How These TRL Hosts Got Their Career Starts On MTV… Find Out Where They Landed!

Stephen Colletti on MTV’s Total Request Live

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Stephen Colletti on MTV’s Total Request Live

THEN: Unlike many of MTV’s hosts and VJs, Stephen Colletti wasn’t plucked out of obscurity and made a household name overnight. Colletti was already known as the tanned, surfer dreamboat of the reality TV show, Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County. He joined TRL in 2004 and hosted until 2007.

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Stephen Colletti—Now

NOW: Colletti followed in fellow VJ Hilarie Burton’s footsteps by joining the cast of the hit TV show, One Tree Hill, which ended in 2012. During that time, he also managed to star in Taylor Swift’s music video “White Horse” as (of course) the love interest. Whether it was a lot of luck, good looks, or a really great agent, Colletti seems to be doing a lot of things right.

Susie Castillo on MTV’s Total Request Live

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Susie Castillo on MTV’s Total Request Live

THEN: After years of competing in beauty pageants (she was Miss USA 2003!), it’s no surprise that the Dominican-Puerto-Rican Susie Castillo found her way to television. She was a TRL regular-turned-VJ and host in 2005 and continued to host MTV programs like Mi TRL on MTV Tr3s, a Spanish and Latino-centric spin-off of the original.

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Susie Castillo—Now

NOW: While she’s never strayed far from the limelight, Castillo has stayed close to her Latino and beauty pageant roots. In 2007, Castillo signed on as a Neutrogena spokeswoman, and in 2008 she hosted the ABC Family series America’s Prom Queen. She made an appearance in the TV movie Holiday Engagement (2011) but enjoys volunteer work outside of her career in entertainment.

Hilarie Burton on MTV’s Total Request Live

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Hilarie Burton on MTV’s Total Request Live

THEN: Fresh out of high school, Hilarie Burton clearly had something special that convinced MTV producers to offer her a full-time job after she appeared as a guest commentator for TRL. Burton hosted the show from 2000 to 2004, crediting Carson Daly as a mentor and “fairy godfather.”

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Hilarie Burton—Now

NOW: It wasn’t long before Hollywood came a-knockin’. After a brief 2002 appearance on Dawson’s Creek, Burton joined the lead cast of One Tree Hill as Peyton Sawyer, a then-new series by The WB. Tree Hill was a hit and Burton stayed with the show for six years, also managing to host MTV programs on the side. She appeared on Castle and Grey’s Anatomy, but had a recurring role on the series White Collar as Sara Ellis. She was recently on the CBS show Hostages. She has one son with fellow actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

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Carson Daly on MTV’s Total Request Live

THEN: Carson Daly, perhaps one of MTV’s most famous hosts, hosted TRL from 1998 to 2002. His perfect balance of professionalism and charisma set celebs at ease and made him one of the most enduring as well.

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Carson Daly—Now

NOW: After TRL, Daly started his own late-night talk show called Last Call with Carson Daly. While reminiscent of TRL, Last Call was a stripped down version that featured on in-person interviews, up-and-coming talent and celebrity guests. After a long run with Last Call, Daly began hosting The Voice in 2011. He has two children with longtime girlfriend, Siri Pinter who is expecting baby number three!

Damien Fahey on MTV’s Total Request Live

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Damien Fahey on MTV’s Total Request Live

THEN: It was during a nationwide search for a new VJ that MTV found and hired Damien Fahey (then, an overnight DJ at a radio station) in 2002. Fahey had some big shoes to fill, as he took over as host of TRL after Daly left to focus on Last Call. Fahey managed it handily, staying on from 2002 to 2007.

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Damien Fahey—Now

NOW: After TRL, Fahey has hosted and co-hosted Miss Teen USA 2006, Live with Regis and Kelly, and I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! He was also the host of the short talk-show series The Morning After. He drums for the band “The Classic Futures, so you can catch a show if you’re curious about what he's like on stage without a microphone.

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La La Vasquez Anthony—Now

NOW: La La continued hosting TV shows like VH1’s Flavor of Love and MTV’s High School Stories. In 2001, she made a move to acting with Two Can Play That Game. Her acting career was short-lived though as she seems to have more success hosting and just being herself… In 2010, she starred in VH1’s La La’s Full Court Wedding, a reality show about her her marriage to NBA star Carmelo Anthony, which led to a spin-off called La La’s Full Court Life. She can currently be seen in Think Like a Man Too.

Quddus Philippe on MTV’s Total Request Live

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Quddus Philippe on MTV’s Total Request Live

THEN: Another radio DJ-turned-VJ, the charming ‘Quddus’ joined MTV’s ranks in 2001 as a host of TRL. Whether it was his smile or his hosting abilities, celebrities like Usher and Britney Spears requested him to host their concert special programs on Showtime.

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Quddus Philippe—Now

NOW: Quddus hosted other celebrity-centric programs after leaving TRL, but his real talents lay online. A passionate music-lover, Quddus used his keen ear for fresh talent as an A&R consultant for MySpace Records, eventually signing the R&B success, Mateo. He’s been involved with MySpace Music Feed, AOL and Cambio Connect, and eventually created his own website called TheQSide.com.

Vanessa Lachey on MTV’s Total Request Live

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Vanessa Lachey on MTV’s Total Request Live

THEN: Originally Vanessa Minnillo, this 1998 Miss Teen USA’s Miss Congeniality went on to congenially host TRL from 2003 to 2007.

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Vanessa Lachey—Now

NOW: Like her predecessors, Minnillo started hosting programs outside of TRL, branching out in 2005 as a New York City correspondent for Entertainment Tonight. Her relationship with Nick Lachey that started in 2006 kept her in the spotlight, leading to guest roles on TV shows like 30 Rock, Psych, Hawaii Five-0 and How I Met Your Mother. She and Lachey married in 2011 and in September of 2012, she gave birth to their first son, Camden John Lachey. She appeared in the Fox comedy series Dads.