Bethenny Frankel is entering her movie star era.
The Real Housewives of New York City alum, 53, has been cast in Lifetime’s upcoming film Danger in the Dorm. She will star alongside Clara Alexandrova in the movie, which is inspired by Ann Rule’s true crime book of the same name.
“In my 20s I briefly attempted acting and was shocked to be asked to immerse myself in such a significant role,” Frankel said in a Wednesday, February 28, statement. “My greatest takeaway is to recognize the thankless hard work that the cast and crew input every day. It exceeded my wildest imagination and I watch tv and movies differently now. Cold outdoor scenes and 13-hour days are the norm. It was an incredible experience that I’m grateful to have been afforded. This embarks another possible new chapter in my 50s. As if being an accidental influencer wasn’t enough. … I’m not worthy!”
Danger in the Dorm was first announced in 2020, with Benjamin Anderson writing the script and Robin Hays serving as director. The film is currently in production and is slated to premiere on Lifetime later this summer as part of the network’s “Ripped From the Headlines” slate.
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The story, per the official longline, “tells the story of Kathleen (Alexandrova) after the tragic murder of her childhood best friend and fellow classmate, Becky. Now, she must shed her rebellious youthful spirit in order to catch a killer who’s preying on young girls around campus, even as her mother, Joanne (Frankel), tries to protect Kathleen from suffering the same fate as her friend.”
In a Friday statement, Hays shared her excitement over the addition of Frankel to the cast. “It’s an absolute thrill to collaborate with Bethenny,” she told the outlet. “Her dedication and talent breathe life into every scene. Watching her bring depth and authenticity to the character is a reminder of why I fell in love with storytelling in the first place. I can’t wait for people to see this film!”
Danger in the Dorm marks Frankel’s first movie with Lifetime, but she has a long history with reality TV that began in 2005 when she was the runner-up on the NBC reality series The Apprentice: Martha Stewart. She later starred in RHONY for eight seasons, from 2008 to 2010 and then again from 2015 to 2019. She also led the Bravo spinoff series Bethenny Ever After and hosted the Max competition series The Big Shot With Bethenny and her own self-titled talk show, which aired for one season in 2012.
In the past year, Frankel has found herself on the front lines of a self-described “reality reckoning” in which she began calling for protections for reality TV stars amid the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes. The unions began walking the picket lines in summer 2023 after facing a breakdown in negotiations with the AMPTP over issues like residuals, fair pay and guidelines around the use of artificial intelligence before reaching their respective deals that fall.
“Hollywood is on strike, entertainers are fighting for residuals and no one will promote anything. Why isn’t reality TV on strike? I got paid $7,250 for my first season of reality TV and people are still watching those episodes,” Frankel wrote via Instagram in July 2023. “We’ve always been the losers. … During the last writers strike, we were providing all the entertainment and that’s really when the gold rush of reality TV started.”
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Frankel noted that she herself has “generated millions and millions of dollars in online advertising and impressions” by being part of reality TV but said very little of her money was made from actually being featured on the Bravo franchise. She also claimed she has never seen a “single residual” for her work.
“I’m well aware that unscripted talent aka ‘reality stars’ should have a union or simply be treated fairly and valued,” she continued. “The mentality that we were nobodies and that these streamers and networks have given us platforms and that we can capitalize on them is also moronic.”