Kyle Richards

Kyle Richards
Richards in 2014
Born	Kyle Egan Richards (1969-01-11) January 11, 1969 Hollywood, California, U.S.
Education	Central Union High School
Occupations	Actress socialite television personality
Years active	1974–present
Known for	The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Halloween The Watcher in the Woods
Spouses	Guraish Aldjufrie ​ ​ (m. 1988; div. 1992)​ Mauricio Umansky ​ ​ (m. 1996; sep. 2023)​
Children	4
Relatives	Kim Richards (sister) Kathy Hilton (half-sister) Paris Hilton (niece) Nicky Hilton Rothschild (niece) Estella Sneider (mother-in-law)

Kyle Egan Richards Umansky (née Richards; born January 11, 1969) is an American actress, socialite, and television personality. Since 2010, she has appeared as a main cast member on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and as of 2024, is the last remaining original full time cast member on the show.

She began her career as a child actress, appearing in a recurring role on Little House on the Prairie, and in several adventure and horror films, including Tobe Hooper's Eaten Alive (1976), The Car (1977), and Walt Disney’s The Watcher in the Woods (1980), as well as portraying Lindsey Wallace in John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) and later Halloween Kills (2021) and its sequel, Halloween Ends (2022). In 2017, she was a contestant on The New Celebrity Apprentice (also known as The Celebrity Apprentice 8), playing for the charity Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

Early life

Richards was born on January 11, 1969, in the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. She is the daughter of Kathleen Mary Richards (née Dugan) and Kenneth Edwin Richards. She was named after Kyle Rote, a football player who played for the New York Giants. The couple separated in 1972 and Kathleen later remarried twice more. Richards' siblings are Kathy Hilton (born 1959), her older half-sister from her mother's first marriage to Lawrence Avanzino, and Kim Richards (born 1964), as well as three paternal half-siblings from her father's first marriage, all of whom were adults by the time Richards was born. Nicky and Paris Hilton are her nieces. In 1987, she graduated from Central Union High School in El Centro, California.

Career

1974–2009: Career beginnings and success with horror films

Richards began her acting career in 1974, portraying Julia in the television series Police Woman. She appeared in 18 episodes of NBC's Western historical drama television series Little House on the Prairie as Alicia Sanderson Edwards. Her sister, Kim, was also an actress, who appeared in one episode of Little House on the Prairie, the season before Kyle joined the cast. The two sisters played on-screen sisters in the 1977 thriller film The Car. Through the 1970s, Richards appeared on several television series, such as Flying High, Vega$, Fantasy Island, Time Express and Carter Country.

Richards portrayed Lindsey Wallace in the slasher film Halloween (1978) alongside Jamie Lee Curtis. Halloween became a widely influential film within the horror genre; it was largely responsible for the popularization of slasher films in the 1980s and helped develop the slasher genre. The film grossed $70 million at the worldwide box office and subsequently expanded into a Halloween franchise with thirteen sequel films. She portrayed Ellie Curtis in the supernatural horror film The Watcher in the Woods (1980) alongside Bette Davis. She had one of the main roles as teenager Lissy Preston in the fantasy sitcom Down to Earth (1984–1987), which ran for seven seasons. The series followed the Preston family in daily situations.

Subsequent roles included nurse Dori Kerns in 21 episodes of NBC's medical drama series ER (1998–2006) and Lisa, a supporting character in the comedy film National Lampoon's Pledge This! (2006). She had guest roles in several television shows, including C.S.I., 7th Heaven, City Guys, Beverly Hills, 90210, Love Boat: The Next Wave, and CHiPs.

2010–2022: Real Housewives and Halloween films

Since 2010, she has appeared as a main cast member on Bravo's reality television show The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Richards continued acting, and played Tricia in Lifetime's television film Deadly Sibling Rivalry (2011) and Housewife Heather in the comedy film The Hungover Games (2014). In 2012, she graced the magazine cover of The Hollywood Reporter along with other Real Housewives franchise's cast members Vicki Gunvalson, Ramona Singer, Caroline Manzo and NeNe Leakes. She was nominated for "Reality Star of 2019" award at the 2019 People's Choice Awards. In 2013, she portrayed modeling agent Casey McGraw in three episodes of NBC's soap opera Days of Our Lives. In 2017, Richards appeared as a contestant on The New Celebrity Apprentice and earned $25,000 for her charity of choice, Children's Hospital Los Angeles. She was the 5th contestant fired, finishing in 12th place.

Richards in 2022.

Richards co-executive produced Paramount Network's comedy television series American Woman (2018), which was inspired by her childhood in the 1970s. On August 30, 2019, it was confirmed that Richards would reprise the role of Lindsey Wallace, the role she originated in the original 1978 film, in Halloween Kills. Following a year delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Halloween Kills had its world premiere at the 78th Venice International Film Festival on September 8, 2021, and was theatrically released in the United States on October 15, 2021, by Universal Pictures. The film made $4.85 million from Thursday night previews, the biggest for both an R-rated title and a horror film amid the pandemic. The film has grossed a total of $131 million at the worldwide box office and stands as one of the year's highest grossing horror movies behind A Quiet Place Part II. Her performance in the film attracted positive reactions from fans.

Richards starred in The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip, a spin-off featuring various women from The Real Housewives franchise, that premiered on November 16, 2021, on Peacock. In August 2021, Richards started filming a christmas film, The Real Housewives of the North Pole in Utah, which aired on Peacock on December 9, 2021. The film follows two "Christmas Queens" Trish, played by Richards and Diana, portrayed by Betsy Brandt, who take part in decorating contest every year, but the two get into an argument just days before Christmas. On October 25, 2021, Entertainment Weekly released first photos of the film. On December 7, 2021, People magazine announced that Richards was returning for the upcoming sequel Halloween Ends to reprise her role as Lindsey Wallace. In 2022, she was nominated for the second time in the category "The Reality TV Star of 2022" at the People's Choice Awards.

2023–present: Continued acting roles

On April 3, 2023, Variety reported that Richards landed the role of involved mother Lola in the LGBTQ romance film The Holiday Exchange alongside Rick Cosnett and Taylor Frey. The film premiered on October 1, 2024 on streaming services Amazon Prime Video and Peacock.

In May 2023, she had a guest role as socialite Missy Moritz in the Hulu sitcom How I Met Your Father. She was one of the women included on Variety's "40 Most Powerful Women on Reality TV in 2023" list, with the magazine writing: "Richards has kept her head held high, and has become a household name, after having been a child actor. She's even resumed acting, having returned to the Halloween films she was featured in as a kid." She played Vivian Hayes in the romantic comedy film Beautiful Wedding (2024), released in limited theaters on January 24, 2024. In October 2024, Richards was chosen as Reality Star of the Year by Us Weekly magazine, and in the accompanying interview, Richards announced that she is producing new television shows with actress Reese Witherspoon.

Business ventures

On February 25, 2014, Richards launched a clothing line for shopping network HSN. The eight-piece collection was inspired by her personal style and was priced between $69.90 and $199.90. Richards and Shahida Clayton debuted their clothing collection titled Kyle x Shahida at New York Fashion Week on September 8, 2019. Richards is the owner of Kyle by Alene Too, a chain of boutiques in The Hamptons and New York City. Her boutique in Beverly Hills opened in 2012 and closed in 2018 with plans to re-open the store in a new location. In November 2021, Richards opened a luxury resort and loungewear boutique Kyle x Shahida in Palm Desert.

Her memoir titled Life Is Not a Reality Show: Keeping It Real with the Housewife Who Does It All was published by HarperOne on December 27, 2011. Richards shares tips on relationships, family and beauty in the book.

List of fashion collections by Kyle Richards

Year	Title	Brand	Notes
2014	"Kyle by Kyle Richards"	HSN	Clothing collection for shopping network HSN.
2019	"Kyle x Shahida"	Kyle Richards Shahida Clayton	Clothing collection by Richards and Shahida Clayton.

Philanthropy

Richards with husband Mauricio and daughters Farrah, Alexia, Sophia and Portia

With her husband, Richards is listed on the "First Families" of the Children's Hospital Los Angeles which means they have donated US$100,000 or more to the hospital. She also held fundraisers for the CHLA in 2013 and 2019, which were featured on the Real Housewives.

Personal life

She has ten small tattoos, including two butterflies, a cowboy hat and a four-leaf clover.

Relationships and family

In the 1980s, she dated actor C. Thomas Howell. In 1988, at the age of 19, Richards married Guraish Aldjufrie from Indonesia while she was pregnant with their daughter Farrah Brittany (born October 31, 1988), but they separated in 1990 and divorced two years later.

Left to right: half-sister Kathy Hilton, niece Paris Hilton and Kyle Richards at NBC party, February 2011

Richards met her second husband, Mauricio Umansky, a Los Angeles real estate agent, in 1994. The couple wed on January 20, 1996, when Richards was four months pregnant. Their daughter, Alexia Simone, was born on June 18, 1996. The couple have two more daughters, Sophia Kylie (born January 18, 2000) and Portia (born March 1, 2008). Richards converted to Modern Orthodox Judaism when she married Umansky. She attends events at the Kabbalah Centre in Los Angeles.

She resides in Encino with her husband and children.

On July 3, 2023, People magazine reported that Richards and Umansky had separated after 27 years of marriage. The couple later released a joint statement which denied they were divorcing, but admitted that they were going through a difficult period in their marriage.

Health

In December 2020, it was reported that Richards tested positive for COVID-19, along with her co-star Dorit Kemsley and sister Kathy Hilton. Production for season 11 of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills was temporarily suspended.

In July 2022, Richards stopped drinking alcohol and began to focus more on fitness and exercising. She discussed her fitness journey in a cover story for Us Weekly magazine in December 2023.

Filmography

Film and television

Year	Show	Role	Notes
1974	Police Woman	Julie Faulkner	Episode: "The Cradle Robbers"
1975	Escape to Witch Mountain	Young Tia Malone	Uncredited
1975–1982	Little House on the Prairie	Alicia Sanderson Edwards / Samantha	19 episodes
1976–1978	Police Story	Viki Jo Vero / Shannon / Nance	3 episodes
1976	Eaten Alive	Angie
1977	A Circle of Children	Sarah	TV movie
	The Car	Debbie
	The Father Knows Best Reunion	Ellen	TV movie
	Father Knows Best: Home for Christmas	Ellen	TV movie
1978	Halloween	Lindsey Wallace
	The Wonderful World of Disney	Naomi	Episode: "The Million Dollar Dixie Deliverance"
	Flying High	Katie	Episode: "The Vanishing Point"
1979	Vega$	Julie Travis	Episode: "Kill Dan Tanna!"
	Fantasy Island	Rebecca	Episode: "Cornelius and Alfonse/The Choice"
	Time Express	Billie Jane Culper	Episode: "Rodeo/Cop"
	Carter Country	Gerry	4 episodes
	Friendships, Secrets, and Lies	Livia	TV movie
	Amateur Night at the Dixie Bar and Grill	Laurie Jean	TV movie
1980	Once Upon a Family	Liz Demerjian	TV movie
	The Watcher in the Woods	Ellie Curtis
	Beulah Land	Young Sarah	TV mini-series
1981	Concrete Cowboys	Isobel	Episode #1.1
	Halloween II	Lindsey Wallace	Archival footage
	Hellinger's Law	Julie Braden	TV movie
1982	This is Kate Bennett ...	Jennifer Bennett	TV movie
	CHiPs	Jodi	Episode: "The Spaceman Made Me Do It"
1984–1987	Down to Earth	Elizabeth 'Lissy' Preston	106 episodes
1989	Curfew	Stephanie Davenport	Lead role
1990	Escape	Lydia
1998	Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher	N/A	Episode: "Model Citizen"
	Love Boat: The Next Wave	Scheming Woman	Episode: "Captains Courageous"
1998–2006	ER	Nurse Dori Kerns	21 episodes
1999	Beverly Hills, 90210	Anna Murphy	Episode: "Bobbi Dearest"
	City Guys	Kate	Episode: "Miracle on 134th Street and Lexington Avenue"
2003	7th Heaven	Matt's Patient	Episode: "Life and Death: Part 1"
2006	Pledge This!	Lisa
2011	Deadly Sibling Rivalry	Tricia	Lifetime television film
2012	CSI: Crime Scene Investigation	Ms. Young	Episode: "Play Dead"
2013	Days of Our Lives	Casey McGraw	3 episodes
2014	The Hungover Games	Heather
2021	The Prince	Kyle Richards	Voice; episode: "Beverly Hills"
	The Housewives of the North Pole	Trish	Peacock original film
	Halloween Kills	Lindsey Wallace
2022	Halloween Ends
2023	How I Met Your Father	Missy Moritz	Episode: "Family Business"
2024	The Holiday Exchange	Lola Williams
	Beautiful Wedding	Vivian Hayes

As herself

Year	Show	Notes
2003–2006	The Simple Life	3 episodes
2005	I Want To Be a Hilton	4 episodes
2010–present	The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills	Main cast; 281 episodes
2013	Vanderpump Rules	Episode: "Tooth or Consequences"
	Betty White's Off Their Rockers	Episode: "Episode #2.8"
2013, 2022	Whose Line Is It Anyway?	Episode: "Kyle Richards" and "Kyle Richards 2"
2014	The Doctors	Episode: "Compulsive Behaviors Triggered by Medication?/ Reality Star Reveals Secret Health Struggle/Dangers of Prescription Drugs"
2015–2024	Entertainment Tonight	Guest and guest co-host; 21 episodes
2015	Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce	Episode: "Rule #58: Avoid the Douchemobile"
2015–2016	FabLife	3 episodes
2016, 2021	Keeping Up with the Kardashians	Episode: "Lord of the Cougars" and "The End of An Era"
2017	The New Celebrity Apprentice	Contestant; 7 episodes
2019	Match Game	Episode: "Horatio Sanz/Sherri Shepherd/Thomas Lennon/ Ellie Kemper/ Kenan Thompson/Kyle Richards"
2020	Barkitecture	Episode: "Kyle Richards: Real Housedogs of Beverly Hills"
	Celebrity Family Feud	Episode: "Andy Cohen vs. Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Kevin Nealon vs. Drew Carey"
2021	The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip	7 episodes
2022–2024	Buying Beverly Hills	4 episodes
2024	We Are Family	Episode: "Who's Your Daddy?"

Music videos

Year	Title	Artist	Role
2014	"G.U.Y."	Lady Gaga	The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Band
2023	"Fall in Love with Me"	Morgan Wade	Love interest

As producer

Year	Show	Role	Notes
2018	American Woman	Co-executive producer	11 episodes

Awards and nominations

List of awards and nominations

Year	Ceremony	Award	Work	Result
1982	Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films	Best Supporting Actress	The Watcher in the Woods	Nominated
	Young Artist Awards	Best Young Motion Picture Actress		Nominated
1984		Best Young Actress in a Movie Made for Television	This Is Kate Bennett...	Nominated
1985		Best Young Actor/Actress in a Cable Series or Program	Down to Earth	Nominated
2019	People's Choice Awards	Favorite Reality TV Star	The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills	Nominated
2022	MTV Movie & TV Awards	Most Frightened Performance	Halloween Kills	Nominated
	People's Choice Awards	The Reality TV Star Of 2022	The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills	Nominated
2024	People's Choice Awards	The Reality TV Star of the Year	The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills	Nominated

Bibliography

• Richards, Kyle (December 27, 2011). Life Is Not a Reality Show: Keeping It Real with the Housewife Who Does It All. New York, NY: HarperOne. ISBN 978-0062113481.

External links

• Kyle Richards at IMDb
• Kyle Richards Facebook page