Last week I had the opportunity to speak to Marisa Zanuck, the new Housewife in training on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Marisa is definitely frank, outspoken, and unafraid to give her opinion – which means she'll be perfect for the show! Marisa joined the show as a friend of Kyle Richards and although she's nervous about the reaction to her debut she's excited to share her unconventional but fabulous BH life with viewers.
Marisa discussed her experience filming with the girls, and most importantly dished on who's a bitch, who's awesome, and who's exactly the same behind the scenes as they are on camera!
Below is an excerpt from our conversation.
Why Did You Decide To Join RHOBH?
"I decided to do the show because I thought it would be a lot of fun. I know Kyle really well. I thought it could open up some doors or maybe expose me to the world in a way that I wouldn't normally be exposed."
Do You Think Kyle Is Accurately Portrayed On The Show?
"Yes. 100 percent."
CLICK CONTINUE READING FOR THE REST OF MARISA'S INTERVIEW!
Were You Apprehensive About Joining The Show After Seeing All The Scrutiny Kyle Has Received?
"I am still very afraid for it to air and I'm very scared of what could happen to my life. But I'm always [sic] one of those people who would rather say I've done something shocking than have never done anything shocking and not know. So I really wanted to do it even though I'm scared.
"I'm petrified, honestly. I don't know what the other women say behind my back. A lot of the times these women are nice to you when you're standing there and then they talk shit about you behind your back. I'm not that person. If I talk shit about you I talk shit to you and I won't like you off camera either."
Are The Women Themselves On Camera? It Seems Like A Lot Of Backstabbing Happens On The Show…
"Well, yes, there are definitely women who act one way on camera because either they want camera time so they want to interact with everybody. Or women who just want camera time period so they put a lot of drama around themselves. So if we're all talking about something else or somebody else – Taylor [Armstrong]'s a great example, she tries to gain camera time and make it about her."
Kyle Seems To Be Good Friends With Both Taylor And Lisa And It Seems Like You're Less Connected With Those Two Women. Has That Affected Your Friendship With Kyle?
"No, not at all. Kyle knows how I feel about those women and Kyle takes everything individually. So how I feel about Taylor or Lisa [Vanderpump]– or any of the women – is not going hinder my relationship with Kyle. Kyle's pretty cool at keeping everything separate. And I don't 'not like' like Lisa or Taylor, I just have opinions."
Were You Friends With Any Of The Other Women Before Joining The Show?
"No, I didn't know anybody."
What Is Your First RHOBH Appearance Like?
"When I first appear it's December 17th and Kyle's actually introducing me to the other women. There's drama during the evening, but it doesn't involve me. They introduced me probably a month into shooting so there was already some drama that happened that started before I came on. And that drama that happened carried on throughout the rest of the show."
Your Fellow New Housewife Yolanda Foster Seems Really Shocked By The Demeanor Of The Women. She's Described Their Behavior As "High School." What's Your Opinion?
"I was very shocked. When I first noticed it – when I first started shooting – and I was at this party and what went down on camera, I was, like, shocked that the women… they kinda want to hurt each other. Maybe some of them don't mean it when they say it, but they already said it and you can't take it back."
"In high school everybody talks about each other, you know, and as an adult we don't do that. We might talk about somebody but you don't spend time with them that night. In this group of girls there's some allegiances with a couple of them but other than that people talk about people and then they go to the other person and say, 'Can you believe she said this?' And you know, as adults you don't behave that way."
What Was Your Reaction To Brandi Glanville?
"I love Brandi. Actually she and I have become friends off camera and we talk every couple days and see each other and go to dinner. I think she gets a bum rap sometimes from the other women."
"I do think the other women are jealous of her, maybe with her looks or her body – stuff like that. Whereas I always tell her – even on camera – 'I want your body. I want your body.' I'm not a girl who gets jealous like that. I just call it out and say, 'You look awesome in a bikini!' Whereas the other women are like, 'Can you believe she's wearing that?' It's like you know if you had that body you'd wear that bathing suit too!"
Is There Any One You Definitely Butt Heads With?
"I haven't had enough time on the show. I was really just feeling my way throughout this season. And really feeling the women out and seeing who I would mesh well with and who I would get along with. So honestly there isn't anybody I butt heads with."
"There's been little things with Lisa that she did to me off camera or on camera and then I ignored it. I would not ignore it next season but I let it go this time because I was the new girl. So I did let things go with people."
"Adrienne [Maloof] was very nice to me. Camille [Grammer] was very nice to me. Yolanda's cool. That's really where it stands right now."
What Are Your Feelings on Kim Richards Returning To The Show?
"I don't think it's anybody's business, I don't think it's my business to say anything about her problems or her troubles because we have demons we face. We all have things that we don't wanna talk about, or things that are upsetting to us, or we have problems in life."
"She's been nice to me and I have nothing bad to say about her. To be honest, I didn't spend that much time filming with her so I don't know her very well. I don't think it matters, her addictions, it's just something she's dealing with."
Would You Return For A Second Season?
"Possibly. I have to see to see how this season works out and if people like me and if the producers like me. I'd have to see how everything played out. It's 50/50."
"It was completely shocking, but it was a shitload of fun. Even though the women fight with each other, we also have a really good time together. But it was shocking. Coming in my first season and getting to know everybody, and how the lay of the land is and the relationships with these women, it's very shocking. Because we don't live our lives this way anymore. I would never want to go back to high school and this is the main reason why, but the women are all, as a rule, nice women and I don't think they ever mean anybody any harm."
"I think it's a show. When you get six women, seven women together there's gonna be issues. Women are catty, women can be mean but I don't think that's their goal."
"I think some of them that act that way want camera time or they want to become important on the show so they don't get cut."
Who Shocked You The Most Throughout Filming?
"Lisa. I thought Lisa and I would get along really well. She's very nice on camera. She's very nice and kind on camera. And she's nice to the people she likes off camera."
"Maybe because I'm the new girl she wasn't opening her arms to me, maybe she doesn't like me; I don't know. She does have this thing about her – a lot of the other girls see it too – where she'll be nice on camera to you but then she won't talk to you or engage with you if you're at another party but we're not shooting. We went to the premiere of the Housewives party and she did not talk to me or say one thing to me. I said hello and she didn't say anything."
Do You Think Lisa's Friendship With Brandi Is Genuine?
"Yes I do."
Is There Anything You Would Like Viewers To Know About You?
"I am a very easy-going person. And I try not to let things bother me. I'm also the type of person who doesn't care what anybody thinks about me. I only care what my inner sphere of people think of me, meaning my family and my friends. As long as they know who I am and what I kind of person I am, that's all that matters."
"Of course I want the public to really like me and enjoy me, I'd really love to do the show for another season if it turns out that people are interested in me and my life. I'm happily married. I love my kids. We all sleep in the same bed. We are always together. I have a housekeeper, I don't have a nanny. My husband and I do all the driving. We all travel together. We're very hands-on parents. So to me those are the most important things."
"I say what I think. I always stick up for the underdog. So when I see women ganging up on somebody I will always be the one to defend that person for some reason – as long as they haven't done anything to me."
TELL US – ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT MARISA'S DEBUT ON RHOBH? ARE YOU SURPRISED BY HER REACTIONS TO THE WOMEN AND THE SHOW?
