Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie werent planning to reunite on TV.
Then the stage came calling.
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Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie are the architects of our millennium.
Looking back, it was some true auteur shit.
When Nicole and I get together, I feel like Im a teenager again.
But we didnt want to just do somethingjustto do it.
Paris said, You know, its about to be 20 years since we shot the show.
And I said, Should we do something?
And then Pariss reply was should we?
And I said, Okay, were both away on vacation right now.
Lets let this marinate, lets come back in the New Year.
We wanted to do it in our own way, and we got to do that.
So you text each other about making this happen, and then what?N.R.
:It was really important for us to create the entire show before we brought it to anyone.
And then you landed on producing an opera.P.H.
:We love doing the unexpected.
:We are now!
How did you land on that idea during your planning sessions?N.R.
:We were like, You know what?
We wrote thissongwhen we were 6 or 7.
It really wasnt a question of why, it was why not?
What are some of your earliest memories of your friendship?P.H.
Nicole did liquid-eyeliner cat-eye on me for the first time, and that was life-changing.
Just sneaking out to the school dances.
Our parents were really strict when we were growing up.
I was only allowed to sleep at Nicoles house, and she was only allowed to sleep at mine.
Every memory I have is with you.
:I love you.
Which of you was the bigger troublemaker growing up?N.R.
:In what respect?
Interpret the question as you wish.N.R.
:Okay, heres what Ill tell you.
There were many times where our punishment was you cant hang out with each other.
through the hills of Bel-Air until they would let us hang out again.
Was this the sort of thing youd do a lot as kids?
Make up words?P.H.:Yes.
I mean, we have a whole language.
We could do a whole dictionary with everything.
The Simple Lifeset the template for reality TV for the next 20 years.
There wasnt a blueprint for this.P.H.
We were just ourselves.
It makes me feel really proud and amazing that were the OGs and we invented this whole game.
:I think now, and this is not a knock, but there is a formula.
you’re able to go on TV and you’re able to build your brand.
We were not thinking that at all.
Which is interesting in retrospect considering your careers since.
What was it like developing these fun, heightened versions of yourselves?N.R.
:Pretty early on, we got what the point of shooting this show was.
We had a really good experience with all of the families.
:Ive always been a very shy person, so playing the character made it really fun for me.
There are so many funny moments and memes that have lived on from those seasons.
What comedy do you guys like?P.H.
:The Simple Life.
:Im a big fan of30 Rock.
I love the Tina Fey crew.
I ended up doing a show with them,Great News.
John Early is so funny.Oh, Mary!
it is the best show on Broadway right now.
Do you have a favorite memory from filmingThe Simple Life?N.R.
Wed say good night on-camera and then go out after.
Its really a once-in-a-lifetime moment for all of us.
:I really loved spending time with the families and especially Curly, the grandma.
She taught us how to make apple pies.
:She also taught us to make our grilled cheeses in bacon grease.
Do you keep in touch with Curly and Braxton?P.H.
Hes now a lawyer, and I was just so proud of him.
Weve spoken about you guys coming up with the idea.
But then you go to Peacock and you say, We want to do something together.
And they were like …P.H.
In the last-ever episode ofSimple Life, you stage a musical about the past four seasons.N.R.
We were just on the road and we subconsciously did not know it!
And that also ends with a group number of Sanasa.
Was there any data pipe pushback this time?N.R.
This time, we are mingling with the musical elite.
What was that culture clash like?N.R.
:Opera is its own field.
Paris and I have a long history with the orchestra.
In third through sixth grade, we played violin, and then I moved to cello.
We met with our old orchestra teacher, Mr. Hauser, who has a cameo in the show.
What we realized is that this was a long time coming.
We were meant for this.
:What have we learned from making brands?
Sorry, I have ADHD.
Like your song, ADHD, which is a banger and an anthem.
I think that theres a lot of misunderstandings and misconceptions.
So I call it my superpower.
Love you, ADHD fam!
Is your friendship so strong because Nicole is one of the least boring people ever?P.H.
:Yes, definitely.
Im allergic to boring people.
Have your kids watched the new show?N.R.
But theyve watched the old one?N.R.
:Yes.The Simple Lifewas having its own moment on TikTok.
We didnt push it, it just organically happened.
They were a very big part of me wanting to do this reunion, period.
Can you tell us a bit how Sia got involved in theThe Encore?P.H.
:Sias executive producer of my album,Infinite Icon.
Shes like a sister.
And we knew that shed be good at spotting the talent.
How many people did you audition?P.H.
:Hundreds of people.
And those were clearly the best of the best.P.H.
:Trained opera singers, all of them.
:Some parrots are in the show too.
And the fans as well.
I want to know, your fur babies and human babies, whats their bond like?
Are they siblings?P.H.
:Yes, because theyve all grown up with each other.
They think that theyre all brothers and sisters.
How about your kids, Nicole?
Did the teenagers bond with the chickens?N.R.
:My teenagers bonded with the chickens much more when they were a little bit younger.
Now they very much have their own lives.
My daughter stays far away from the bees.
Shes been stung seven times but not by my bees.
My bees would never do such a thing, my bees are perfect.
You guys really popularized the idea of the purse dog.
Do you guys think you helped invent emotional support animals?P.H.
:Those were our first babies.
We named all the rats after characters from90210.
I had Tori Spelling, Paris had Jenny Garth.
We were obsessed with them.
I had a ferret, her name was Kennedy after the MTV VJ.
We would smuggle them into California because they were or are illegal in California, Im not sure.
But we had tons of them, and chinchillas and parrots.
We just always loved animals.
That has just always been our thing.
Weve just always loved having animals around us.
:Nicole had a tarantula.
N.R.:Bambi!
:Bambi was so scary.
:She was so cute!
:She was not!
:It was like something out of a horror film!
:Did you like my ball python Cleopatra?
P.H.:Yeah!
:I used to take her to clubs.
Your ball python?N.R.
:Her name was Cleopatra.
This was during my roller-skate-to-club stage.
Id wear her around my neck like a necklace, and she loved the music.
