Spelling's Real Life Meets Reality TV
Randy Spelling — son of TV mogul Aaron Spelling, brother of "90210" alum Tori — hopes that viewers of his new reality show, "Sons Of Hollywood," will realize that celebrity offspring have red blood running through their veins, just like everyone else.
"I think there's a huge misconception that comes from famous parents, that they're always born with silver spoons in their mouth, everything is given to them and they don't have to lift a finger," Spelling told The ShowBuzz in an interview. "It's not true. We deal with real human being issues that everyone deals with. You strip the last name away and you have the same blood as everyone else."
Spelling thinks that sentiment will resonate when people watch the A&E show (premiering April 1) which stars childhood pals Sean Stewart (son of Rod and Alana) and Dave Weintraub, who doesn't come from famous stock but was an agent for the guys and is now their manager.
Whether he'll admit it or not, being the spawn of a Hollywood legend means you get special attention, which isn't something everyday people have to deal with.
"On the plane yesterday the woman in front of me was reading 'Peace Talks and Joyful Teary Reunion' with my mom and my sister," Spelling says.
He's referring to the reported rift between his sister, Tori, and mother, Candy, which has been splashed all over the tabloids and Internet since his father passed away late last year. Mother and daughter apparently reconciled when Tori gave birth to her first child, Liam Aaron, on March 13.
While he says he doesn't know what they were fighting about ("I try not to butt in as best I can," he says) the 28-year-old chooses to laugh off the coverage.Photos: Aaron Spelling
"It's just so funny the media sensationalism and how they choose to blow things out of perspective. I mean my mom and Tori have been communicating for a little while and my mom was there with Tori when the baby was born and they've talked like almost everyday since and I would assume things are OK," he says.
Just like any other family who welcomes a baby, according to Spelling, grandma has been over to see her grandson every couple of days and he has even helped with feedings. "I actually fed him two days ago, first feeding as an uncle. It was cool, definitely very cute," he says.
But don't get the wrong idea — you won't see baby bottles and diapers on his new show (for that you can tune into his sister's show "Tori & Dean: Inn Love" on Oxygen). His series is a documentary of sorts about the daily lives of the famous trio and it includes storielines about the business, addiction and death.
The first episode starts out on a high note, with the guys living it up in Vegas as you might expect of rich kids. By episode two Stewart is meeting with record execs about record development and we watch Spelling as he deals with the last days of his father's life.
The TV mogul's health was deteriorating during production, so Spelling chats endlessly on his cell phone about plans for his subsequent death. He says it was tough living through those experiences on camera.
"I'm an actor and I'm a professional, the show must go on you know," he says. "(But) there were a couple times where I was like, I need a minute, you know, to compose myself. But pretty much it's all there, you know. It's really weird, it's one of those things where you don't know if you're laughing too much at that point or you're crying and you realize, 'Wow, there's a camera on me and people are going to be seeing this.' "
While a lot of the show deals with him losing his dad, he dubs it a comedy for other reasons. "There's really crazy, funny, things that happen too," he says.
In future episodes, Spelling says we see Stewart's battle with substance addiction and, of course, inevitable reality TV fights that ensue in the house they lived in for the summer.
"I think we all take turns with each other," he says. "When you take three guys like us and you put three fairly strong personalities under one roof, there's going to be tension, it's going to be chaotic. Sometimes it was hilarious and much like a frat house, and other times it was like, you're going to strangle each other."
Throughout the season there are appearances from a very pregnant Tori, mother Candy and rocker Rod Stewart.
"It is a real life documentary, it's not scripted, it's all just whoever would pop in and out of our lives," Spelling says. "Something we were definitely aiming for is we wanted it to be real, I mean, literally as real as it can be and not have it be contrived at all. You're getting the real. And through the episodes, trust me, you'll definitely see that."
By Amy Bonawitz