Fans were introduced to Lisa Vanderpump in 2010, when The Real Housewives of Beverly
Hills premiered on Bravo. But even though she's one of the show’s most beloved stars,
it's just one of the many facets of Lisa's world. From young actress to hard-working
activist, this is LVP's stunning transformation.
"The queen of diamonds always has an ace up her sleeve."
One thing's for sure: Lisa Vanderpump was destined for a career in entertainment. As
she told the Daily Express, she was born in London and was already taking ballet classes
by the time she was 3. She then went on to attend a prestigious drama school for years.
While Lisa claims to have had a regular old upbringing, it's very clear that she knew
what she wanted for her future, even as a kid.
“This is my turf, mister, and I want you out."
She explained to the outlet,
"I was advanced for my age, always a year ahead at school. When I was too young to go
to high school, rather than repeat a year, at nine I went to the Corona Academy drama
school, and ended up staying for eight years."
School was just the beginning of Lisa's successful career as an actress in the UK. By the time
she was 13, Lisa snagged her first movie role in 1973's A Touch of Class — and she later
found work on several TV shows. Not only was the budding star making great strides in her
acting career at a very young age, but she was also making her own money. She told the
Daily Express,
"I did over 100 commercials for brands like Maltesers, Lilt, Britvic 55 and Hamlet cigars,
so by 19 I'd bought myself a flat in Fulham. I never had any financial help after leaving
home, just a good education and a kick in the a---."
"It's just a plethora of opportunities."
Clearly Lisa was a go-getter ever since she was a young girl. She shared with Heather
McDonald's Juicy Scoop podcast,
"I was really together. I kind of very much believed in a strong work ethic. I had a job
since I was like 13, you know?"
"I am the woman I am today because I've grown up with you."
While LVP is one of the most beloved Real Housewives, her husband, Ken Todd, is definitely
a favorite of all the husbands. Their connection and devotion to one another pops off the screen,
and it comes as no surprise that the second they laid eyes on each other, there were sparks.
Lisa told Stassi Schroeder on her podcast Straight up with Stassi, that she met Ken
through her brother, explaining,
"[Ken] was wrong for me in every sense of the word. He was 16 years older than me. He
was a playboy, running around town with his trousers 'round his ankles. And I was dating
somebody else. […] I just looked at him and there was an instant connection."
After their first date, they were engaged six weeks later, and the rest is history!
Years after Lisa and Ken had their first child, Pandora, they decided to grow their family
and adopted their son, Max. As Lisa shared on Season 7 of the Real Housewives of Beverly
Hills, even though she knew she could give birth to more children, she still wanted to
adopt. Lisa said,
"We heard of Max, who was in foster care. And I just wanted him, I just said I'd have
him before I even got there."
You ok?"
"It's emotional."
"Yes."
"It was emotional at the time, that's for sure."
The couple had previously attempted to adopt four other children while they were living
in England, but didn't get approved because they were reportedly too old — even though
Lisa was still in her mid-thirties. Lisa later explained in a blog post for Bravo that adopting
a child was something they had hoped to do for a very long time. She wrote,
"It wasn't something strange to our family, and we were excited to embrace [Max] to our
loving home."
Most Lisa Vanderpump fans are very familiar with her restaurant SUR, thanks to her spin-off
series Vanderpump Rules. But SUR wasn't always owned by Lisa and Ken. In fact, as WeHoVille
noted, it was actually launched by restaurateur Guillermo Zapata and his wife, Nathalie, in
1998.
It wasn't until 2005 that Lisa stumbled upon the West Hollywood hotspot and immediately
partnered with the owners. Nathalie recalled to the outlet,
"Guillermo called me and said, 'I just met this couple. They are fabulous and they want
to be our partners. This lady even told me she has the money inside her purse right here
on the patio.'"
SUR was transformed into one of the most iconic restaurants and lounges in the city, with
each of the couples owning a 50 percent stake.
"In Beverly Hills, it's who you know. And I know everyone."
Lisa explained to the Skinny Confidential Him & Her podcast, that she initially had
no interest in ever becoming a reality star. But her good friend Jennifer Stallone— the
wife of actor Sylvester Stallone — convinced her to audition for the Real Housewives of
Beverly Hills.
Lisa blew producers away at her audition. In fact, she even said that producer Andy
Cohen was one of her biggest supporters in making sure she landed the show. She explained,
"Andy [Cohen] said — which probably didn't go down that well with some of the other women
— a couple of times in interviews, that he wasn't sure about doing Beverly Hills,
but he said he green-lit it when he saw my tape because he thought it was a different
flavor."
"It was very organic and I think we were really just out to have a good time."
And just like that, one of the most iconic Real Housewives was born.
After becoming one of the stand-out stars of Real Housewives, Lisa went on to produce
her own spin-off; Vanderpump Rules. While Lisa often appears on the series, the show
actually follows a group of friends in their 20s living the Hollywood life…and sometimes
working a shift at SUR.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…"
"To par-ty…"
Lisa offered her take on the reason for the show's massive success, telling TIME,
"One, the casting. I knew and I chose these people. I knew the stakes would be high because
their friendships were real. It was an incestuous situation, and to be that honest — or dishonest,
as the case may be, or honest about your dishonesty, is unusual."
While the cast members have certainly caused their share of controversy over the years,
there's no denying that the stars were — at one time, at least — TV gold.
2013 was a big year for Lisa. She not only premiered Vanderpump Rules but was also cast
on Dancing With the Stars. And according to HuffPost, she was the first Real Housewife
to ever appear on the dance competition. But she wasn't there to represent an entire franchise.
She told the outlet,
"I think we're all individual characters. I don't think it's about representing the
show. It's about representing yourself, really, because we're all so different."
Later, Lisa addressed the rumors as to why no other Real Housewives had been allowed
to compete on Dancing With the Stars prior to her casting, revealing,
"They had always said they would never have a housewife and it was ABC, the competitive
network to NBC, who owns Bravo, so I never gave it a second thought."
"Don't regret a second of it."
Still, despite her quick steps on the dance floor, Lisa was ultimately sent home in Week
4.
"I guess I'm like the old lady with a lot of cats. I have a lot of animals."
Lisa has always been an animal lover, but in 2017, she truly invested in the mission
of saving dogs by launching The Vanderpump Dog Foundation. According to People, when
Lisa became aware of the notorious Dog Meat Festival in China, she knew she had to take
action. She explained to E! News,
"We started Vanderpump Pets, which was a business [and] we thought I'd really love to go into
the pet business. And through that, I was drawn attention to some of the atrocities
and that's kind of taken over my life. [Until] recently, I was naïve about the atrocities
that are being committed against these wonderful creatures."
Lisa has been very grateful for the support Bravo has given her in promoting the cause,
allowing her airtime on the show to share her foundation with fans. She told People,
"I hope that will be my legacy."
In 2017, Lisa became the editor-in-chief of Beverly Hills Lifestyle magazine, an outlet
she had been writing for since its start, ten years prior. According to The Daily Dish,
it was a family affair, with Lisa's daughter, Pandora, working as executive editor of the
magazine. In an official statement, Lisa was beyond thrilled to announce her newest venture,
sharing,
"The magazine has always been the epitome of luxury and I cannot wait for all the exciting
things we have planned for its 10-year anniversary re-launch."
The magazine seemed just as thrilled at Lisa joining the team, posting on Instagram,
"After writing for Beverly Hills Lifestyle since its inception, having Lisa accept the
role is a dream come true."
"Life is so short, really. We learn that sometimes when we lose people."
Lisa has always been very open about her close relationship with her brother Mark, who sadly
took his own life in 2018, suffering an apparent overdose at his home in England. The devastating
loss not only changed Lisa's life, it also put her priorities into perspective. Lisa
shared her grief, telling People,
"To lose my brother unexpectedly with no closure or conversation is like a relationship ripped
out of your arms. Grieving takes time."
"You know when you're only two siblings and you've never known anybody else and then suddenly
they're gone."
Her brother's death propelled Lisa to work with The Trevor Project, a non-profit organization
aimed at offering life-saving services for LGBTQ+ youth. In 2019, Lisa released an official
PSA for The Trevor Project on Instagram, encouraging fans to get the help they need.
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide
Prevention Lifeline​ at​ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.
"OK, I'm going. I waited half an hour for you guys. I'm out of here."
After nine years on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, it was finally time for Lisa
to say her goodbyes in 2019. In an interview with People, she opened up about her reasons
for leaving the show, sharing,
"I had a great time on Housewives. But to have negativity during a time in my life when
I needed to try to be positive […] I decided it was over."
On top of that, things were truly getting nasty between the stars, especially with the
massive drama between LVP and Dorit over a rescue Dorit adopted from Vanderpump Dogs.
After being called harsh names by her castmates, Lisa decided it was time to make a change.
She told the outlet,
"I've been in a position where the whole cast has been against me before. But this time,
our foundation was taking a bashing from the women, and it didn't deserve it."
"He's been on three reality shows this year. So, he's on Dancing With The Stars…And he's
on Vanderpump Rules and he's on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills."
As we all know, Lisa's dogs are some of her closest companions. And the death of her dog
Giggy hit Lisa and Ken very hard. In December of 2020, Lisa announced Giggy's passing on
Instagram, writing,
"We are devastated to say that our beloved Giggy has passed away this morning. He was
truly loved, and we know how many of you loved him too. […] Because of him, we started
The Vanderpump Dog Foundation. […] Giggy’s legacy will live on."
"He's a different dog. He wants to be held, he wants to be on your lap."
Giggy was truly a beloved member of Lisa's family, and an essential presence in her life,
as well as on her shows. He will now be fondly remembered not just by Lisa, but my millions
of fans as well.
After what was, by all accounts, a brutally challenging chapter for the star, things finally
began to look up for Lisa. And in 2021, she announced her latest venture, a new TV series
for E! called Overserved With Lisa Vanderpump. And of course, we can't get enough.
"I've kissed Andy Cohen."
"No way!"
According to Entertainment Tonight, each 30-minute episode features Lisa interviewing a variety
of celebrities in her own breathtaking garden in Beverly Hills, while they chat, make cocktails,
play games, eat delicious food, and more. Lisa explained in the show's first teaser,
"I'm inviting you to an intimate dinner party, and for it to be perfect, I have a few rules:
You've got to bust your butt for the decor to be absolutely fabulous, the guests should
be naughty, but the hostess must always be naughtier. This dinner party rules."
"But, shhh. That's our little secret."
Overserved With Lisa Vanderpump premiered in March, 2021, and features an all-star cast
of guests, including several of her former co-stars, actors, musicians, comedians, and
some of Beverly Hills' other famous faces. We would say that everything LVP touches turns
to gold, but when it comes to this star, we're guessing she'd prefer that it turned to diamonds
and rosé.
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