Nicole Richie was recently interviewed by the Wall Street Journal about her routine, ‘Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead,’ reality TV, writing, early 2000s style, being married, her hobbies, and more. You can read the full article below:
It has been over 20 years since “The Simple Life” first aired on Fox, but Nicole Richie remains one of the most indelible reality TV stars. On the show, which ran from 2003-2007, Richie and her close friend Paris Hilton left behind their glamorous lives as L.A. socialites to live on farms and in trailer parks. They quickly became known for their troublemaking and humorous antics.
Now, Richie, 42, is once again bringing a charmingly madcap presence to our screens. She plays a heightened version of a powerful boss as seen through a teenager’s eyes in this spring’s remake of “Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead.” Her character, Rose Lindsey, played by Joanna Cassidy in the 1991 original, unknowingly hires a 17-year-old as her assistant, and high-jinks ensue.
Off-screen, Richie, who works as creative director of her accessories line, House of Harlow 1960, mostly keeps a lower profile. She lives in Beverly Hills with her family, enjoys nature walks and begins every day at 5:30a.m., before everyone else in her house wakes up. She’s also at work developing a horror comedy. She writes in her bathroom in the mornings before going downstairs to feed her animals, which includes dogs, cats, chickens and turtles. “I should start this interview off by saying I am a Virgo,” she said, “so routines are very heavy in my life.”
Richie, who was born in Berkeley, Calif., lives with her husband, the musician Joel Madden, and their children, Harlow, 16, and Sparrow, 14. Here she discusses the scariest scary movie villain and what she’s learned from her dad, Lionel Richie.
What time do you get up on Mondays, and what’s the first time you do after waking up?
I get up at 5:30a.m. every morning. I’m an early bird. The first thing I do is brush my teeth and then I read. I just finished “James,” by Percival Everett, and I’m going to go ahead and say that it’s the best book of the year, even though we’re in April. It’s going to be an American classic.How do you like your coffee and breakfast?
I drink black coffee. We make coffee here. Mornings are the craziest time in the house, between the hours of 7 and 8:30 it’s a big rush, so that’s why I wake up at 5:30, just so I can have time by myself. On Sunday, I do some baked goods, muffins or banana bread or something like that, so that everyone can just grab something and go.What do you do for exercise?
I do a combination of Pilates and circuit training three times a week.Did you influence what your character, a fashion executive, wears in “Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead?”
I did have a hand in what Rose wore, knowing that every time you look at Rose, you’re looking at her through the lens of a 17-year-old. So thinking about how teenagers look at adults was something that I thought was really important, how they think adults dress. It’s a lot of suits, a lot of bright colors, primary colors, the cherry reds and the cobalt blues—what looks like an intimidating outfit to a teenager.What would you say is the most Virgo thing about you?
I’m a list-maker. I’m a receipts-keeper. By receipts, I don’t only mean grocery receipts, I mean emotional receipts. I’m a homebody who probably doesn’t come off as a homebody all the time. RuPaul said it best. He describes himself as an introvert disguised as an extrovert, and that’s something that really hit home with me. I’m always on time. I’m actually a little bit early because I don’t want anyone to call me and ask me where I am.Would you ever write another novel?
I would, but I used a ghostwriter for the first two. If I ever wrote another book, I would write it myself.What’s the most important thing you’ve learned about things like stage presence and confidence from your dad, Lionel Richie?
He is somebody who is very present. He looks people in the eye, he listens to people, he says hi to everybody and really makes people feel seen.As one of the very first stars of reality TV, how do you feel about how the genre has evolved?
Something that was so cool about doing “The Simple Life” was that it really didn’t have much to do with our daily lives. It was about us leaving our lives for 30 days and going and living other people’s lives. So I always was able to maintain a sense of intimacy and privacy within my own daily life. But I do enjoy “Vanderpump Rules,” just like the rest of ’em.What do your children say about your iconic early 2000s style?
My daughter asked if I had any of my Juicy [Couture] tracksuits that I could give to her. She was devastated when I told her those were long gone.What’s the secret to a happy marriage?
Well, I’m in the middle of a “Scandal” rewatch and Joel came in the room last night and tried to make me change it mid-episode, so we’re going through a bit of a rough patch.Good luck getting through it.
Things are tense. I would say you’ve got to let your spouse watch the shows they watch.What’s one thing you delegate to your assistant, and what’s one thing you have to do yourself?
Anything that requires anything online is something that I simply cannot do. I make all my own appointments.Do you have any hobbies or habits that might surprise your fans?
I love to spend time with my animals, my chickens. I love cooking for my family. I like to watch ’90s erotic thrillers and romantic comedies. I love to watch horror movies all year long.Do you have a favorite of all time?
Emotionally, I’m the most connected to “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” because that’s the one I grew up on. To this day, I’m still afraid of Freddy Krueger. That’s the one character that I’m definitely afraid of.Do you have something you consider your most prized possession?
My bobby pins. I don’t go anywhere without them. I have curly hair.What do you like to splurge on?
I don’t know if this is a splurge per se, but I like to go to the store to get books. It makes such a difference. And there are certain things from Erewhon. For a mom with two teens on-the-go all the time, they really do package their fruits and vegetables in a way that’s very grab-and-go.And is there anywhere you like to pinch pennies?
I have swap meets that I go to to get my T-shirts, down jackets, jean jackets.I saw on “Jimmy Fallon” that you used to name your pet rats after “90210” actors. Do you still do thematic animal naming like that?
Not after shows, but they do have very colorful names. It’s a combination of my whole family naming them. The most recent addition to our family is our cat Lavender Bumblebee. I named her myself actually. No one agreed to it, but it’s very much her, so I’m glad I stuck to it.What’s one piece of advice you’ve gotten that’s guided you?
One lesson that my mom taught me is you should never leave the house without lotion on. I was very shocked as I got older and found out some of my friends, my husband included, just walk out of the house with no lotion on. It sends chills up my body. I would never in a million years think about doing something like that. It’s scarier than Freddy Krueger.
