When ‘likes’ lead to fame
Hollywood has been hunting for reality TV stars on social media and Dorothy Wang of #Rich Kids of Beverly Hills is among those finds.
OF ALL the genres proliferating on the small screen, reality TV is ruling the roost. If there is an interesting or topical subject, TV networks have no qualms about milking the show for as many seasons as they can. The content can vary from trashy to insightful to taboo.
The more OTT and catty the characters, the higher the show’s ratings. And that seems to be the chief objective.
In recent times, reality TV stars are being born faster than the shows can be churned out – and that’s saying a lot. What’s also become trendy in Hollywood is social media becoming the hunting ground for talent; more so with the options being infinite.
Dorothy Wang, one of the key characters in E!’s
#Rich Kids of Hills, was approached for the Beverly show due to the traffic she attracted on her Instagram account – she was part of a group called Rich Kids of Instagram.
In an EXCLUSIVE interview with Tonight, she said: “After seeing my Instagram, producers contacted me and asked if I wanted to have a show about my life with my friends in Beverly Hills. From there, I immediately brought in Morgan (Stewart), Brendan (Fitzpatrick), and Jonny (Drubel) for a meeting. A few weeks later, they called us back and said they wanted to move forward with a show. A few months into development, EJ (Earvin Johnson) and I met through my friend Ezra and became friends and I asked if he’d want to do it with us… and the rest was history.”
As the title suggests, the reality series offers a bird’s-eye view of life for these characters who, while born into a world of influence, try to make their own mark.
Wang, for example, is the heiress to her family’s real estate empire. However, she has her own ambitions and has already launched her own jewellery and champagne lines.
On how she has found shooting season four compared to the first one, Wang says: “I think season one was much more tense as I found it nerveracking. It was our first time doing this. We had no idea how people would react and what they would think of us. We have all always been very natural in front of the camera, but now I think we are a little more carefree and relaxed. We have already made mistakes and said things that maybe weren’t the most ‘politically correct’ and our lives still went on. So now we don’t stress about the reaction and criticism as much.”
Given the genre, there are often moments when the narrative is edited to fit a certain story thread. The down side of that being an unfaithful depiction of certain characters.
As for whether she has fallen victim to such a practice with this show, Wang offers: “It’s tough. Especially in the beginning, to feel accurately depicted, because each episode shows such a small fraction of your day and your life and it’s hard to let the audience see you in your totality. Thankfully, getting to season four, we have a larger framework, which I feel features every side of me a bit more.”
As for her best and worst storylines to date, Wang says: “Hmm, there are always the unfortunate or sad things that happen that you kind of wish everyone wouldn’t see. My worst and hardest storyline was in season two when my boyfriend and I broke up and how my friends acted when I took them to China. As for the best, I love going on adventures an interacting with people, so I would say either our trip to Wyoming or when Morgan and I road-tripped to Las Vegas to host a hot-body contest!”
During the past four seasons, Wang has learnt more about herself.
She offers: “I believe I have grown up so much. Doing a show teaches you a lot about yourself and how people react to you. I think I’m a little less sensitive now. So much has happened that sometimes I feel a little numb to it all.” So what’s a day in her life like? Wang reveals: “I wake up and immediately start e-mailing and organising my day. Then I try to get in a workout. My lunch is typically a liquid one – a shake or something quick and on the go. I package and send out my necklace orders, check in on my sparkling wine orders, and typically have meetings or errands or interviews for the rest of the day. During the week, I typically have dinner, either healthy at home or casual with friends around 7pm. Then I come home and unwind with some television, more e-mails, and opening my deliveries. Throughout the day I am constantly Tweeting, Instagramming, Snapchatting, and on FB, interacting with my fans.”
In fact, her Rich and Bubbly sparkling rosé has been getting favourable reviews.
She adds: “I’ve been working on being able to ship internationally – so South Africa won’t be left out much longer. In the future, I would also love to do a robe and nail polish line as well.”
By the way, this season proves to be an emotional roller-coaster for Wang as she braves the dating world again.