Megyn Kelly TODAY
The new series “American Woman” is inspired by the childhood of “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Kyle Richards, who joins Megyn Kelly TODAY along with one of the sitcom’s stars, Mena Suvari. “It’s love letter to my mom,” Richards tells Megyn of the new show, which is set in the 1970s.
(Begin VT)
MEGYN KELLY: Kyle Richards has been acting since she was just four years old. Appearing in more than one hundred TV shows and films, including Halloween.
(Excerpt from Halloween)
MEGYN KELLY: You may know her best as one of the original cast members of Bravo's Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
(Excerpt from Real Housewives of Beverly Hills)
MEGYN KELLY: An aunt to Paris and Nicky Hilton, Kyle is used to the limelight. But she's now stepping behind the lens as co-executive producer of a new dramedy, American Woman, on Paramount Network. The show, inspired by Kyle's own mom, Kathleen Richards, centers around the strong, single mom raising her daughters in Los Angeles in the 1970s.
(Excerpt from American Woman)
MEGYN KELLY: Starring Alicia Silverstone, Jennifer Bartels and Mena Suvari.
(Excerpt from American Woman)
MEGYN KELLY: These friends are independent women in a decade not yet ready for them.
(Excerpt from American Woman)
(End VT)
MEGYN KELLY: Please welcome Kyle Richards and Mena Suvari.
KYLE RICHARDS (American Woman): Hi. Hi. Thank you.
MEGYN KELLY: Hi. Welcome. Great to see you.
KYLE RICHARDS: Hi, everyone.
MEGYN KELLY: We got the drinks all ready.
MENA SUVARI (American Woman): I'm going to come past you.
KYLE RICHARDS: Okay.
MEGYN KELLY: Sorry, it's very tight with our 1970s furniture.
KYLE RICHARDS: I know. Oh. Look at this, cocktails.
MEGYN KELLY: We knew you were coming. How about this?
KYLE RICHARDS: Hi.
MEGYN KELLY: All right. So I-- I've seen the first two episodes and I loved it. I love them.
KYLE RICHARDS: Thank you. Yay. It makes me happy.
MEGYN KELLY: Honestly, I was like, okay, out of respect for Kyle and I wa-- I want to see this, and I was-- I couldn't get enough of them. And I-- I wanted them to release more to me.
KYLE RICHARDS: Yes. Love to hear that.
MEGYN KELLY: So, one-- one of the things I loved about it is it's a period piece, really, set in the 1970s, which, you know, I think we're the same age, just about, right?
KYLE RICHARDS: I mean, I'm--
MEGYN KELLY: I was born in 1970.
KYLE RICHARDS: Okay, yes.
MEGYN KELLY: Okay. Enough said.
KYLE RICHARDS: Yeah.
MEGYN KELLY: But it-- the way like the set design and the hair-- your hair in the show is perfection.
MENA SUVARI: Yeah, I miss it.
MEGYN KELLY: And then there was a lot of pieces in there.
MENA SUVARI: Yeah.
MEGYN KELLY: And the costumes. Like, how did you capture that glamour of Beverly Hills 1970s?
KYLE RICHARDS: You know, we really wanted to make it so that you feel like you were in the '70s, not like watching a costume party. So everything was like, you know, vintage and just authentic. And everything from the cars to the hair, the makeup. Even the jewelry. So it was really important part of making the show.
MEGYN KELLY: This is loosely based on your life. It's not an actual documentary.
KYLE RICHARDS: Inspired by. Yes. Exactly.
MEGYN KELLY: Yeah. It's not a memoir type thing.
KYLE RICHARDS: No.
MEGYN KELLY: But your mom is really the centerpiece--
KYLE RICHARDS: Yes.
MEGYN KELLY: --and her-- and her friends. And, Mena, you-- you play, I guess, one of your mom's friends is how we should put it.
KYLE RICHARDS: Exactly.
MEGYN KELLY: And why? Why did you want to write something about your mother?
KYLE RICHARDS: You know, my mom-- well, first of all, I-- I-- I- - it's a love letter to my mom, really. But my mom was a very strong, outspoken woman. And in that time, women weren't supposed to be like that. Now, it's like, oh, boss lady. You know, that was-- that's a term now. But in the '70s, if you were strong and opinionated and outspoken, you know, it was looked down upon. And my mom was that woman. Very strong. And I did not have a conventional life growing up at all in addition to being a child actor. It was just a very different upbringing. So, you know, when my mom passed away, I was reflecting on, I loved to write. So I would write stories about her and my growing up. And I thought I really want to make this into a TV show one day. So, yeah, now here we are.
MEGYN KELLY: You really should. Because you think in the 1970s, it's not exactly the 1950s, right? I mean, we forget. But your mom's character in the show finds out in the first episode that her husband, your dad--
KYLE RICHARDS: Yes.
MEGYN KELLY: --was cheating on her.
KYLE RICHARDS: Mm-Hm.
MEGYN KELLY: And she's left with this huge question of what life now entails, how-- how can it look, how could I support myself? I can't even balance a checkbook. That actually did happen in your family.
KYLE RICHARDS: Yeah. You know, it's funny, because, you know, at that time, my mom was, all of a sudden, suddenly single. And she didn't know about mo-- money or what they had. And she didn't even have a checkbook. So, when I was actually ten years old, my mom got me a checkbook. And I was allowed to have my unemployment checks from my TV shows. And she opened a checking account for me because she wanted me to take control and learn from a young age how to look after myself, because she didn't like finding herself in that position in the '70s, so.
MEGYN KELLY: You started as a child actress, so did your sister, Kim Richards, Escape to Witch Mountain, one of my favorite movies of all time, when I was a child. My-- my kids are watching it now. And you got started in acting very young as well and-- and came up-- came of age in Hollywood. So what is it like-- in a way, you're kind of talking about your own childhood and your own life, like growing up as a child in this weird world out there, right, where things are so topsy-turvy.
MENA SUVARI: It is strange. Yeah. I mean, I did my first commercial when I was seven, but then I sort of went into child modeling a little bit. And then I moved out to Los Angeles right before I was fifteen and then started acting again.
MEGYN KELLY: And then, of course, American Pie and American Beauty. And--
KYLE RICHARDS: A lot of American for you.
MENA SUVARI: Yeah.
MEGYN KELLY: That's right. American Woman.
MENA SUVARI: Yeah.
MEGYN KELLY: Right?
MENA SUVARI: I like to make it easy for people to find me.
MEGYN KELLY: That's smart. All right, so there's much more to discuss which we're going to get to after the break. We'll talk about-- well, there's a lot. Stay tuned. You'll see.
(ANNOUNCEMENTS)
MEGYN KELLY: And we're back now with Kyle Richards and Mena Suvari, talking about their new show American Woman. It's on the Paramount Channel, which you can find if you just Google it and-- and find out where your local listening is. And it's inspired by Kyle's mom's life and her own childhood in the 1970s. And one of the things you see when you watch it is what a different time. There were no rules.
KYLE RICHARDS: That's what I love about the '70s, right? Forget the music and the clothing, which was amazing. There were just no rules. I mean, we-- we were laughing because, you know, growing up we'd be flopping around the back seat. No one wears seat belts, you know.
MEGYN KELLY: There were no car seats.
KYLE RICHARDS: No one knew about rolling up the windows with cigarettes. No. Nothing. I wouldn't even, like, drive three feet in my driveway without Portia being in our booster and she's in the fourth grade.
MEGYN KELLY: Right. And then you talk about how you were actually driving the car at age thirteen.
KYLE RICHARDS: Thirteen. Yeah.
MEGYN KELLY: And your mom was like, just go slow on the highway.
KYLE RICHARDS: Yeah. I mean, we had to get to work. What can I tell you, you know?
MEGYN KELLY: She was the original momager.
KYLE RICHARDS: Yeah. You know, that wasn't a term then. But I guess, you know, people keep asking me that now. She was. She was our momager growing up.
MEGYN KELLY: Because you've got your sister who's favorite-- very successful actress. She was--
KYLE RICHARDS: Yeah. Kathy, Kim. We were all--
MEGYN KELLY: And Kathy wound up marrying a Hilton.
KYLE RICHARDS: Yeah.
MEGYN KELLY: She's Kathy Hilton, Paris's and Nicky's mom.
KYLE RICHARDS: Yup.
MEGYN KELLY: She's not in favor of the series, I guess. There's- - there's some riff there. Is that going to heal or work itself out?
KYLE RICHARDS: I mean, you know, all families go through stuff, so, you know, we-- we're sisters, we love each other. But she hasn't seen the show. So I'm excited for her to see it and, you know, actually-- because it-- it is inspired by. It's not, you know, autobiographical. So she'll see that.
MEGYN KELLY: Yeah. Yeah. You-- you can make that point. And people can understand that the real life, as-- as fun as it may have been, may not have been quote saucy enough. I wanted to--
KYLE RICHARDS: Oh, it was. Oh, trust me it was.
MEGYN KELLY: One of the themes that you're-- you're tackling is feminism, relaly--
KYLE RICHARDS: Yes.
MEGYN KELLY: --in the 1970s and how women were diminished and women weren't paid the same and women weren't seen the same. And there's the other lead tries to get a job in her agency and-- and the response from the boss is, well, there's a man who's applied for it. And he's got a family to support.
KYLE RICHARDS: Exactly.
MEGYN KELLY: What do you make of that? I mean, do you-- is this one of the things that attracted you to it, Mena, or what?
MENA SUVARI: Well, I mean, I think really just the whole concept of the show, really, attracted me. And it wasn't just the time period. But it being female-centric and a dramedy, a space I've always wanted to work in for a long time. The people behind it. Obviously, been a huge fan of Kyle's for a long time. And all of that, you know, gave me the-- the passion to want to be a part of it. But that was something that was really interesting for me to experience. And I definitely had a lot of moments of catching myself, you know, on set, thinking about the subject matter and what these characters were having to experience and reflecting upon my own life. And, you know, using that as a comparison because, you know, I-- I-- I've never had that personal experience. It made me think a lot about my mother and what she possibly had, you know, gone through. And--
MEGYN KELLY: Have you never had-- you'e never-- I mean, it's hard to believe, that you-- you grew up in Hollywood and were never harassed or--
MENA SUVARI: I mean, not-- not that. I mean, in the sense of I've always felt very independent. I incorporated in 2000. Like I've always had the ability to, you know, buy something for myself, if I want. Or be independent in-- you know, in-- in my choices, in that sense. But-- but no, there's many other instances for sure.
MEGYN KELLY: Yeah. Because in-- in the show, it makes it clear, it was just rampant.
MENA SUVARI: And even--
MEGYN KELLY: It was around every corner, no matter whether you're a housewife or a working woman, it didn't matter.
MENA SUVARI: Mm-Hm.
KYLE RICHARDS: Well, we're dealing with so many-- we've come so far and yet we really haven't. When you watch the show, it's so relevant even today.
MEGYN KELLY: Yeah.
KYLE RICHARDS: The things we're dealing with. So, you know, whether-- whether it's equal pay or, you know, whatever. It's-- it's not easy being a single mom in the '70s or today, you know.
MEGYN KELLY: You know that saying, we've come a long way, baby. And I've said all along like, yeah, yeah--
KYLE RICHARDS: Not that far.
MEGYN KELLY: Not that far. No.
KYLE RICHARDS: Not-- not long enough.
MEGYN KELLY: We have a-- we have a long way to go.
KYLE RICHARDS: Exactly. Exactly.
MEGYN KELLY: Forgive me, but I have-- I would be remiss if I didn't ask you about Kevin Spacey getting swept up in the Me Too movie.
MENA SUVARI: Mm-Hm.
MEGYN KELLY: So many of us know you from American Beauty, that iconic film, of which he was a major part and you were a major part. What was it like for you to see him outed this past year?
MENA SUVARI: I mean, I think with everything that I've been seeing that everyone's been going through, it's-- it's shocking. It's really heart-wrenching. I-- you know, for me, having the opportunity to work on American Beauty was something that was so special and so beautiful. And I was so young and literally grateful to have a job and to be working with such, you know, experienced individuals. And everyone on that set, because I was so young and green and new to this, was wonderful to me. And I had-- I had a beautiful experience working on that film. For me, it's very important to focus on the conversation that's happening and-- and the healing, the victims, you know. The-- the-- the-- the right thing that needs to come out of this. And that's sort of what I try to hope for and-- and focus on the most.
MEGYN KELLY: Good.
MENA SUVARI: You know, it's-- it's something that we're truly changing and moving out of, you know.
MEGYN KELLY: Honestly, in a way, this show is kind of part of that. I-- I love its messaging. And I love, love, love the background, the acting, the script. It's-- it's an elevated program in a way that's really fun. Thank you.
KYLE RICHARDS: Oh, it makes me so happy. Thank you.
MENA SUVARI: Thank you.
MEGYN KELLY: Can't-- seriously, it's hard to find Paramount Channel. I didn't know what that was with all due respect.
MENA SUVARI: Paramount Network.
MEGYN KELLY: Paramount-- Paramount Network.
KYLE RICHARDS: Paramount Network, yes.
MEGYN KELLY: It used to be Spike TV. Anyway, just Google it and it'll show you where your local listing is.
KYLE RICHARDS: Yes. Exactly.
MENA SUVARI: Just Google it, you'll find it.
KYLE RICHARDS: You'll find it.
MEGYN KELLY: It premieres this Thursday. Okay? It premieres this Thursday on Paramount Network. All the best to you both.
KYLE RICHARDS: Thank you so much.
MENA SUVARI: Thank you.
MEGYN KELLY: We'll be right back.