On the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” (RHOBH), Lisa Rinna is known for her sharp wit, reputation for frankness and of course, those amazing home dance videos she regularly posts on Instagram.
The actress, who adheres to a primarily plant-based diet, has been practicing yoga for the past 28 years and says it keeps her both grounded and in top shape. She also stays fit attending SoulCycle classes, going on hikes on the trails near her home — and admits she was blessed with good genes as well. Her mom, Lois, who died in November at the age of 93, often joined Rinna and her daughters in dance videos, keeping pace with her daughter and granddaughters even as a nonagenarian.
“For me, staying in shape has always been a part of my life and it’s all about consistency,” Rinna said in an interview with OWN. “I started working out at an early age and I’ve worked out my entire life. For me, working out is like brushing my teeth.”
There’s also a private side to Rinna that fans don’t see. In March, Rinna and her husband, actor Harry Hamlin, 70, celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. Despite their public personas, Rinna, who turns 59 in July, says the two also enjoy spending time at home.
“Harry and I work well together. We’re complete opposites in many ways, but there’s a lot of love involved,” Rinna says when asked about the secret to her long-lasting marriage. “People might be surprised to learn we’re more low-key than they probably think. I love relaxing at home and watching old classic movies and Harry maintains this amazing vegetable garden in our backyard.”
In an interview this past February with People magazine, Hamlin agreed, admitting he and Rinna are “diametrically opposite.”
“I like going up to the mountains and her idea of camping is anything below the 10th floor of the Four Seasons,” Hamlin told People.
Yet despite any minor differences, Rinna and Hamlin share a mutual respect, and a deep unconditional love for each other and their daughters.
“I don’t like being an empty nester,” Rinna admits. “Amelia, 21, moved to New York to pursue her modeling career, while Delilah, 24, who is also a model, is here in Los Angeles. I still see them, and we talk by phone, but the house is very quiet.”
Rinna says her daughters are both working with her on her makeup line, Rinna Beauty, a collection of vegan, cruelty-free lip liners, lip glosses and lipsticks.
Dubbing herself a “lip pioneer” for being one of the first actresses to admit to getting permanent silicon filler injected into her top lip while still in her 20s, Rinna later had her upper lip reconstructed by Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, Garth Fisher. These days, Rinna prefers to use natural products, such as the lip plumping gloss from her beauty collection, to achieve the perfect pout.
“Both Amelia and Delilah have created lip kits for Rinna Beauty and it’s been fun working with them both on the line,” Rinna says. “We’ll be adding eye makeup to our line in the coming months.”
From Soap Star To Reality Queen
Rinna grew up in Medford, Oregon and after graduating from high school, moved to California to pursue a career in modeling. She admits her early ambitions put her in the unique position of being able to now offer advice to her two daughters as they embark on their own modeling careers.
“I didn’t have anyone in my family that was involved in the entertainment field,” Rinna says. “Harry and I can both offer our girls advice and one of the most important lessons we’ve impressed upon them is to treat everyone from the janitor to the CEO with the same level of kindness and professionalism.”
Rinna’s modeling career inspired her to try acting. In 1990, she was cast as Jason Bateman’s girlfriend in “The Hogan Family,” followed by her first breakout television role in 1992, when she originated the role of Billie Reed on the hit soap opera, “Days of Our Lives.” Although she left the show in 1995, she reprised the role in later years and continued serving up drama, after joining the cast of the primetime television soap opera, “Melrose Place” in 1996.
Today, Rinna is playing one of the most unique roles of her career: herself. And while she may have perfected her drama chops on soap operas, her current RHOBH stint allows Rinna to portray a character that shares some, but not all of her own qualities.
“I see her as a character because it’s not all of who I am,” Rinna told the Los Angeles Times in a 2019 interview. “I’m watching Lisa on the ‘Real Housewives,’ or Rinna, as I like to call her. She’s funny. I get a kick out of her actually. When I watch her, I’m like, ‘God, she’s the comic relief.’”
Rinna had initially auditioned for the first season of RHOBH, but at the time, Executive Producer Andy Cohen was hesitant to cast actresses. He later went on to cast Rinna as well as actresses Gabrielle Beauvais, Denise Richards and Eileen Davidson in subsequent seasons.
One aspect that Rinna shares with her on-screen persona is her frankness and self-depreciating attitude, including her famous catchphrase, “Own it!”
“Over the years, I’ve learned to feel empowered and speak the truth,” she says. “I haven’t always been like that. In my 20s, when I first began acting, I was more hesitant to state my opinions or point of view.”
Over the years, Rinna says she’s learned to think out loud and given herself permission to continue down that path.
“Now, it’s like I’m on steroids,” she says with a laugh. “I get a lot of flack on social media for stating my opinions. “Harry says I’m like a politician in the sense that people either love me or hate me for publicly expressing my political views.”
Rinna hasn’t hesitated to post support of the Black Lives Matter movement, Pride Month and the Supreme Court decision prohibiting LGBTQ discrimination in the workplace on her Instagram account.
“I really think if you have a platform in this day and age, and I know my children feel the same way, I think it’s our duty to use it — for more than dancing around and posing in my bikini, all that silly stuff that I do,” Rinna told Town and Country magazine in a July 2020 interview. “I think we’re very blessed to have this platform and to be able to bring awareness to certain things, and I think it’s our duty to do that.”
Over the past three decades, Rinna has served as a talk show host on “Soap Talk,” written three books, starred on Broadway in the hit show, “Chicago,” appeared on the cover of Playboy and launched a fashion line and boutique. In May, RHOBH premiered its 12th season. So, what’s next for the actress and reality star?
“I’m in a good place and feel very fortunate,” Rinna says. “If the sky’s the limit, I’d love to be on the cover of Vogue, perform in another Broadway show and appear in a Ryan Murphy television series.”
Rinna also revealed on social media the one thing she won’t do this year.
“How do I feel about podcasts, you ask? If Brad Pitt asks me to do a podcast, I’ll do it,” Rinna shared on Instagram this past January. “Anyone else, nope. New rules in 2022, tell me one time you haven’t gotten yourself in trouble on a podcast. I’ll wait….”
