Who is Eric Nies? Meet 'The Real World' star who quit drugs, modeling and parties to become a shaman
Eric Nies was one of the first reality TV stars. He appeared on Season 1 of 'The Real World' which is regarded as the first reality show on television that catapulted seven commoners to superstardom in 1992 when it first debuted. Eric Nies was already famous before he decided to move into the NYC loft that was home to the cast for the duration of the season. He worked as a commercial model so booking gigs was not a tough job for him at all.
Even after the show, Nies continued on his path of being the star that he was. MTV too couldn't help but cash in on his fame and appointed him as a host. Nies also went ahead to star in a couple of movies and he was living his best life for many years after. However, it's been quite a while that he has disappeared from the limelight and has chosen a different path in his life. Here's what you should know about him.
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Who is Eric Nies from 'The Real World'?
Eric Nies, 49, was a much bigger star after his 'The Real World' stint. He went on to host MTV's show 'The Grind' and also appeared in a number of workout videotapes branded after the show, the first three copies were said to have sold half a million copies and Tape 1 and 2 were Billboard's top two fitness videos of 1996. He also appeared in a bunch of TV series and movies including 'Above the Rim', 'Food Hero Mini Kozma', 'The Brady Bunch Movie', and 'Days of Our Lives'. He also appeared in the spinoff of his MTV show called 'Road Rules All-Stars' which he won. He also developed an abdominal workout device, the Abaratus, along with his brother John which was sold on his website.
For the uninformed, Eric was highly successful but he was going through a very troubled phase in his life. He had been arrested for possession of steroids and was out on probation and was doing community service while filming the first season in 1992. But he pulled a 180 and changed his life in a way that has left his fellow castmate, political activist Kevin Powell, in complete awe. "People are going to be very surprised by the type of person Eric has evolved into," his co-star Kevin Powell said during an interview. "It's really profound, his transformation. He's next-level."
Was Eric Nies from 'The Real World' addicted to drugs?
In a separate interview, Nies revealed that the show turned out to be a game-changer for him. "If The Real World didn't happen and my life didn't go where it did, I might've been dead," Nies admitted. "There were a lot of wounds I was suppressing from my childhood and I was on a self-destructive path. I was using a lot of drugs at a young age. I was able to look at myself and see the things I didn't like about myself that I wanted to change. In a way, The Real World kind of saved my life," he had said.
What does Eric Nies from 'The Real World' do now?
Nies left his jet-setting model life and turned into a spiritual health and wellness facilitator and he travels far and wide to heal people in need. "I've been able to travel around the world and chant and meditate with 2,000 monks in Tibet, and travel to New Zealand and the Far East and all over the world and had many, many incredible experiences," he said in the same interview as his castmate Powell.
Nies had been training under a Vietnamese martial arts Grand Master and is focused on spreading the teachings to others. "When I first walked into the [Real World] loft, I felt like Jasmine from Aladdin — I even said this was a whole new world — but now I feel like the genie. I kind of play that role in people's lives: I'm a spiritual guide, and I assist people in liberating themselves from their own suffering," he said.
Is Eric Nies a shaman?
In March 2020, Eric was all set to make a trip to Peru to help heal his friend who felt like he was about to die. Speaking to Grey Journal about the same, Nies had said, "He’s tried everything to heal and nothing has happened. When the Shipibo maestros/ shamans drink Ayahuasca, their vision opens up in their mind's eye and they can see into the patient's body. Then the plant spirits inform them of what plants this person needs to work with to heal."
Elaborating a little further on what the whole experience was about to be like, Nies said, "We will drink Ayahuasca in ceremony 9 times in 14 days. We will be cleansing our bodies and healing our past in the silence of the jungle."
'The Real World Homecoming: New York' will premiere on March 4, 2021, on Paramount Plus.