Eric Nies

Eric Nies is an American former model and reality television personality born on May 23, 1971. He first achieved public recognition as a cast member on MTV's reality television series The Real World: New York. Following his debut, Nies built a television career appearing on various show spinoffs, hosting music and dance programs, and taking on acting roles in film and television projects.

In 1992, Nies began hosting the dance program The Grind as well as the show Hangin' w/MTV. His early career included acting appearances, playing a disc jockey on the daytime series Days of Our Lives in 1993, the role of Montrose in the film Above the Rim in 1994, and a hip MC in The Brady Bunch Movie in 1995.

Throughout the mid-to-late 1990s, Nies frequently returned to MTV programming connected to his initial reality television role. He appeared in The Real World Reunion in 1995, The Real World Vacations: Behind the Scenes in 1995, and The Real World Reunion: Inside Out in 1996. He was also featured in specials such as The Real World You Never Saw in 1997, the competition show Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Road Rules: All-Stars in 1998, and The Real World You Never Saw: Boston + Seattle in 1998.

During the broadcast of The Real World 10th Anniversary Special in 2000, which Nies hosted, he revealed significant personal and financial hardship. He disclosed that three years after he began hosting The Grind, his business manager stole a quarter million dollars from him. According to Nies, this theft left him destitute, effectively ruined his career, and led him to contemplate suicide.

Despite these struggles, Nies continued to work in television and fitness media during the 2000s. He co-hosted Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Battle of the Seasons in 2002 and participated in shows such as Dance Fever and The Road to Reality in 2003. In 2003, he served as host for a series of instructional videos: RopeSport: Basic Workout, RopeSport: Intermediate Workout, RopeSport: Advanced Workout, and RopeSport: Extreme Workout. He also competed on Real World/Road Rules Challenge: Battle of the Sexes in 2003 and returned for Battle of the Sexes 2 in 2004, while participating in television programs such as Real Hot and I Love the '90s in 2004.

In later years, Nies appeared on an episode of Celebrity Paranormal Project titled Wooden Lucy in 2006, as well as The Real World Awards Bash in 2008. In 2009, he appeared on the reality television series Confessions of a Teen Idol. He later returned to the franchise that brought him early fame by appearing in The Real World Homecoming: New York in 2021.