For W’s annual The Originals portfolio, we asked stars of film, fashion, art, music, and more to share their insights on staying true to themselves. See this year’s full class of creatives here.
Your early-aughts show, The Simple Life, left a much larger pop culture legacy than anyone could have anticipated. Now you’re reuniting for Paris & Nicole: The Encore. Why did you think the timing was right for a reunion?
Nicole Richie: It came up organically. I was texting with Paris over Christmas break last year. She said it was about to be the 20-year anniversary. I wrote her back, “Should we do something L-O-Ls?” We gave it room to marinate, and it just felt right. No one else was involved at first.
Paris Hilton: Both of us have been approached so many times over the years with different concepts, but it was perfect timing. It was so fun to spend every day together. Every time I’m with Nicole, I feel like we’re teenagers again.
A lot of people are going to be surprised that the show involves the staging of an operatic performance.
NR: We wrote a song when we were about 7 years old called “Sanasa.” When we were shooting The Simple Life, it was just our little inside joke, but it became an international sensation. People loved it. What people need, even though they don’t know it yet, is for “Sanasa” to be an opera.
PH: The idea of the opera was very unexpected, and that’s exactly why we loved it.
From left: Hilton wears a Louis Vuitton dress and boots; Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. earrings. Richie wears a Louis Vuitton dress and boots; Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. earrings.
In real life, you’ve been good for years now, but a big part of the original show was that you had a feud. Is that something you’re revisiting?
NR: There was not necessarily a Will Smith and Aunt Viv sit-down. I know for people who followed The Simple Life, that was a very big part of it. There was a whole season where we didn’t shoot together. But our lives are so braided together outside of that. Our relationship has spanned almost 40 years. So for us, I think that was more of a little blip.
PH: The media during that time was very into creating feuds between people and exaggerating and inventing stories to sell tabloids. The world was definitely making a way bigger deal of it than it actually was. Nicole and I have been best friends since we were 2 years old. She’s like my sister.
Richie wears a Celine by Hedi Slimane top, skirt, and boots; stylist’s own sunglasses; her own jewelry (throughout). Hilton wears a Celine by Hedi Slimane jacket, dress, and shoes; stylist’s own sunglasses; her own jewelry (throughout).
You’ve both been asked over the years if you’re embarrassed by the show or if you regret doing it, and your answer always seems to be no.
NR: The more time I have away from it, the more I love that I did it. What a fun thing to do in your 20s. We could really only have done it then. If you cut to now, with social media and smartphones, that concept really couldn’t happen in a truly organic way. Season 1, I blindly got on a plane with my best friend, and neither of us knew where we were going. Even when I talk about it now, I have a smile on my face.
PH: The show was the first of its kind and was a huge success. It inspired so many others to try and imitate it. It’s such an important show in pop culture history.
The irony was that it was about you not wanting to work, and yet behind the scenes you were both building your careers. Were there any professional lessons you learned from The Simple Life?
PH: We did every type of job that you can think of, from working at fast-food restaurants to being zookeepers. I definitely learned how hard people work, and it taught me I could do it all. It also taught me about building a brand and being an influencer even before there was a name for it.
NR: It was very clear in season 1 what the point of the show was. We were pretty hip to it by our second week there. We did five seasons about not having a job, but by season 2 we were producing The Simple Life right along with the executive producers. We were putting together storylines. That was my first experience with creating a television show, and it all started with The Simple Life.
Hilton wears a Proenza Schouler coat; Jimmy Choo shoes. Richie wears a Michael Kors Collection coat and belt; Jimmy Choo shoes.
Did you have a dream job growing up?
NR: Until I was 10, I wanted to be Janet Jackson’s backup dancer. That changed when I was 15: I wanted to be Britney Spears’s backup dancer. I was planning on going to college for musical theater. That took a real turn. Then I started doing the show. I’ve always wanted to be in entertainment. I’m very sad that my dreams of being a Rhythm Nation dancer did not come true.
PH: I wanted to be a veterinarian because I love animals so much. Then I realized you have to do surgery on them or put them to sleep, and I didn’t want to do that. So I said I’m going to work so hard and become so successful and build my own empire, and then I can have lots of pets and give them a beautiful life.
Nicole, you’re now working regularly as an actor.
NR: It was always something that I wanted to do. Shooting The Simple Life was a very safe platform for me to practice comedy and practice my timing.
And Paris, you released your second album, Infinite Icon, this September. What made you want to get back in the studio?
PH: I performed with Miley and Sia last year on New Year’s Eve. I flew home with Sia the next day. She said to me, “You were so incredible last night. Why have you not released another album? You were born to be a pop star!” I told her, “I’ve just been focusing on all my other business endeavors, my media company, and everything else that I do.” She said, “What if I executive-produced and wrote the album with you?” How can you say no to that? I’m so grateful for what we’ve created together. It’s so epic.
Hilton wears a Dior jacket, turtleneck, and skirt. Richie wears a Dior cape, turtleneck, and skirt.
Did you keep many of your clothes from the ’00s?
NR: No, unfortunately. My parents keep everything, and I think that has triggered me. I get rid of so many things. My family talks about it all the time. I am a shedder.
PH: I want to have everything archived. All of my iconic, important pieces are together. There are certain things that I want to keep for my daughter, London, one day, or to donate to charities. We loan to museums sometimes.
You came up in the public eye in such a unique way, but were there any women you looked up to as role models?
PH: Princess Diana had such a huge heart and was always using her platform to help children and help the world be a better place. Marilyn Monroe is my ultimate icon. The camera loved her, she loved it, she knew how to work it. She was playing a character as well, which I can relate to. She wasn’t a dumb blonde; she was just very good at pretending to be one. Just like me.
NR: It’s always been my mom. My parents definitely gave me the message early on to not idolize anyone, especially people you don’t know. There weren’t necessarily a lot of women in magazines that looked like me. In the ’80s, my mom was out with my dad every single night at the Grammys or this or that. I would sit in her dressing room and watch her getting her hair and makeup done. Her hairdresser gave me my first curl cream. Her makeup artist was the first person to introduce me to MAC makeup. I was very immersed in her world and watched her in awe.
Hilton & Richie are wearing Ferragamo dresses and shoes.
What are you most excited about regarding the new show?
NR: If you’d asked me two months ago, I would have said I’m so excited to shoot it. Rarely do I get to take a month and just shoot a show with my friend. I knew that we were going to laugh the whole time, and that’s always an incentive for me. I’m hoping that people watch it and find the same joy in it that I did.
PH: Nicole and I together is magic. We have this dynamic that’s so real, and there’s just so much history behind it. For the opera, we invited hundreds of fans from around the world to come and watch. It was special to hear what an impact Nicole and I had on them.
Would you do another reunion special for the 50th anniversary?
NR: I’ll be 72 going on 73? Absolutely. Yes. I would do a reunion special in the nursing home, and we would turn up.
PH: We’ll definitely not be in a nursing home, but I know that we would have so much fun doing it.
Paris Hilton: Hair by Eduardo Ponce for Balmain Hair at the Only Agency; makeup by Melissa Hurkman for Patrick Ta Beauty; Nicole Richie: Hair by Miles Jeffries for Bumble & Bumble at the Wall Group; makeup by Mai Quynh for AG1 at Forward Artists. Produced by Sunday Pictures; Producer: Carly Day; Production Manager: Riley Lowrimore; Production Coordinator: Natanya Maskart; Photo Assistant: Colin Smith; Retoucher: Leverpost; Fashion Assistant: Alexandra Moghtadaie; Production Assistants: Khari Cousins, Mark Cheche; Tailor: Irina Tshartaryan at Susie’s Custom Designs, inc.
