“We don’t get to spend enough time together.”
Photo: Art Streiber
Kathy Hilton has been on the periphery of reality TV for more than two decades. Her daughter Paris helped pioneer the genre with The Simple Life. Her sisters, Kyle and Kim Richards, have been the cornerstone of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills for nearly 15 years, and Kathy has been in and out of RHOBH as a guest or “friend of” the main cast since season one. “I work maybe two days a week, sometimes three,” Hilton says.
But when she’s there, she’s putting in the work. Hilton has created a TV persona that is, to borrow a Lisa Rinna–ism, wackadoodle. Fans love her offbeat, sometimes confusing humor, like the time she seemed to think “Hunky-Dory” was a person and not a state of mind. (She insists this was a joke Sutton Stracke didn’t clock.) Or when she brought six newspapers, potato chips, and a Red Bull to help her sleep in Lake Tahoe. But she wants you to know that she’s in on the joke. “They think that I am cuckoo,” she says. “ I don’t consider myself stupid. It’s the way things are cut, and that’s fine.”
When did you know you made it?
I don’t think in this business you ever really feel that you’ve made it because at any point the rug can be pulled out from right under your feet.
What did you buy with your first paycheck?
Two dogs: two little poodles, Boo Boo and Tiffany. One was a year, and the other one was 14 months, and they were fully grown. Usually, I always have to ask my husband. And I thought, I am going to treat myself. It’s my birthday, and I am going to do this.
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If you were to describe your onscreen persona in five words, what would they be?
I do not consider myself to be an airhead. My best friend has told me I’m eccentric.
For the first time in my life, I get to just be myself. But you have to realize things are edited. I know who “Hunky-Dory” is. Okay? I’ve said it a million times: It was just to get Sutton out of her rut and her bad mood, and I thought she would laugh at me. That didn’t happen. And all the girls’ reactions at the table were funny. So that was not your question, but I want to get that across.
What is a moment from your career you can’t escape?
Probably either “Hunky-Dory” or “homeless and toothless.” And I was very serious when I said I have worked with homeless people and I have worked with people to help them get teeth.
Is there a time you felt most misunderstood by viewers?
When they think that I am cuckoo. I don’t consider myself stupid. It’s the way things are cut, and that’s fine. I get nervous, like when I played the Wheel of Fortune and all of a sudden I couldn’t answer those questions. I used to play that in my house all the time. That show would be on, and I could answer the questions as I’m doing my makeup— not all of them, but some of them. And, all of a sudden, I start getting stressed out and I start hearing, like, “Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding.” And I got mixed up, so I was like, “I’ll take 500,” because I saw 500 for whatever. And Ryan Seactrest’s like, “Kathy, you’re playing the wrong game.” So we kind of laughed it off. I just get very intimidated at times.
If you could switch places with anyone in reality TV right now, who would it be?
I don’t watch any TV, so it wouldn’t be on reality TV, or regular TV, or movies. I read, and I’m on Pinterest. I’m on eBay, and I’m on Instagram.
What are your Pinterest boards like? What you got going on in there?
I love tabletops. I love ceramics. I love furniture. I’m a chair collector. Fabrics, porcelain, flowers — anything for the home.
Which reality star is exactly who they say they are onscreen, and who is the least like their TV persona?
I don’t film with everybody. So a lot of people will say, “Well, what about blah, blah, blah?” I work maybe two days a week, sometimes three. And if you notice, there’ll be a group; maybe I’ll be with one person or two people. And then the other girls, they’re up the road doing something else filming. So a lot of people ask, “How was Dorit?” I said, “I don’t know. I didn’t film with her this year, so I don’t know all the scoop.” If I did, I wouldn’t tell you.
I will tell you one thing, though. I know this much: These girls are exactly the same, and they end up loving each other. They’re not phonies. People think, Oh, things are manufactured. Look, I’m just a “friend.” I don’t have to say all this, but it’s really true. Nobody is whispering in our ear telling us what to do or say. I even thought that was the way it would be, and I thought, I’m not letting anybody do that with me. They just get to that point with each other.
Do you think every good reality TV show needs a villain?
That’s what I’ve been told.
The fans write me and say they laugh so much. Kyle and I had so much fun when I was on the trip doing the fake martinis with the water. And I got all those girls, every one of them. It was so funny they could not believe it. And then they’re trying to compete with me. “I’ll order a Belvedere and whatever.” It was a lot of fun.
Does RHOBH have a villain?
We did, years ago. I think that it’s nice to have drama, but I don’t think it always has to be about a fight. We’re going through such a difficult time in this world right now, and I think people are staying home a lot more, and they want to be entertained and see pretty things. To laugh a little bit, kind of enjoy themselves.
What is the one thing you miss about life before fame?
People are very, very nice to me. I have no complaints. You can’t expect people to watch your show, buy tickets to your concert, buy tickets to your movie, buy your merch, and then if they come up to say “hi,” you have a guard. That’s not good.
What is your favorite Paris Hilton song?
I love “Stars Are Blind.” Everybody knows that. But “Heartbeat” was incredible. That’s my favorite song.
What is the best thing about working with your sister, and what is the worst thing about working with your sister?
It’s actually been really good, but we don’t get to spend enough time together. It’s more fun when we’re working together.
If you and Kyle were to do your own version of The Simple Life, what kind of jobs would you want to do?
As a little girl, I always wanted to work at McDonald’s. Do the fries, make the milkshakes. That would be fun. And I would love to take the order at Jack in the Box and use some of my crazy voices and prank people and repeat their order back to them completely wrong.
How early in advance do you start planning the Christmas party?
I will start getting things out around the end of August. I need to get rid of some stuff because it’s getting out of hand.
If you’re throwing a dinner party and there are two people on the guest list who don’t get along, where do you sit them?
What I like to do is put them at the same side of the table and about three or four people down. Or sometimes I do my dining room and then I do a couple round tables in the entry. People like that. I can sit out there, and I can do three tables of eight. Then my husband sits in the other room, and we keep the big door open.
If you got to plan a cast trip, where would you want to go?
I think London. I love it. I know it really well. And for some of the girls that maybe don’t know it as well, I could show them a good time.
What is the best reality-TV feud in history?
Kyle and Lisa Vanderpump. Well, not the best; I don’t like that. We don’t usually talk shop because we’re both busy, and when we get to talk, we want to talk about ourselves, our children, where we’re going, what we’re doing next. We’re not so much about the show. But when I found out that had happened, I said, “No, you did not walk into her house.” She goes, “Yeah, I did.” I go, “You’re kidding, right?” And then that whole good-bye? It was just like, Wow. That was shocking.
Do you have any advice for people if they ever get on Kathy Hilton’s bad side?
That’s the biggest misconception. People are afraid of me. For what? I mean, NBCUniversal, Bravo, Evolution, Andy Cohen — they are huge. They’re big. They’re big players. Nobody owns them and tells them what to do, and they’ve got more power than just about anyone. So the whole idea of anybody being afraid of me is actually somebody trying to sabotage me or hurt me. And there was somebody that used to be like that. And it didn’t end well.
Will you be reading Dorit’s book?
Of course I will.
Did you see the cover?
I did.
What do you think?
It was lovely. Really, really pretty.
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Production Credits
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Styling by
Daniel Edley -
Hair by
Laura Ruggeti at the Only Agency -
Makeup by
Chloe Majdipour -
Wardrobe by
Balenciaga (shirtdress, gloves, shoes), Falke (tights)
