Working at SUR might pay the bills for the Vanderpump Rules Season 12 cast, but Lisa Vanderpump’s new crew also has side gigs and career aspirations beyond earning tips for shaking up Pumptinis and serving goat cheese balls at the West Hollywood hot spot.
The all-new cast of SUR-vers include Venus Binkley, Jason Cohen, Shayne Davis, Chris Hahn, Angelica Jensen, Marcus Johnson, Audrey Lingle, Natalie Maguire, Demy Selem, and Kim Suarez.
As hostess Audrey put it during the Season 12 premiere, “Everyone that works at SUR is also trying to make it in the entertainment industry.” Meanwhile, new bartender Chris bluntly admitted, “The main reason I work at SUR is to network and to create more opportunities for myself.”
How does the Vanderpump Rules Season 12 cast make their money?
In between shifts at LVP’s restaurant and lounge, members of the Vanderpump Rules cast are actively pursuing careers as singers, actors, dancers, models, and more.
Read on for more details on how the new SUR-vers are building their impressive resumes.
What does Venus Binkley do for a living outside of SUR?
Though Venus estimated in the Season 12 premiere that he’s had 36 jobs, he described his server position at SUR as “probably the best” one he’s ever had. Even so, the former model is ready to spread his wings in a creative field that suits one of his many interests.
As Venus exclusively shared with The Daily Dish, “I love painting. I’ve actually written a lot of rap songs. I wanna get into rapping. I’m a writer. I’m working on publishing a book next year.”
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Describing himself as “very ambitious,” he continued, “I’m always, like, brainstorming ideas of what I want to do for businesses, starting my own. I wanna have my own coffee shop in West Hollywood that’s futuristic. Every week it’s something different with me. I mean, if, if there was nothing off the table, I would love to host my own talk show.”
What does Jason Cohen do for a living outside of SUR?
In between shifts at SUR, Jason stays busy taking acting classes to further hone his skills in that industry. “I’m definitely an actor,” he told The Daily Dish. “That’s my art. It’s my passion.”
The newbie server also has a diverse background, ranging from work in the medical field to dancing at strip clubs. Jason said he considers himself “a little bit of an entrepreneur” and has some major career goals involving his cousin and SUR co-worker, Chris.
“We want to start getting into managing and running our own businesses,” he revealed. “We think we would be very good at marketing, because of our personalities and what we do … We’re working with a couple of companies right now. One of them is an app, so we’re actually considering on building an app together.”
What does Shayne Davis do for a living?
Shayne is the only member of the friend group who doesn’t work at SUR, but he’s similarly focused on the entertainment industry, particularly acting, improv, and screenwriting. During Vanderpump Rules‘ Dec. 2 episode, he also touted his career as a model, sharing that he’d worked with such fashion brands as Calvin Klein, Balmain, and Lacoste.
“I’m a full-time actor,” he said in an interview. “That’s how all the bills get paid, and that’s how the Lexus got bought with the Oreo interior.”
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Shayne also detailed his work in “drug rehab” and “sex rehab,” along with “a little personal training” on the side, adding, “I would love to act and write screenplays and eventually become a producer of TV and film.”
What does Chris Hahn do for a living outside of SUR?
According to Chris’ bio, he moved to Los Angeles “with a dream of becoming an actor but pivoted to pursue music and views SUR as a steppingstone to larger opportunities.” He echoed that sentiment on VPR, adding that he’s also earned money from participating in two reality dating shows and from his OnlyFans account, in addition to his position as SUR’s new bartender.
Chris explained to The Daily Dish that his main gig is currently modeling, and he also works with an East Coast-based liquor company called Smoothwater that he’s “hoping to bring” to the West Coast. Plus, he said there’s more in the works he couldn’t discuss just yet.
“Jason and I, we’re kind of business partners, so we have a lot brewing,” Chris teased. “We have a lot that’s going to be going out.”
What does Angelica Jensen do for a living outside of SUR?
Though she did not appear in the Season 12 premiere, Angelica will soon become the newest addition to SUR’s staff, as she also sets her sights on modeling and acting, per her BravoTV.com bio. She shared in an interview that she’d worked in the restaurant industry “for over a decade” before accepting a hosting job at SUR.
“But that’s the rite of passage in L.A. if you’re going to go into the entertainment industry,” Angelica remarked. “I studied neuroscience at UCLA, but I realized quickly that wasn’t going to be a thing for me. Like, I kept fainting every time I drew blood. Then I was like, oh my God, but I can be on Grey’s Anatomy.”
She added, “Now, I do acting. I have my own clothing company, and I kind of just dip my feet into all of it.”
What does Marcus Johnson do for a living outside of SUR?
Veteran server Marcus has been working at SUR for years, while also raking in additional income as a self-described “budget model” on the side. He teased that viewers can expect to see him pivot to a DJ career during Season 12.
“For the past few months, I’ve been picking up DJing, and I’ve learned the skill,” he said. “That’s my new focus, my new passion. So that’s, like, my new, my new focus right now. Whatever the universe has in store for me, I’m just down to go with it.”
What does Audrey Lingle do for a living outside of SUR?
When she’s not manning SUR’s host stand, Audrey is chasing her dream of being on the big screen. Even though she said on the show that she’s “definitely manifesting roles in horror films,” she told The Daily Dish that she’s exploring other genres, too.
“I love comedy. I like doing stand-up comedy,” Audrey shared. “So, I also am a professional auditioner, but yeah, comedy, acting, and just being hot. Those are my hobbies.”
Her next career goal? “I would love to, you know, do my own comedy shows around the town,” Audrey added. “I just love making people laugh and I love entertaining and making a fool of myself.”
What does Natalie Maguire do for a living outside of SUR?
Natalie has been SUR’s lead bartender for about two years and is ready to level up to bar manager — while also pursuing a pop music career. Viewers even got a sneak peek at her hitting the studio in the Season 12 premiere, during which she revealed that she was writing a song called “Passenger” about a post-breakup rebound fling.
As Natalie, who has an acting degree, told The Daily Dish, “I would love to release an EP, maybe get signed to a record label, and work with, like, really, really amazing producers.”
Aside from taking acting classes, voice lessons, and writing her own music, Natalie said she’s also “really, really passionate about getting dogs out of shelters,” and occasionally volunteers her time with Vanderpump Dogs. “That’s something that, you know, I just hope I can dedicate more time to in the future,” she said.
What does Demy Selem do for a living outside of SUR?
The longest-standing SUR employee in the group, Demy has been an assistant manager for more than seven years. Despite the demands of her schedule, she still makes time for outside professional endeavors, too.
“I’m a personal chef, so I do that, like, a couple times a week,” she detailed. “I have, like, so many dreams, but, like, they change all the time. I mean, I would definitely like to do something with cooking. I don’t know if I would necessarily want to, like, open up a restaurant, but I definitely wanna expand my cooking business for sure.”
What does Kim Suarez do for a living outside of SUR?
Kim has worked at SUR for about two years while also “juggling her aspirations in the entertainment industry,” per her Season 12 bio. Though she’s yet to share her desired career path on Vanderpump Rules, she describes herself as an actor, singer, and dancer on Instagram.
In the meantime, here’s everything to know about the new Vanderpump Rules cast’s lives on Season 12.
— Additional reporting by Jeff Edelstein
