reality-TV appearances that followed her stint on "ANTM," she played herself in an episode of the ABC sitcom "Grown-ish." Harlow subsequently landed two major voice roles — first on the Nickelodeon cartoon "Monster High," followed by the lead role in Marvel Studios' "Black Panther" spinoff series "Eyes of Wakanda."

And yet, Harlow contrasts with Marcille in one notable way. While the "Real Housewives" alum appreciates "ANTM" for acting as a launchpad, even if her connection to the show hindered her modeling career, Harlow has openly acknowledged that she feels the show did little, if anything, to solidify her own position in the industry. "[My success] started after the show, 'cause that really didn't do anything for my career [...] which, it doesn't do anything for any model's career, realistically," Harlow told Andy Cohen in 2018 (via E! News). As for what did help her break through, "A photographer from London hit me up — major photographer Nick Knight — and he was like, 'Hey, I've seen your photos online, and I want to do a shoot with you.' It went viral, and I got campaigns from there, and it hasn't stopped since."

Molly O'Connell very nearly won Cycle 16 of "America's Next Top Model" in 2011, but ultimately fell short. When all was said and done, she was named first runner-up, while Brittani Kline took home the grand prize that year. Not only that, but O'Connell is notable for getting one of the most shocking makeovers in "ANTM" history — and not in a good way either. Luckily for her, though, she managed to carve out another path in the world of reality television, with some fans not even realizing that she had competed on "ANTM" years prior.

In 2024, O'Connell joined the main cast of Bravo's own reality series "Southern Charm" for its 10th season, quickly making a name for herself as a fan favorite. She had also undergone quite the stunning transformation in the years since her time on "ANTM," with "Southern Charm" viewers expressing their shock that their new favorite cast member and the Cycle 16 runner-up were, in fact, one and the same. "Did anyone know that Molly was on ANTM?!?!? I just found out she was the one with the terrible weave!" one Reddit user wrote in February 2025. "I saw this when it was originally on!! Crazy that it's her. She is a great addition this year," another Redditor commented.

Mind you, other commenters remembered O'Connell's "ANTM" stint all too well, with one recalling her horrifying makeover in particular. O'Connell herself has acknowledged her turbulent history within the reality-TV sphere. Channeling Taylor Swift, she uploaded video footage from her "ANTM" days to Instagram in May 2024, hilariously captioning the post, "You wouldn't last an hour in the asylum that raised me."

Lio Tipton (previously known as Analeigh Tipton) made it quite far in Cycle 11 of "America's Next Top Model," back in 2008, finishing in third place behind runner-up Samantha Potter and winner Brittany "McKey" Sullivan. After the fact, though, Tipton wasted no time transitioning into a fully-fledged acting career, which is almost certainly what they're best known for now. Since 2011, Tipton has appeared in a number of high-profile movies and TV shows, including "The Green Hornet," "Crazy, Stupid, Love," "Warm Bodies," "Limitless," and, more recently, the Ke Huy Quan vehicle "Love Hurts." 

Perhaps a perfect microcosm of the former reality star's career transformation is their two separate roles on the "The Big Bang Theory." In 2008, the same year Tipton competed on "ANTM," they made a cameo as themself on the hit sitcom, which was in its second season at the time. Seven years later, they appeared on the show again in a Season 9 episode, this time playing an actual character.  Whereas some of the other "ANTM" alums we've listed here have split their time between modeling, acting, and reality television since their stint on the hit competition show, Tipton has been laser-focused on acting. 

Hence why it's the profession they're most associated with today. And this was hardly an accident. Speaking to the Daily Beast amid their big Hollywood debut in 2011, the up-and-comer admitted that modeling was never really for them. "I tried modeling, but I really didn't enjoy it," they shared, adding, "I showed up to most of my shows in Birkenstocks and T shirts, and it just wasn't my world. I was never graceful in modeling."