Dancing With the Stars is back for its 29th season. Each season, skilled professional dancers are paired with celebrities to teach them complex ballroom dancing routines to perform week after week in front of a live audience and judges. Each week, the judges give feedback and score the performances, viewers weigh in from home, and one couple is sent packing until the final winner is revealed.
While the contestants are, indeed, "celebrities," this term is used rather loosely. The cast is often made of up reality TV "stars" capitalizing on what's left of their 15 minutes of fame, actors who were, at one time, popular, retired celebrities enjoying time in the spotlight again, big stars who simply want to challenge themselves with something new, or famous people looking to rehabilitate a damaged image. So, who are the 10 people making up the cast of season 28 and what did they do to get famous? Here's a look.
Monica Aldama: Cheer
Aldama gained mainstream recognition of late, thanks to the attention she received from the Netflix series, Cheer. But she has been working as the Head Coach of the Navarro College cheerleading team for the past 24 years.
She might not be "famous" in the eyes of those who didn't watch Cheer and don't care much about college football. But to those who appreciate her talents, she is referred to as a "legend."
Carole Baskin: Tiger King
"Hey, all you cool cats and kittens!" Arguably the most controversial of the "celebrities," Baskin rose to fame as the object of Joe Exotic's deep hatred on the docuseries, Tiger King. It was the alleged hit he put out on the owner of Big Cat Rescue that led to his incarceration, and their feud was at the center of the docuseries.
While there's suspicion surrounding the disappearance of Baskin's former husband, and suggestions in the docuseries and by Exotic himself that she is not the innocent animal lover she claims to be, clearly she's looking for this appearance to help rehabilitate her image in the public eye.
Kaitlyn Bristowe: The Bachelorette
She first appeared on season 19 of The Bachelor, then returned to the franchise to continue her quest for love for the 11th season of Bachelorette.
Bristowe placed third on The Bachelor, but quickly became a fan favorite and was one of two women selected to be the potential new bachelorette, beating out Britt Nilsson for the position, based on the guys' votes. She also hosted a show on Broadway and has her own podcast.
Vernon Davis: Denver Broncos
One of two athletes this season, Davis is now retired from the NFL. But he got his Super Bowl ring at Super Bowl 50, in 2015, while playing with the Denver Broncos. The tight end has also played with the San Francisco 49ers, the New Orleans Saints, and the Washington Football Team.
Now 36 and recently retired, Davis is looking to leverage his fancy footwork in a new way.
Anne Heche: Another World
Heche got most of her attention for dating Ellen DeGeneres back in the late 90s, as well as starring in a series of films throughout the decade like Donnie Brasco, Volcano, Six Days, Seven Nights, and Return to Paradise.
She was also in the series Men in Trees and Hung, and most recently in Chicago P.D. She first gained attention for playing a dual role on the soap opera Another World in the late 80s.
Skai Jackson: Disney Channel
A Disney Channel kid, the now 18-year-old is the youngest among the new contestants. She is best known for her roles on Jessie and Bunk'd, as well as voicing the character of Glory Grant in Marvel Rising projects.
She is also popular on the social media platform TikTok and appeared in the Lil Nas X music video for "Panini."
Justina Machado: One Day At A Time
Arguably the most currently famous actor who will be participating on Dancing With the Stars, Machado stars in the remake of One Day At A Time, which was canceled on Netflix and renewed by Pop!, as well as in the Netflix series, Queen of the South.
With filming put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this might just be Machado's way of keeping herself busy until her current projects resume.
Jeannie Mai: The Real
Most known for her role as host of the daytime talk show The Real, a post she has held since 2013, Mai is also a stylist and fashion expert who has worked on shows like How Do I Look?, Today, Extra TV, and Entertainment Tonight.
Other hosting gigs for which she might be familiar include E! and Miss Universe.
AJ McLean: Backstreet Boys
The resident "bad boy" of the massively successful 90s boy band Backstreet Boys, who offered up hit songs like "I Want It That Way" and "Everybody," McLean has some training as a performer, which includes synchronized dance along with his signature raspy voice. But he doesn't necessarily have formal training in various technical styles of dance.
A favorite to win given his experience with choreography, McLean continues to work with the men of Backstreet Boys, who banded together again to release new music and go on tour.
Jesse Metcalfe: Desperate Housewives
In a stereotypical role, Metcalfe played the handsome young pool boy working for the Solis' in Desperate Housewives, who was secretly having an affair with Gaby. While this is his best-known role, he also got some attention for his lead role in the film John Tucker Must Die.
A familiar face from daytime soaps as well, he's known for shows like Passions and Dallas. Today, he continues to act, mainly in Hallmark Channel projects.
Nelly: Rapper
Back in the early 2000s, Nelly was the rapper with a Band-Aid on his face that released some of the biggest hits of the decade. His top hits were sounds like "Hot in Herre," the party anthem of 2008, "Work It," "#1," and "Ride Wit Me" ("Hey, must be the money!"), all from his best-selling album Country Grammar.
Nelly, real name Cornell Iral Haynes Jr., has also done some acting, in movies like The Longest Yard. And while he continues to make music, he hasn't quite hit the same level of success he did 20 years ago.
Charles Oakley: Chicago Bulls
A second athlete this season, Oakley used to play in the NBA with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. He continued to play basketball professionally until 2004, when he officially returned.
Now 56, 16 years seem like enough time to be out of the spotlight and he's ready to get back into it.
Nev Schulman: Catfish
Host of the long-running MTV reality series Catfish, where he helps victims who have gotten into online relationships with people they suspect aren't who they say they are, Schulman himself first became popular from his documentary of the same name, which chronicled his own story of getting catfished.
While Catfish continues to film virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with new co-host Kamie Crawford, Schulman is clearly looking to fill his days and boost his profile with some more activities.
Chrishell Stause: All My Children, Days Of Our Lives
A staple from the daytime soap opera scene, Stause is known for roles in All My Children and Days of Our Lives. She was formerly married to This Is Us' Justin Hartley.
As a real estate agent as well, Stause currently stars in the Netflix reality show Selling Sunset, which follows luxury real estate brokers in Los Angeles.
Johnny Weir: Olympic Figure Skater
Most recently appearing on another reality TV series, The Masked Singer (he was the egg!), Weir is the third athlete on the season, an Olympic figure skater with three U.S. Championship gold medals to his name.
Weir retired from the sport in 2013 and continues to work as a commentator and LGBTQ+ activist. Given the discipline, grace, and choreography required for skating at an Olympic level, Weir is predicted to do pretty well this season.