Lisa Rinna

Lisa Rinna

Active - 1988 - 2001  |   Born - Jul 11, 1963 in Newport Beach, California, United States  |   Genres - Drama, Comedy, Health & Fitness

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Biography by AllMovie

In the realm of television, few can boast such an enduring and prolific career as small-screen queen Lisa Rinna. From a pair of successful runs on the long-running daytime drama Days of Our Lives to a two-year stint on Aaron Spelling's wildly successful prime-time soap Melrose Place, Rinna's high-class sensuality and unwavering professionalism have served her well in a wide variety of roles ranging from grief-stricken mother to scheming vixen. Following her feature debut opposite Oliver Reed in the revenge-minded girls-and-guns opus Captive Rage, the Medford, OR, native flirted with small-screen stardom with a recurring role on the short-lived Valerie Harper sitcom Valerie before hitting her stride as scheming beauty Billy Holiday Reed on Days of Our Lives in 1992. A pair of stand-alone Days of Our Lives dramas entitled Night Sins and Winter Heat were quick to follow, and a year after leaving the show proper, Rinna made a name for herself among the Gen-X set as a regular cast member of Spelling's nighttime guilty pleasure Melrose Place. Her sturdy fan base by then encapsulating everyone from TV-happy housewives to hip teens, Rinna wed L.A. Law star Harry Hamlin in 1997. She later appeared opposite her husband in 2001 in the made-for-television sex-addiction drama Sex, Lies and Obsession. A return to her old Days of Our Lives role the following year found Rinna warmly welcomed back into the daytime fold by both her fellow stars and loyal fan base, with small-screen work on such popular shows as Veronica Mars and 8 Simple Rules...for Dating My Teenage Daughter also keeping her very busy and very much visible. Additionally, Rinna found time to co-host the talk show SoapTalk with fellow soap star Ty Treadway on SoapNet. By the time she served hosting duties for the 31st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards in 2004, her star status was well-cemented. Another hosting job, this time on Lifetime's popular home decoration and improvement reality series Merge, offered an entertaining outlet for Rinna's natural onscreen charm and easygoing attitude -- presenting a softer and warmer side of the actress, who was usually cited for her vamped-up soap roles. She also opened the trendy, high-end boutique belle grey, named in honor of her two children. But in 2006, Rinna really boosted her profile — and buffed up her bod — as one of the celebrity competitors on the second edition of Dancing with the Stars. Although she didn't win, she cut a winning figure on the dance floor, and her slick moves helped her and hubby Hamlin (a Season 3 DWTS vet) snag leads in the Broadway smash Chicago in 2007. That same year, she made her debut as a host and red-carpet commentator for TV Guide Network. In 2010, Rinna and Hamlin collaborated yet again, starring in the reality show Harry Loves Lisa, a chronicle of the couple's everyday life. Rinna remained a reality TV staple after that, appearing on the Celebrity Apprentice and joining the cast of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

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Factsheet

  • Won the Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Female Newcomer in 1994 for Days of Our Lives.
  • Opened a designer-clothing boutique, belle gray, in 2003. Named after her daughters Delilah Belle and Amelia Gray.
  • In 2004, won the Innovators of Fashion Award from the Laboratory Institute of Merchandizing; opened a second belle grey store the following year.
  • Collaborations with husband Harry Hamlin include guest spots on Veronica Mars (2004-05) starring roles in Broadway's Chicago (2007) and a 2010 reality series chronicling their family life (Harry Loves Lisa).