Real Desperate Housewives of Orange County

Cast members parlay their fame via a variety of new ventures.

LIKE his neighbors in Coto de Caza, Slade Smiley is used to making things happen. He co-founded a title insurance company, bought a home in the planned, gated community, invited his girlfriend, Jo De La Rosa, a student and loan officer, to move in and proposed they sign up for Bravo's docu-soap "The Real Housewives of Orange County" because he figured it would be good for business.

When the show took off and the calls starting coming in, he wasn't one to sit back and let network executives decide what to do with their fame. "All of us made it happen. I won't let my success be handled by someone else," said Smiley, one of the more outspoken cast members who've created a modest but intense cadre of fans fascinated by their successful Ñ and sometimes arrogant, shallow and self-absorbed Ñ personas on the reality show, which will conclude its second season Tuesday.

Smiley has produced De La Rosa's first record, as seen on the show, but behind the scenes he has also joined her on TV talk shows, red carpets and promotional events not allowed by Bravo.