| Season Number: | 11 |
| Starring: |
|
| Num Episodes: | 24[1] |
| Network: | MTV |
| Prev Season: | The Real World: Back to New York |
| Next Season: | The Real World: Las Vegas |
The Real World: Chicago is the eleventh season of MTV's reality television series The Real World, which focuses on a group of diverse strangers living together for several months in a different city each season, as cameras follow their lives and interpersonal relationships. It is the first season of The Real World to be filmed in the East North Central States region of the United States, specifically in Illinois.
The season featured seven people who lived in a converted bookstore/coffeehouse in the Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood, which production started from June 28 until November 3, 2001. This was also the first season in which production would start months (sometimes weeks) after wrapping the previous season allowing filming and broadcasting almost immediately unlike the usual annual season. The season premiered on January 15, 2002, and consisted of 24 episodes. This was the first of two seasons to be filmed in Chicago. Twelve years later, the show returned to the city in its thirtieth season.
The season depicted cast members dealing with learning of the September 11th attacks, although criticism was leveled at the series because the cast was actually at Wrigley Field for a photo shoot when they first learned of the event. However, contrary to rumors, the reactions seen were not staged. Producers brought a television in to the loft so the cast could see the attack footage.[2]
Bunim-Murray Productions experienced a number of problems with the production of this season, including a nearby shooting,[3] and numerous protests, vandalism, and arrests[4] by locals critical of MTV and its parent company, Viacom, and opposed to the production's perceived contribution to the neighborhood's gentrification.[5] [6] [7]
This was the first season of The Real World to feature two openly gay cast members, Chris Beckman and Aneesa Ferreira. A previous season, , featured two LGBT cast members: Justin Deabler, who is gay, and Ruthie Alcaide, who is bisexual.
Almost every season of The Real World, beginning with its fifth season, has included the assignment of a season-long group job or task to the housemates, continued participation in which has been mandatory to remain part of the cast since the Back to New York season.[8] The Chicago roommates were assigned to three different jobs at the Chicago Park District. Some were lifeguards at the Lake Michigan beaches while others worked with inner-city children on a park mural. The cast then worked on "Chicagoween" (a portmanteau of "Chicago" and "Halloween") and had to devise a story to act out for the children at Chicago's Halloween celebration.
The cast resided in a loft at 1934 West North Avenue[9] in the Chicago neighborhood of Wicker Park, which had formerly served as a sweatshop, storage facility, and after falling into disrepair, a drug den in the 1980s. In the late 1990s, it served as the space for Steven Ivcich Acting Studio where Johnny Kastl studied before moving to Los Angeles. After it was renovated, it served as Urbis Orbis Café, a classic hipster hangout, then an antique shop. Chicago Scenic Studios constructed the loft's interior, and interior decorating was overseen by local designer Suhail. After filming, fixtures and other items used during the production were auctioned off, and the space was converted into a Cheetah Gym, which opened in 2002.[10]
| Cast member | Age | Hometown | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keri Evans | 22 | New Orleans, Louisiana | |
| An outgoing and charismatic young woman, much of Keri's activities depicted over the season involve her tumultuous relationship with Kyle, whose is torn between his attraction to Keri and his on-off relationship New York City girlfriend Nicole, who is in New York City. Keri becomes homesick at one point, and claims not to like the men of Chicago. She remains in the house, though, and does end up flirting with guys at a local bar with Cara as she gets over Kyle. Keri shares a room with Kyle and Chris. | |||
| Kyle Brandt | 23 | Lincolnshire, Illinois | |
| Kyle has just graduated from Princeton University. Although he first was on track for a football career, he got involved in theater. Kyle dreams of acting and being in the spotlight. His "will they or won't they" relationship with Keri takes up most of his screen time in the Chicago season, though their romance inevitably does not work out. After the events of the September 11 attacks, he realized how important his ex-girlfriend Nicole, who was in New York City at the time, still is to him. | |||
| Aneesa Ferreira | 20 | Narberth, Pennsylvania | |
| Aneesa comes from an interracial relationship - her mother is Jewish-American, and her father is black.[11] Aneesa is a very liberal lesbian who does not mind walking around nude, or even showering with a male roommate, much to the dislike of small-town girl Tonya. She has a quick temper but also is very funny and caring. Throughout the season, Aneesa clashes frequently with Tonya, and argues with her mother by phone frequently, mainly because of her mother's lack of acceptance of her sexual orientation. She enters a brief relationship with a woman named Veronica, but Veronica's history with her ex gets in the way of getting close to Aneesa. Aneesa then finds romance with Danielle, who, while often overbearing and bossy, allowed Aneesa happiness during her months in Chicago. In the house, Aneesa shares a room with Theo. | |||
| Tonya Cooley | 21 | Walla Walla, Washington | |
| Tonya was a foster child, going from home to home from a young age until she moved out on her own at age 17, and has lived a sheltered life. She is very taken aback by Aneesa's openness about nudity and is often offended by it. She also appears homophobic when Chris comes out to the other roommates, telling the camera, "I think the gay lifestyle is full of drugs and a lot of sin | " But as the season progreses she appears to open her mind up and discard her past prejudices. She also claims to be afraid of Theo and men in general. Tonya suffers from kidney problems from medical problems that were never addressed when she was younger. She experiences problems with her condition while in Chicago and is admitted to the hospital several times. Tonya is very attached to her boyfriend Justin back home, and spends much of her time in the house talking on the phone with him. The other roommates accused her of being a drama queen. Tonya shares a room with Cara. | ||
| Chris Beckman | 24 | Brockton, Massachusetts | |
| Chris is an openly gay artist who has struggled in the past with alcoholism, but takes up a job as a bartender during the show, much to the bewilderment of Kyle, who wonders what this does to Chris's recovery. Chris maintains his body by working out a lot, but some of the roommates see his exercise to be on the obsessive side - and maybe compensating for something else. While in Chicago, Chris enters a relationship with a man named Kurt, with whom he seems compatible. However, Chris ends the romance because he wants to focus on his recovery instead of a serious relationship. Chris's relationships with men do make the other male roommates a bit uncomfortable. Chris also does modeling during the season, and asks Kyle to join him. Chris shares a room with Kyle and Keri. | |||
| Cara Kahn | 22 | Boston, Massachusetts | |
| Cara is from the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts. She comes from upper-middle-class Jewish parents, including a professor-doctor father who valued academics, though Cara often felt she did not live up to that standard, as her brother did. She is a student at Washington University in St. Louis. MTV describes her as humorous, generous, and "intensely creative". Cara has spent most of her adult life in relationships making her move to Chicago as a single woman the beginning of a new phase in her life.[12] | |||
| Theo Gantt III | 19 | Riverside, California | |
| Theo is a devout and slightly sheltered pastor's son from California who socializes with women a lot. He is attracted to Aneesa upon first arriving in Chicago, but she is not attracted to men, and they form a brother-sister bond instead. Theo clashes frequently with Tonya, but is always quick to apologize. Theo is seen as a lovable naive party boy who has a good heart. Although he disapproves of Aneesa's and Chris's sexual orientation, he is still good friends with both of them. Theo shares a room with Aneesa. | |||
Age at the time of filming.
After the cast left the Real World loft, all seven of them appeared to discuss their experiences both during and since their time on the show, Stop Being Polite: The Real World Chicago Reunion, which premiered on July 15, 2002, and was hosted by television personality Brian McFayden.
At the 2008 The Real World Awards Bash, Chris received a nomination in the "Hottest Male" category, while Cara received one for "Biggest Playa".[13] [14]
After the show, Kyle Brandt starred as Phillip Kiriakis on Days of Our Lives on NBC. In 2008, he wrote and produced the TV series Rome is Burning and The Jim Rome Show, a sports radio talk show out of California, on which he appeared as "Lyle Grant".[15]
Tonya Cooley went to pose for Playboy and appear in productions on Cinemax. She appeared on multiple Challenges before leaving the show's unstable environment, quit drinking due to alcoholism, and returned to Washington to live a regular life and own a salon.[16] [17]
In 2017, Aneesa Ferreira appeared on MTV's Fear Factor, where she was paired with Laurel Stucky from .[18] In 2020, Ferreira started hosting the MTV's Official Challenge podcast, alongside fellow castmate Tori Deal from Are You the One?.[19]
| Keri Evans | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle Brandt | |||
| Aneesa Ferreira | Battle of the Sexes, Battle of the Sexes 2, The Gauntlet 2, The Duel, The Inferno 3, The Duel II, Rivals, Battle of the Exes, Rivals II, Free Agents, Battle of the Bloodlines, XXX: Dirty 30, Total Madness, Double Agents, Spies, Lies & Allies, Ride or Dies, Battle of the Eras | The Challenge: Champs vs. Stars (season 1), The Challenge: Champs vs. Stars (season 2), The Challenge: All Stars (season 1) | |
| Battle of the Sexes, The Gauntlet, Battle of the Sexes 2, The Inferno II, Fresh Meat, The Inferno 3, The Island, The Ruins | |||
| Cara Kahn | |||
| Battle of the Sexes, The Gauntlet |
Note: Aneesa made an appearance on Vendettas for an elimination