[IMG:L]You may know her as Paris Hilton’s one-time party buddy or, like all of young Hollywood it seems nowadays, as the star of that infamous sex tape with former boyfriend Ray J. But the girl with the booty almost as famous as J.Lo’s herself talks with Hollywood.com to set the record straight about who she really is and how her family keeps her grounded in and out of the spotlight.
Kim Kardashian, like many wealthy young celebs-in-training before her–Paris, Nicole Richie and even her step-brother Brody Jenner–is hopping on the reality TV show bandwagon as one of the stars of a new family dramedy about life among the ten Kardashians in Keeping Up with the Kardashians, a show she insists reveals a lot more of the A-lister than just club-hopping and her Playboy photo spread.
Kardashian discusses behind-the-scenes details of the E! Entertainment show, some of her favorite moments, her hope that the show will dispel the misconceptions about her, and what it really means to be a Kardashian.
Hollywood.com: What can we expect from the Kardashian family in Keeping Up with the Kardashians?
Kim Kardashian: That we’re crazy, but we’re loveable. And despite how crazy we all are, we love each other so much and we’re like the closest family. So we just hope everyone likes it.
[Like typical siblings, Kim’s sisters, Khloe and Kourtney, couldn’t help but give their opinions about life on TV with their sis.]
Khloe: Hectic, crazy, drama, flawless!
Kourtney: It is to die for, only if you’re hanging out with me.
Khloe: It’s Kardashian mania. I love it!
HW: Your sisters seem like your best friends. What is it like working day in and day out with them?
KK: It’s like the best ever. We had like 18–hour days because we only had a month to get in all the eight episodes, so it’s like, what could be better? Getting paid to be with your whole family at all times. It was really comforting.
HW: How would you describe the Kardashians?
KK: Every day we’re all so out there, so close and we support each other no matter what goes on and we’re not afraid to show that. I’m not afraid to show the drama that goes on because that’s who we are. We don’t have anything to hide and we’re not trying to cover up anything. So we’re just excited for people to see who we really are.
HW: Was it really hard to get used to all the cameras following you around 24-7?
KK: At first it was, then you totally forget and then you kind of act stupid.
Kourtney: It is weird. Like I literally have nightmares in the middle of the night that a camera is on me. So I like wake up and I’m like, “What do I look like? I better look in a good pose.”
[IMG:R]HW: How is to have to be ‘on’ all the time?
Khloe: Honestly, it’s so amazing to be getting paid for having fun and doing what you love to do and being around your family. What they’re doing is filming us doing what we normally do and we’re being paid for it and it’s so much fun.
Kourtney: Then you forget [about the cameras] and you’re not [nervous].
HW: On the show, your mom seems like she’s just like another sister…
KK: She totally is! She’s always been the easy one to get along with, the one you go to and tell all this stuff too. She never made us feel afraid to tell our parents stuff that you might not want to tell your parents. You know, the dad was the strict one, whether it’s my real dad or Bruce [Jenner]. They both kind of had the same role. And my mom was always really more, you know, liberal, but really cool. And she loves all of us around all the time.
HW: Now you’ve had a few friends on reality shows–Paris, Nicole and your step-brother Brody Jenner. Did they give you any advice?
KK: Ahhh, I don’t listen to Brody [laughs]. No, I like push him to the side and I tell him what to do. Jack Osbourne told me just to, you know, take it all in, have fun with it ‘cause he filmed with his whole family too. So he said it’s the most amazing thing to film with your whole family and I totally agree.
HW: Do you have a favorite scene that you’ve shot and you think everyone is going to love?
KK: In Mexico, I don’t think we’re really going to show it a lot, but we went zip-cording and repelling on waterfalls–that was like so scary, but a moment I’m so glad I did and I have it on tape to show that I did it.
HW: The television show just had its premiere. Have you had a chance to see it yet?
KK: We did. Ryan Seacrest threw us a party at Chapter 8 in Agoura Hills right before I came here. So it was kind of far away. Ryan had never been that far out, so we were all laughing. It took us all forever to get out there. It’s kind of near Calabasas where my whole family lives, so it was really convenient.
HW: You know you’ve made it when Ryan Seacrest is throwing you a party.
KK: It feels amazing, you know. I mean, he’s my boss. He’s the producer of the show. So I mean, he better throw us a party after all of this!
HW: You’re not only starring in your own TV show, but you’re also working on a clothing line.
KK: We haven’t started it yet. We’re just meeting with people and different production people to see what the line should be like and we’re just trying to figure it out now.
HW: You recently shot a pictorial for Playboy. Tell us about the experience and why this was the right time to do it.
KK: It was just the craziest thing ever. I was like so nervous to do it. It’s like something that at first I didn’t want to do, and after Hype Williams, the director, talked me into it and he shot it. And after meeting with Hef, you know, he just told me that Marilyn Monroe was on the first cover and that made me feel so much better for some reason. And I’m so glad I did it. It was like the greatest experience ever.
HW: How involved were you in the entire process?
KK: Oh, everything. I said what I wanted to wear, I picked the pictures–everything. Hef and I like went through everything together. So they let me have full control and it was like the best team.
HW: Will America get to see the Playboy shoot on Keeping Up with the Kardashians soon?
KK: Episode 2—you’re going to see me naked [laughs].
[IMG:L]HW: What do you hope the show will portray about you and your family?
KK: People probably think I’m a wild, crazy party girl that’s always up dancing–when I’m really not. It’s my sisters and my family that are the crazy ones I’m trying to control. And, you know, there’s just so many misconceptions that we were born and raised in Beverly Hills and we shop all day and go to clubs all night. We work so hard. We have two stores–we’re starting our new clothing line, we’re launching our Web site and online store. So it’s like we wake up every day and have so much to do. We don’t just shop all day. We wish we could. I mean, in the line of business that we’re in we can, but it’s for business. So that’s what I think we really want to come across. We are really hard workers and we play with our family, we work with our family, we fight with our family, everything is our family.
