Throughout her career,Denise Richards' name has filled headlines, movie credits, magazine covers, and so much more.The entry point of how you might know Denise Richards certainly varies.Perhaps it’s her time as a Bond girl. Or maybe starring in the ensemble cast of one of the greatest comedies of the 90s. Or maybe it is as the wife ofCharlie Sheen. But if you’re a Bravoholic, you certainly know her from her time on the Bravoreality series,The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
Some may have believed that her tenure on Bravo had come to an end, but after her stint onRHOBH,there was still interest to share her life with the world.While it’s certainly not her first foray into bringing her family to the screen via reality series, this new chapter is different.Denise Richards & Her Wild Thingstakes an inside look into her family through a fun and comedic lens. Alongside her husband,Aaron Phypers, and her children,Sami Sheen, Lola Sheen, andEloise Richards, this new series shines a spotlight on the family as never seen before. While she’s beyond excited for the series, it’s her kids who may be more ecstatic for their time in the spotlight. Denise said, “People have seen my kids grow up in magazines and in the public eye, and to get an insight of what our life is like. We’re sharing it, for better or worse.” And yes, Denise teased you might see her infamous ex this season.
Denise Richards Shares How Important Family is to ‘Denise Richards & Her Wild Things’
COLLIDER: Well, she’s back on Bravo. It’s Denise F***ing Richards. Congratulations on the new series.
DENISE RICHARDS:Thank you so much. I’m so excited about it.
Let’s start simple. If you could describeDenise Richards & Her Wild Thingsin three words, what would they be?
DR: Wild, fun. Well, it’s not a third word, but there’s a lot of heart in the show, I feel.
Uh, I love that.
DR: Relatability, relatable.
DR: It’s actually, it’s exciting. I was approached byAlex BaskinafterHousewives. He wanted to know if I wanted to do a family docu series, and I asked the family. And Eloise loved seeing herself on camera and in pictures. She gave a thumbs up. Sami has always said over the years, we need cameras in a reality show because it’s always so crazy. And Lola, at first, was a little not sure if she wanted to do it, but then she really thought about it and decided that this was something she wanted to do. And Aaron supports, you know. He knows his wife, so he’s like, “Yeah, whatever you want to do I’ll support.” And he was excited about it too. So it’s fun, and it’s nice that we get to share.Housewives, it was so fun. I have a lot of very wonderful memories and moments on that show, and I really did like doing it. Even though I had some challenges,I would do it again. I really enjoy that the focus of that show, obviously, is more about the women and their friendships. You see a little bit of our family. So for this, to be able to show our family and then see our friends, and people will see a lot of familiar faces too, and someHousewives.It’s fun to be able to combine all of it and our whole life. So it’s exciting.
Let’s talk about your amazing husband, Aaron. Your love for one another is truly beautiful. I love seeing all your Instagram posts. How excited is he about becoming a reality star?
DR: He just says he’s in the background. I’m like, “Hmmm. You’re not really in the background.” I don’t think he realizes, but, yeah, I don’t know, he thinks he’s in the background and no one will notice, but I think he’s wrong.
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SHe’s the comedic relief needed on the reality series.
What advice did you give your kids before they started this journey with you?
DR: To be themselves. I was actually pleasantly surprised right away that they were so comfortable.And they almost forgot the cameras were therea little too much. I was like you could have at least filtered it a little bit, but they didn’t. But, yeah, no, I just wanted you know, I didn’t want anything to feel set up. I didn’t want it to feel self-produced or anything. I just wanted them to be themselves. And I think that it, and I I believe that it comes off that way for sure. They are them.
In a teaser for the season, you talk to your kids about having two parents who happen to just be big staples in the public eye, but at the end of the day, you are just still mom and dad. How has it been for them to have such famous parents growing up?
DR: It’s all they know. I can’t imagine it. I grew up very differently. But for them, that’s their normal. And I also think that this was such a great opportunity for them, because they always have been, you know, Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards’ daughters, and it’s great that they’re now. Sami and Lola are adults, and that they’re able to have their own voice and have people see them as, you know Sami and Lola. And I love that they have that opportunity, and they have this wonderful platform for people to get to know who they are.
Is he excited for them to see them become reality stars as well?
DR: I think so. He’s very supportive, and people will see him. He makes an appearance on the show, and I’m glad he did, because the show is about our family. He is very much a part of our family, andI think it’s important for us to support our daughters. And he did, and I think it’s great.
I love that the show is really focusing on you and your family. In some of the promo for the show, your girls shared some of the best advice you’ve given to them over the years? What’s the best advice or something that you’ve learned from your girls?
DR: I wish that I had the confidence, andI was secure like they are when I was their age.When I was their age, I was so insecure, I was so naive, and they are much more, they’re very strong young girls. Eloise too, she’s 13. But to see my older girls being young women and adults, I was definitely much more naive and insecure than they are, so I’m very proud of them.
You’ve had an illustrious career as a model and actress on screen. My personal favorite film of yours isDrop Dead Gorgeous. It definitely has been something my friends and I have quoted over the years. What are your kids’ reactions when they realize just how big of an impact on media you have had?
DR: I don’t think they really know, quite frankly. That is the only movie of mine that they have seen. They don’t ask. They don’t even know half of what I’ve done. And the other half they’ve learned, because they’ll see TikTok videos that pop up. And Sami told me a while ago, she said, “Something came up.” She goes, “You were onFriends?” Because she recently heardFriendsa few years ago. I said, “Yeah!” It was actually, I have to say, it was a nice episode about my hair. And she was like, “I can’t believe you were onFriends.” Like she was so excited that I was on there. They don’t really know what I’ve done. Sami saw Drop Dead Gorgeous for the first time on an airplane. She sent me a picture a month ago, and she said, “Guess what I’m watching on my flight.” She had never seen it. Lola saw it. I tried to show them both when they were around 10 and 11. Sami had no interest. Lola did watch it at 10. But otherwise they, you know, they don’t even know most what I’ve done, other than what they hear.
It truly is one of, I think, one of the most important comedies of the 90s. It really is so good.
DR: I would love to do it again, where we’re the moms, and then our daughters are competing for something.
I’m here for it. Let’s make this happen.
DR: Oh good! Thank you.
That would be amazing.
DR: Thank you.
Alright, so this season, we are going to see some familiar faces of some of our favorite Bravo celebrities. The teaser shows appearances fromCamille Grammer,Kathy Hilton,Erika Jayne,Garcelle,Sutton. How excited are you to reunite with them on screen?
DR: It’s fun for me, and that’s the thing I was so glad you know, doing a reality show and about our life. I’ve been friends withTori Spellingfor years. I’ve been friends with Camille Grammar for years, and Garcelle I’ve known for over 20 years, and Sutton’s a new friend sinceHousewives, but that’s been quite a few years. And same with Kathy Hilton. I love being able to be on-screen with them and that they’re supportive of our show, too, and that they wanted to film our friendship. I think it’s great for people to see that we are real friends outside of theHousewives. And that’s one of the things I loved doing that show, is I did make a lot of good friends from it, and it was fun, and I would do it all over again. And also people will see me reconnect with Erika. We had, at my first season, she and I really hit it off and had a great connection and became friends. A second season went another way, and I just felt like there was still some unresolved. Things were unresolved between us, and I’m glad that we reconnected on our show.
Absolutely, I think the fans are very eager to see this interaction. I know I am personally. How different was filming this show than your experience onThe Real Housewives, aside from it being more family focused?
DR: Well, that’s, that’s pretty much that. You know, onHousewives, the main focus is the women and our friendships, and you get a little glimpse of our family life. And then our show is, it’s a family reality show. So it is our whole family. So it’s just two different dynamics. So I think that’s the main difference.
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I have to commend you on your time onSpecial Forces: World’s Toughest Test.
You truly are a trooper. I would never be able to do anything like it.
DR: You’d be surprised.
Maybe! I interviewedMarion Jones, and the way she was talking about is like, if it was tough for her, I don’t know if I could do it. How are you doing after your injury?
DR: I’m good. I still have to get something fixed. But it’s funny you brought up her, I love her. I will say, I would never do that show again, because I don’t know if I would come back in one piece. But Marion Jones. I made some good friends from that show. Marion Jones,Cam Newton,Golden Tate, andTrista Sutter. I became friends with them, and I came out of that show with friends and a special bond. But yeah, I don’t, I can’t believe I did it. Yeah, it took a lot of convincing, by the way, for me to do the show. And my girls, my older girls, they were so angry that I was doing that show. They were literally crying, asking me not to do it. They were so scared I wouldn’t make it, like alive. But I told them, even though you don’t agree with me, I want you to please support me. There’s going to be things in life that I’m not going to agree with with you, that I will always support you. They’re like, “No Mom, this is different, like, you could maybe never come home.” So they were happy that, you know, all is good.
Absolutely. And I think, in a way, it’s kind of inspiring for them to see you push yourself in that way. I thought it was inspiring.
DR: Thank you! They haven’t watched it. By the way, I haven’t watched it either. But that’s what I told them. I said this is something completely…ultimately, why I decided to do the show is because I was scared to do it. And I thought, if I’m scared, maybe I should do this. It takes me completely out of my comfort zone, something I’ll never, ever have this opportunity again to work with these people that you know have so much respect, for the military and the men that were the DS. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn from them, as hard as it was, and I just told the girl that’s out of my comfort zone, and I want to push myself and do something really challenging.
I cannot wait forDenise Richards & Her Wild Things. I am so excited to see you again. The teaser that came out earlier today is so funny. Everything we’ve seen so far, it’s going to be a hit. So why do we need to tune in and make this a must-watch series?
DR: Because I want you to! No, I think that our show is fun. I think it has a lot of heart. I think people have an insight of, you know, people have seen my kids grow up in magazines and in the public eye, and to get an insight of what our life is like. We’re sharing it, for better or worse.
I cannot wait, and it is honestly an honor speaking to you. Congratulations on the series.
