ABC Reveals Cast of Dancing with the Stars 9
Osmond, Osbourne, and Olympian to Compete for Title
Aug 17, 2009
Season 9's cast of ABC's hit reality competition is made up of actors, athletes, models, a politician, several musicians, and more. Meet the 16 lucky celebrities below.
ABC officially announced the 16 competitors of season nine of the megahit Dancing with the Stars on Monday, August 17th. As usual, the cast is a diverse group, made up of actors, athletes, supermodels, musicians, and more, and some of the celebrities are more deserving of the title ‘star’ than others. To find out who’s competing, see below for a quick summary of each of the celebrities.
The Actors and TV Personalities
- Mark Dacascos, 45, an actor, martial artist, and television personality who currently portrays “The Chairman” on Iron Chef America. As a youth, he won several karate and kung fu championships. He mostly plays martial artists in film and television.
- Melissa Joan Hart, 33, an actress best known for her starring role in Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. In addition, Hart is also a singer, writer, television director, and businesswoman. Recently, she has starred in a number of made-for-TV movies expected to air on ABC Family next year.
- Debi Mazar, 45, an actress who is currently recurring on Entourage. She has also had brief stints on Ugly Betty, Friends, and Living with Fran.
- Donny Osmond, 51, a singer, actor, and former teen idol whose sister Marie Osmond appeared on the show in 2007. Osmond was a correspondent for Entertainment Weekly during his sister’s run on the show. The next year, he was rumored to be a competitor on the show.
- Natalie Coughlin, 26, an Olympic swimmer who’s won 11 gold medals. She holds several records, including being the first American female athlete to win six medals during one Olympics, and the first woman to win a gold medal in 100-metre backstroke during two consecutive Olympics.
- Michael Irvin, 43, a former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver, who is also a member of the Football Hall of Fame. Irvin, nicknamed “The Playmaker,” is also a former broadcaster of ESPN’s NFL Countdown.
- Louie Vito, 21, a professional snowboarder who competed in the Winter X-Games and in 2008, placed first in two competitions. Vito stands only 5’5”.
- Chuck Liddell, 39, a mixed martial artist and former Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champ. At the beginning of 2009, Liddell retired from fighting, and in July 2009, he was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.
- Joanna Krupa, 30, a Polish model/actress who was most recently seen on ABC’s The Superstars. She was eliminated in the first episode. Krupa has appeared on the covers of numerous magazines, including Maxim, Inside Sport, Steppin’ Out, and FHM.
- Kathy Ireland, 46, a former supermodel and actress who is also a successful entrepreneur. Ireland initially developed a line of socks for K-Mart in 1993. She then founded Kathy Ireland Worldwide, a brand marketing company that sold an estimated $1.4 billion in retail sales in 2005.
- Aaron Carter, 21, a pop and hip-hop singer and sometimes actor who’s also the younger brother of Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter. Lately, he’s more well-known for his dramatic personal life which includes relationships with actresses Lindsay Lohan, Hilary Duff, his brother’s ex Paris Hilton, and a broken engagement to Playboy model Kari Ann Peniche.
- Macy Gray, 41, an R&B and soul singer best known for her distinctive raspy voice. Gray is also a record producer and actress who has appeared as herself in movies such as Scary Movie 3 and Spider-Man. In 2008, she changed her alias to ‘Nemesis Jackson’ and plans to released a new album in 2009 under this name.
- Mya, 29, an R&B and hip-hop singer, record producer, and actress who is also a former professional dancer.
- Kelly Osbourne, 24, pop singer and former reality star and the daughter of rocker Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon Osbourne. She gained notoriety for her appearance on The Osbournes, and has also gone on to become a successful fashion designer, actress, and model.
- Tom Delay, 62, Texas congressman and former Republican House Majority leader from 2003 to 2005. In 2005, Delay stepped down after a high-profile scandal in which he was accused of trying to combat campaign finance laws.
- Ashley Hamilton, 34, son of George Hamilton and Alana Stewart who is best known for his unexpected five-month long marriage to Shannon Doherty. He has pursued careers in acting, music, and comedy. He’s been performing stand-up comedy in Los Angeles for the past two years.
Dancing With the Stars’s ninth season kicks off on ABC on September 21, 2009, with a three-night premiere. For more information, see the show’s official Web site at ABC.com.
The copyright of the article ABC Reveals Cast of Dancing with the Stars 9 in Reality TV Cast Profiles is owned by Steven Fife. Permission to republish ABC Reveals Cast of Dancing with the Stars 9 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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