Paris Hilton - Biography

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As the great granddaughter of famed hotelier Conrad Hilton and co-heir to the Hilton fortune, one would think that Paris Hilton had everything she could ever want. But instead of being satisfied with a position in life some would kill for, Hilton has stridently endeavored to make her own mark in the world--she and her younger sister Nicky were first among an increasing pack of young, hard partying socialites-turned-model/actresses that the media dubbed "celebutantes." In doing so, however, Hilton has regularly created a public spectacle of herself; and a few of her escapades have proved to be embarrassing. And while her name was bound to attract a certain degree of notoriety, the rabid partygoer and hyperactive socialite has in reality become famous for doing absolutely nothing of merit.

Hilton was born on February 17, 1981 and spent most of her youth growing up in the world famous Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in Manhattan, which Conrad bought during the Great Depression. Of course, Hilton grew up in other homes as well, most notably in the Hamptons and Beverly Hills. Upon graduating high school in 2000, Hilton immediately embarked on her quest for fame, first by modeling for such famed fashion designers as Tommy Hilfiger, Marc Bouwer and Catherine Malandrino. Hilton also posed for spreads in numerous magazines, including <I>GQ, Vanity Fair</I> and <I>FHM</I>. The heiress even tried to start her own modeling company and makeup line, but both ventures soon fizzled.

Hilton also received a lot of media attention because of who she may or may not have been datingthe paparazzi seemed to make up relationships based on who she was seen cavorting with. She was spotted with Titanic (1997) star Leonardo DiCaprio, which the press inflated into a full-blown romance when it was only a casual relationship. Hilton was also seen with T2 (1991) star Edward Furlong, Welterweight boxing champ Oscar de la Hoya and Tommy Hilfiger model Jason Shaw, to whom she was engaged for a short time. However, Hilton wasnt satisfied with getting in the news solely because of her love life. So together with her tamer sister Nicky, Hilton bounced from party to party in an effort to drum up as much attention as possible. At the after party for 30 Years to Life (2000), for example, Hilton bullied her way past a line waiting for the bathroom. When confronted with her rudeness by a fellow partier, Hilton retorted that she was merely trying to get a look at herself in the mirror. She then expatiated about her accomplishments, much to the annoyance of those unfortunate enough to be within earshot.

Becoming known for her barely-there fashion victim outfits, glued-to-her-ear cell phone and penchant for dancing atop nightclub tables, Hilton did eventually segue into an actual acting career, though most of her appearances were cameos as herself or someone very similar. She made her film debut in Zoolander (2000), a Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson vehicle about an inept fashion model who goes undercover to stop a secret cartel of political assassins posing as models. Hilton was one of many cameos in the film that included Donald Trump, Lenny Kravitz and Garry Shandling. Her next cameo was in Wonderland (2003), a noir-like drama about a down-and out John Holmes, the ex-porn star who got caught up in a multiple murder case involving his former drug dealers. Another cameo was tacked on her resume when Hilton played a club-goer in the big budget The Cat in the Hat (2003), starring Mike Myers as the famous Dr. Suess character, and she had another don't-blink moment in "Raising Helen" (2004).

Hilton went from movies to television with a starring role in a reality show with life-long friend, Nicole Richie, daughter of pop singer Lionel Richie. In The Simple Life (Fox, 2003- ), Hilton and Richie ditched the glamorous Manhattan social scene and donned overalls and work boots to milk cows and bail hay on an Arkansas farm. Though completely out of her element, Hilton managed to survive the experience. Meanwhile, Hilton grabbed more headlines and inches in the gossip columns and <I>US Weekly</I> for her various alleged social misadventures: she reportedly went topless in a popular Manhattan club, though Hilton later denied the rumor; and she was also seen locking lips with the notorious Ingrid Casares.

Hilton's biggest headline came in late 2003 when rumors popped up about a videotape of Hilton having sex with ex-boyfriend, Rick Salomon, ex-husband of Shannen Doherty (with whom Hilton has reportedly had public rows). Though the heiress and her lawyers initially denied the existence of such a tape, Hilton finally acknowledged her participation once a three minute teaser was spread far and wide across the Internet. The Hilton familys p.r. team and lawyers went so far as to imply that their client may have been druggeda move that later spurred Salomon to file a $10 million slander suit. There were also allegations that Salomon or someone in his circle may have purposely leaked the video, which was the subject of much public disussion and levity despite the heiress' continued failure to display any serious talent beyond an ability to pose. Hilton, meanwhile, was embarrassed to the point where she found herself retreating from the limelight, including having to cancel a promotional interview with David Letterman, who joined other late night comedians eviscerating her in their monolgues and stand-up routines.

Such was the price of fame--but as a result of the flare-up of notoriety "The Simple Life" pulled in big ratings numbers, so perhaps Hilton knew what she was doing all along. A second season of the "The Simple Life," with Paris and Nicole traveling across country, was quickly scheduled and shot, and a third season cast the duo as interns at various businesses. And each season seemed to arrive with another public Paris mishap: in 2004 one her "co-stars," her tiny Chihuahua Tinkerbelle, turned up missing and caused a media furor, but the dog was ultimately discovered and returned to her mistress unharmed; in 2005 hackers cracked open the contents of the heiress' Sidekick device and posted much of the material on the Internet, including cell phone numbers and email addresses for celebrity cohorts such as Lindsay Lohan and topless digital camera shots of Hilton passionately kissing a female Latin MTV personality.

In 2005 Hilton appeared in her first major film role--though still in support of star Elisha Cuthbert--in the warmed-over horror remake "House of Wax," playing Paige, an insecure, possibly pregnant student who joins her friends on a road trip only to be stalked by a pair of killers who make their home in an isolated town's wax museum. Although the character didn't tote a chihuahua or wear predominantly pink fashions, she did doff her clothes and seemed ready to make a sexy video, so the part wasn't exactly a stretch, and the film wasn;t exactly a critic's favorite. At the same time, Hilton announced that her friendship with Richie had reached an impasse, and she expected to replace her on "The Simple Life" with another pampered gal pal, Kimberly Stewart (the daughter of rock star Rod Stewart and TV personality Alanna Hamilton).

The heiress stoked controversy again with a 2005 TV spot for Carl's Jr.'s Spicy BBQ Six-Dollar Burger in which she seductively washes a Bentley, clad only in a skimpy bathing suit and stiletto heels, while a version of Cole Porter's "I Love Paris" plays in the background. The Los Angeles-based Parents Television Council deemed the ad unsuitable for family viewing, calling it little more than "soft core porn," protesting the campaign and considering petitioning the FCC for a ruling on whether the spot violates decency standards.