Nicole Richie on the 20th Anniversary of ‘The Simple Life,’ Starring in ‘Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead’ Remake and Writing a Horror-Comedy
09.04.2024 - 22:23
/ variety.com
Marc Malkin Senior Editor, Culture and Events Nicole Richie has been a “diehard fan” of the 1991 cult comedy “Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead” for as long as she can remember. “I’ve been quoting this movie my whole life,” she says. And now, life has come full circle because the former “Simple Life” reality television icon stars in director Wade Allain-Marcus’ “Don’t Tell Mom” remake as fashion company boss Rose.
The new film stars Simone Joy Jones as Tanya, a 17-year-old whose summer plans are upended when her mom (“Ms. Pat” star Patricia Williams) checks herself into a health retreat. Things completely unravel when the babysitter, played by Oscar nominee June Squibb, hired to take care of Tanya and her siblings suddenly dies.
“When I heard it was going to be a remake, I was like, ‘What does this mean?’” she says. “So I jumped on a Zoom with Wade and he was like, ‘This is a reimagining of the movie.’ He had everything from color palettes, mood boards and a lot of music to give me an idea of what he wanted to do with it. Right after our first Zoom, I was like, ‘I’m ready to play Rose.’” How nervous were you for a remake? Some remakes work and some are pretty awful. This is true, but I had the most fun doing it.
I think it’s so funny. It’s very feel good, which is something that I don’t think you necessarily get all the time now. When I say feel good, I’m talking early ‘90s.
It’s a family adventure comedy. But one that pushes envelope. There’s a lot of weed in it. A lot more cursing than I expected. Well, it is rated R.
I don’t think anyone was expecting an R rating. It’s been a running joke in our group chat. You don’t act often. I read a lot of things, but I just want to make sure that it’s something that I can do
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