Flipping Out

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Flipping Out
Genre	Reality
Starring	Jeff Lewis
Country of origin	United States
Production
Running time	60 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	Bravo (re-run on CNBC)
Original run	July 31, 2007 – present
External links
Official website

Flipping Out is a reality television series on Bravo, and re-aired on sister network CNBC. The show is centered around real estate speculator Jeff Lewis in Los Angeles, California. The series features Lewis, his entourage of assistants and helpers, and the houses that he works to buy and sell for profit. ^[1] The show completed its first season on Bravo and is part of an extended series of shows that have included Blow Out and Work Out. Bravo has announced that the second season will air starting June 17, 2008.

1 Cast
2 See also
3 External links
4 References

[edit] Cast

Jeff Lewis

Lewis was born in 1970 in Orange County, California, and is a 1988 graduate of Mater Dei High School. He attended both the University of Southern California and Chapman University where he was Pre-Law and Political Science major. After graduating from college in 1993, Lewis began working for a real estate agent. In 1999, Lewis began his current occupation as a real-estate speculator, and has since bought 45 properties, and has been able to sell 41 of those 45. Jeff purchases properties, sometimes for over a million dollars each, and then renovates them to sell for a profit.^[2] The New York Times called Jeff "A man balancing multiple mortgages like bricks on a noodle."^[3]

Jeff's day-to-day activities surrounding his business are followed throughout the show. Lewis is a self-admitted Obsessive Compulsive, and has various other quirks that make up much of the show's content. Lewis obesses over his two dogs and two cats, has several psychics and mediums, and even performs exorcisms for his houses. He goes to a therapist and does "scream therapy", with the goal of releasing his stress. ^[4]

Ryan Brown

Ryan grew up in Oxnard, California, and attended school at the University of California, San Diego where he majored in Neuroscience, intending to one day go to medical school. Ryan later changed his plans, moved to Europe, and became a fashion photographer. Ryan moved back to Los Angeles where he and his brother both entered the developing and design business. They began by designing individual rooms, later moving to houses. He later developed a business relationship with Jeff.

Ryan is Jeff's business partner. Earlier in their relationship, Ryan and Jeff used to date. As they have a long history together, Ryan is used to Jeff's ranting and his various quirks, and is able to remain calm when Jeff "flips out".

Jenni Pulos Elwood

Jenni was born in Portland, Oregon, but grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona. She played tennis competitively in high school. She attended the University of California, Los Angeles as a Theater & Film major and a Political Science minor. Jenni intended to play tennis for UCLA, but later invested her time in acting. Jenni considers herself to be an actress, voice actress, and rapper. She married another one of Jeff's assistants, Chris Elwood.

Jenni refers to herself as Jeff's Executive Administrative Assistant and often refers to Jeff as "crazy" due to his obsessive-compulsive tendencies, but also admits that many "geniuses" are crazy. Jenni has complained that Jeff treats his animals better than his assistants. Jeff often gives preferential treatment to Jenni and considers her the best assistant he has, evidenced by the fact that she has only been fired three times. Any series of tasks that Jenni refuses to do are delegated to Jeff's second and third assistants.

Chris Elwood

Chris was born in Cleveland, Ohio, moved to Atlanta after graduating high school, where he began acting and married his first wife. He later divorced his wife and moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting where he met Jenni. Chris is mostly recognized as one of the wingmen on Ashton Kutcher's MTV show Punk'd. Chris commented on the series that while most people expect him not to be doing the kind of work he's doing for Jeff, he needs some extra income to supplement his acting career.

Chris is effectively referred to as the "Trash Guy" or the "third house assistant". It is his job to clean up the job sites. As both Chris and Jenni are in the acting business, they often push aside their duties in favor of acting opportunities, which subsequently gets Jeff upset. Both Jenni and Chris cover for each other, which may explain their longevity with Jeff. Jeff has fired Chris multiple times, but he always has re-hired him.

Steve Bowman

Steve was born in Houston, Texas, but grew up in the San Francisco area. His father was in the Coast Guard and his mother was a nurse. His parents divorced at an early age. After graduating high school, Steve moved to New York City to pursue theater. Steve applied to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Oakland, graduated, then moved to Los Angeles.

Steve is Jeff's "First House Assistant" doing the menial tasks that Jenni refuses to do. In the first episode, Jeff fires the "Second House Assistant" Brant after the two get into an argument about using the phone during work hours. Steve is responsible for cleaning after the pets, getting lunch and coffee for Jeff and his crew, turning the labels to face out in the refrigerator, and anything else Jeff can think of at any given moment.

Zoila

Zoila was born in Nicaragua and lived the early duration of her life there. She married and raised two daughters. In 1987, when her daughters had grown up, Zoila divorced her husband and moved to the United States to pursue work. She began cleaning Jeff's house on a weekly basis, then was eventually persuaded to move into Jeff's house as a live-in housekeeper. Zoila became a citizen of the United States in 1996 and lives here with several of her brothers and sisters.

Jeff often calls her lazy, as she often complains of needing to rest after working only 15 minutes. Jeff says she takes very good care of his animals, and has claimed that is the reason he keeps her around. Zoila is resilient in the face of Jeff's temper and rarely loses hers.