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Kyle Richards opens up on fighting — and healing — with her sisters in the spotlight

The "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star also dished on her new Christmas film, "The Housewives of the North Pole."
/ Source: TODAY

Kyle Richards has a lot to be thankful for this holiday season.

For starters, her oldest daughter, Farrah Aldjufrie, just got engaged to her longtime boyfriend Alex Manos.

Kyle Richards' daughter Farrah Aldjufrie and Alex Manos.
Kyle Richards' daughter Farrah Aldjufrie and Alex Manos. @kylerichards18 via Instagram

"My whole family is just beyond thrilled and happy about it," Richards told TODAY via Zoom. "I’ve been dreaming this day forever. I can’t wait to take her to go register for her dishes and her glasses or stemware ... all that stuff just sounds exciting to me. Picking the venue. I’ve already been asking, 'Where do you want to do it? Do you want to do it at our home? Do want to go to a hotel? Destination wedding?'"

"My husband and I love to entertain. We know how to throw a good party."

But Richards' schedule has been a whole lot busier than just party planning these days, with her recent supporting role in "Halloween Kills" and her star turn in "The Housewives of the North Pole" — an adorable new holiday film that is reminiscent of a gender-swapped "Deck the Halls" — occupying her calendar.

"It's about two friends that love each other and have this big blowup in this small town and everyone's talking about it," she said of the Christmas movie, which is streaming on Peacock. "It snowballs."

Kyle Richards in 1977.
Kyle Richards in 1977.Getty Images

For Richards, the film — as sweet or silly as it may sound to viewers — is a big step in the right direction for the 52-year-old reality star, who got her start in acting when she was just 5 years old in shows like "Police Woman" and "Little House on the Prairie."

“Acting has always been my first love and going back to it now just feels like I’m home, honestly," the mom of four girls said. "When I started the 'Housewives,' I really didn’t know what I was getting myself into. My babies were little and I had been taking a step back from acting anyway. I thought I was going to be doing this little show for three months and then three months turned into six months of shooting, and here I am 12 years later.

"I really did think at one point that that was all behind me because people started knowing me as Kyle," she continued. "I didn’t think I could go back to acting and have them see me as a character but I’m a very creative person. I can’t just do this, I have to do something."

Kyle Richards and Jamie Lee Curtis in 2018.
Kyle Richards and Jamie Lee Curtis in 2018.Getty Images

So in 2018 when Richards was asked to do an "Entertainment Tonight" segment with Jamie Lee Curtis — whom she first met as a child actor when she was cast at the age of 8 in the original “Halloween” as Lindsey Wallace — and then attend the red carpet premiere of "Halloween" later that same night, her mother popped into her head.

"I heard my mom’s voice saying the squeaky wheel gets the oil, the squeaky wheel gets the oil," she said. "So when I was asked why weren’t you in this 'Halloween,' I looked at Danny McBride and asked him 'why wasn’t I in this?' Why wasn’t I in this thing?' And then they put me in the next one."

After generating positive buzz from her appearance in "Halloween Kills," just this week it was announced that Richards will be reprising her role once again in “Halloween Ends,” the final installment in David Gordon Green’s trilogy of films in the iconic horror series. Filming begins next month.

"The Housewives of the North Pole."
"The Housewives of the North Pole."NBCUniversal

"So what’s great about right now is that I’m actually able to do it all," Richards —who is also starring in "The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip" on Peacock — said. "I’m doing reality and it’s not lost on me how the doors that have opened and how grateful I am to NBC, Peacock and Bravo. So I’m able to kind of like do all of it while still being a mom. We’re good multitaskers over here ... us moms."

But don't worry. The only original "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star still on the show isn't going anywhere anytime soon. And despite their longstanding feud over many years, she recruited her sister — Kathy Hilton — to join last season, much to the delight of the world, who fell in love with the weird and wacky mom of Paris and Nicky.

"I’m so happy about that," Richards said when asked about the time she is getting back at the holidays with her sister. "We just had the most beautiful Thanksgiving, where we also celebrated Kathy and Rick’s anniversary. I cooked here at my house and all of my children, my nieces and nephews said it was the best Thanksgiving they have had in 20-something years. It was just such a beautiful night."

Kyle Richards and Kathy Hilton.
Kyle Richards and Kathy Hilton.NBCUniversal

Richards — who has also starred on the "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" for many seasons with her other sister Kim Richards — said that despite the reality show putting extra strain on their relationship and their family troubles in the spotlight, she wouldn't omit her family from her reality show career.

"Of course I’m not happy about the times that Kim and I had an argument or didn’t speak," she said. "But the show really actually was good for my sister Kim. If we didn’t do the show, I don’t even know where our relationship would be, honestly. So in a lot of ways it did help. With Kathy, it was just great timing."

That tension and conflict that has defined most of Richards' time on the 13 seasons of the Bravo show has been one of the most relatable narratives for audience members to connect with. While her castmates are bickering with a friend they may not really be friends with, her fights with her sisters run deep. This not only provides for high-stakes drama but also a lot more empathy and understanding from viewers who may see ourselves in their stories.

Kyle Richards and Kim Richards.
Kyle Richards and Kim Richards.NBCUniversal

"Yes, it's very different when you're arguing with a sister. Absolutely. I cannot even tell you how difficult that was. Sometimes newer people will come on the show and they'll be so upset and they're crying ... and I'm like, honey please. You kidding me? I don't even get out of bed for this. You don't know what I've gone through on this show. You do not know what we have been through over these years. You cannot be that upset over this. So now, it's easier for me to let the small stuff roll off my back."

Despite the ups and downs, Richards said she and her family are exactly where are they are meant to be. Right now, that place is a good one and there's nowhere else she would rather be than there.

@kylerichards / Instagram

"This journey has been very challenging at times, and difficult. I suffer from anxiety and some of the worst anxiety of my life was during those times where my sisters and I were estranged from each other. I still feel like we all grew from these experiences and we don’t want to go back there. We don’t want to go back there. So yes, I don’t regret any of it."

Richards is moving forward, ready for this new act of her career. Albeit happening later than when she expected, it's happening exactly when it was meant to.

"I was expecting a lot of these things in my life to happen way earlier," she said. "But this new part of my career, this new aspect of it, this reawakening if you will... it's all in the cards. It's gonna happen when it's meant to happen... but never give up."

TODAY is owned by NBCUniversal, the same parent company of Bravo and Peacock.