A couple of months from now, "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Kyle Richards' new dramedy is hitting the small screen. Titled "American Woman," the scripted series is loosely based on her own life growing up in the '70s. Recently, the actress, who co-executive produced the show, revealed one of its biggest inspirations is also her mom, the late Kathleen Richards.
"The idea was inspired by my life growing up with my mom," Richards said at the Television Critics Association (TCA) on Monday. "My mom really was a woman before her time. In the '70s, it wasn't a popular thing to be a strong woman. If you were strong and had a voice, you were thought of as a pushy broad where, nowadays, it's like boss lady. It wasn't like that back then."
She went on to praise her mother both as a woman and as a mom, despite her flaws. "My mom was a very strong woman and she was an amazing mother because she loved her kids so much, but she was very flawed," Richards revealed. "But you never forgot how much you were loved and I think that's very apparent in the character Bonnie."
Portrayed by Alicia Silverstone, Bonnie serves as the main protagonist of the show. She is an unconventional mother who struggles to raise her two daughters after leaving her husband. The character seeks help from her two best friends, Kathleen and Diana, and together, they will try to find their place in the glamorous and ever-changing world amid the revolutionary rise of second-wave feminism in the 70s.
Mena Suvari takes on the role of Kathleen, a boy-toy magnet who yearns for love and marriage, while Jennifer Bartels portrays Diana, a struggling banker in the male-dominated industry. Makenna James and Lia Ryan McHugh are on board as well as Bonnie's children. There were rumors that Richards or her sister would grace the show, but she recently debunked those, calling the cameo a "distraction."
"American Woman" premieres on Paramount Network on June 7 at 10 p.m. EST.
