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Caitlyn Jenner is one of those pop culture personalities who has fans of every age, interest level, and personality type. Jenner has many celebrity associations, including her reality TV-star children, but is no slouch at media projects herself.

In fact, it was Jenner’s presence during the early years of Keeping Up with the Kardashians that helped the show to become a runaway hit. In recent years, following Jenner’s highly-publicized transition from Bruce to Caitlyn, the star and former athlete has appeared in a wide variety of television shows and documentaries, many of which shine a light on the struggles she faced in her journey to self-acceptance. 

Caitlyn Jenner rose to fame as an Olympic athlete

Caitlyn Marie Jenner was born William Bruce Jenner in 1949. Raised to be a competitive, athletic child, Jenner first received acclaim by playing college football. A knee injury sidelined Jenner’s budding football career, and in the ’70s, Jenner decided to pursue the decathlon.

Jenner enjoyed a nearly decade-long run as a decathlon star, ultimately winning the men’s decathlon event at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. For her performance in the Olympics, Jenner became known as an all-American hero, gracing the covers of Wheaties cereal boxes and appearing in numerous television commercials

After her career in the Olympics ended, Jenner continued to maintain a high-profile presence in both the sports and business world. As a motivational speaker, Jenner encouraged other young people to work hard and follow their dreams. By the early 2000s, Jenner was earning a whole new base of fans — but for her work in reality television rather than on the track and field. 

Caitlyn Jenner appeared in ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’ for years

Caitlyn Jenner standing in front of a white background wearing a white top and white jacket.
Caitlyn Jenner | Getty Images

In 2007, Jenner began appearing in the reality television show Keeping Up with the Kardashians. Jenner helped organize the creation of the show along with the Kardashian-Jenner clan. In short order, fans all around the world not only discovered a lot about the Kardashian family but learned more about Jenner’s private home life.

At that time, Jenner was arguably the best-known name in the family, with her Olympian credentials helping to sell the show to some older demographics. Jenner appeared on the series until 2021, although she stopped being featured as a regular presence in 2015, after publicly coming out as a transgender woman. She also appeared on a number of the show’s spinoffs and specials over the years. 

Caitlyn Jenner’s recent television projects

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In 2015, Jenner made headlines when she came out as transgender. The announcement caused a media firestorm and encouraged millions of people to look further into Jenner’s life in an attempt to understand her experiences and life journey. In July 2015, Jenner appeared in her own reality show, I Am Cait, a series that featured Jenner exploring the dynamics of her identity, meeting with members of the transgender community, and revealing how the transition affected her relationship with her friends and family.

Jenner has launched a variety of projects in recent years, from a bid for the governorship of California to TV commercials — but her primary focus has remained on reality television. Jenner’s high-profile stints on TV include an appearance on I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here in 2019 and multiple guest stints hosting shows such as The View.

With a brand-new Netflix project, Untold, which promises to chronicle Jenner’s life as an athlete struggling with gender identity issues, it seems as though Jenner isn’t stepping back from the world of television. Additionally, Jenner is set to star in Big Brother VIP, a reboot of Celebrity Big Brother, in a season that also includes Meghan Markle’s brother and Omarosa Manigault Newman. It seems that Jenner’s years as a reality star hasn’t dimmed her appreciation of the genre.Â