Congratulations to all of us for living to see a bold new renaissance of news about original Real world cast member Eric Nies, because, well: We now live in a bold new renaissance of news about the original Real world cast member Eric Nies. Hot off yesterday’s report– supported by today’s premiere, which revealed the actor, model and modern shaman had tested positive for COVID-19 – that Nies was forced remote switching to Paramount Plus’s Real world reunion series, Returning home to New York, Nies now also has revealed another somewhat unlikely wrinkle in his generally unlikely career. I.e, that he was almost cast as Robin in 1995 Batman forever (at least, according to the original Real world cast member Eric Nies).
This is per Everything iconic host Danny Pellegrino, who this week interviewed Nies and a number of his (virtual) loft mates about their go back to the Real world world 29 long, strange years after the series first debuted on MTVThis intervening period brought many changes for everyone involved, not least because they were suddenly transformed from ‘7 to 20something with the free time let itself filmed in a house for several weeksIn some of the first reality stars of US TV. For Nies that apparently meant friendship with director and producer Joel Schumacher, who owns the Batman movie franchise after Warner Bros. Tim Burton had asked for his creepy clown obsession somewhere else in the wake of Batman returnsSchumacher was apparently so impressed with the then 24-year-old Nies that he reported tried to take a few steps to get him cast in the Robin role that eventually went to Chris O’Donnell, but the decision was (again, according to original Real world star, and “Beauty Way” lifestyle guru Eric Nies) blocked by star Val Kilmer, whose representatives were “worried I’d take Val Kilmer to the podium. (That’s according to original Real world star Eric Nies, in case you had trouble keeping track.)
This isn’t the first time Nies has put forward this particular idea, although as far as we can tell, neither Kilmer nor Schumacher has ever been asked about it. While the original article appears to have fallen off the Internet, he said something similar (including the ‘upstage’ line) back in 2009, while promoting his appearance on VH1s Confessions of a teenage idolBut while Nies was certain A fit dude back in the mid-1990s, it’s not clear from his acting resume if he could have matched the superheroic gravitas that O’Donnell ended up putting in the role.
Real World: Homecoming, New York is currently airing on Paramount Plus.