Denise Richards doesn’t really believe in putting out a “version” of herself. “It’s just us,” she says, laughing off the question. “We decided we’d do it, we’d have fun with it.” The “it,” in this case, is Denise Richards and Her Wild Things, the new Bravo reality show that brings the actor—and her family—back into the unscripted spotlight.
“I asked the girls, and they wanted to do it,” she says of daughters Sami, Lola, and Eloise. “They’ve lived in the shadow of their parents their whole lives. This is a chance for people to know them for who they are.”
The show isn’t just about nostalgia, although there’s plenty of that baked in. Cameos from old friends like Tori Spelling and Starship Troopers co-star Patrick Muldoon bring just the right amount of ‘90s callback to a series that’s really about navigating a very modern family life. “We all still call each other ‘Sweet Babe,’” she laughs. “It’s silly, but it’s just how we talk.”
Richards says the decision to let the cameras in again came post-Housewives, with a new lens—less drama, more family. “There’s a lot parents will relate to,” she notes. “Siblings not getting along, raising teenagers, still trying to figure it all out.”
She’s also game for bringing in the iconic past—at least a little. Asked about her famous comedic chops, especially in Drop Dead Gorgeous, she gives credit where it’s due: “Probably my mom. She was so funny, without even trying.” And would she ever revisit that role? “I’d love to,” she says. “We could bring her back—she jumped off the float, right? And have our daughters competing now. I think it’d be fun.”
As for Bond? The World Is Not Enough alum isn’t throwing her hat into the prediction ring for who should take up the mantle next. “I haven’t really thought about it,” she says with a shrug. “But they’re hard shoes to fill.”
What’s refreshing about Richards—on TV or Zoom—is her laid-back honesty. She’ll talk about still being friends with her exes, or being grateful to still be working in Hollywood past the mythical age of 40. “They used to say that was it, but here we are.”
So why Denise Richards and Her Wild Things? “Because it’s our life,” she says simply. “And we’re just letting you in.”
Watch the full interview above and then check out the trailer below.
