“Feedback from the Persian community has been a mixed bag, but I take it in stride,” says Reza Farahan (flanked by Lilly Ghalichi, left, and Mercedes “MJ” Javid) of his heightened profile post-Shahs of Sunset. Photographed by Joe Pugliese on March 25 at Siren Studios in Hollywood.
The series’ ultimate appeal: that the Persian-American experience is like that of any immigrant culture. “Very family-oriented and career-minded,” is how Farahan characterizes the experience of his cast and other similar groups.
The Shahs’ very real conflicts and issues — Farahan’s homosexuality, Golnesa “GG” Gharachedaghi’s anger-management problem, cultural and generational divides — point to a deeper struggle rooted in past prejudice. “I grew up [in the U.S.] during the hostage crisis, and from that point on, the only thing I ever heard from people about my culture was negative and related to fanaticism or terrorism,” explains Farahan. “It took the strength of a Ryan Seacrest and a network like Bravo to put six Middle Easterners on television in a post-9/11 world."
The downside of starring on the reality show? Says Javid, “Not being able to go to the grocery store with your hair up in a bun unless you’re willing to have people tweet about it.”
Newcomer Lilly Ghalichi is still grappling with the self-censorship required in the reality-TV environment. “Private moments are exposed and your every word is criticized, so I need to be a little more careful and more PC,” she says. “But I don’t want to be fake.”
Humility and an understated tone are not what you might expect from Reza Farahan. After all, on Bravo’s Shahs of Sunset, he’s not only the group’s resident social director, but also its glam ringleader and usually the first castmember to throw out the B-word with the wave of a finger. But even Farahan is flabbergasted by the run-away success of the show.
Sean Lowe, photographed by Emily Shur on March 22 at Pink’s Hot Dogs in Los Angeles, has revitalized The Bachelor franchise. The 29-year-old Texas business owner with the Southern charm and goofy sense of humor was chosen for season 17 after appearing on Emily Maynard’s season of The Bachelorette.
“His abs didn’t hurt,” says executive producer Mike Fleiss on why Lowe was selected to star on the ABC series. “But he won out because of his level of sincerity.”
“I think some of the fame might get to their heads, and I don’t know how sincere they were going into it,” Lowe says of the Bachelor stars that came before him. “All I can speak on is me, and I think it worked for me.”
Underneath those washboard abs — which helped earn him the label “The Shirtless Bachelor” — is a devout Christian who chose to become celibate after college. And while Lowe has never used the term “born-again virgin” to describe himself, that’s what the tabloids called him when they broke the story.
If anyone has a beef with The Real Husbands of Hollywood’s inclusion on this list of unscripted hits, BET network chairman and CEO Debra Lee has a prepared comeback. “We can actually admit our show is scripted, unlike other reality shows that pretend to be real!” laughs Lee of BET’s recently renewed hit.
From left: BET’s Real Husbands of Hollywood Nick Cannon, Nelly, Boris Kodjoe, J.B. Smoove, series creator/star Kevin Hart and Duane Martin. Photographed by Ramona Rosales on March 24 at Riverfront Stages in Glendale.
The Kevin Hart–created spoof of Bravo’s Real Housewives franchise lured about 6 million viewers for its first-season finale March 21.
Giuliana Rancic, photographed by Olivia Malone on March 20, poses in her E! Entertainment Television office on Miracle Mile. From her breast cancer battle to coping with infertility to the birth of her son, Duke, via surrogate, Rancic has emerged as reality’s most likable — and relatable — everywoman.
Giuliana and Bill, the series starring Rancic and her husband, is Style’s longest-running and highest- rated program — season five averaged 508,000 total viewers, up 15 percent from the previous cycle. Rancic, 37, also landed on the New York Times best-seller list with two books, one of which, I Do, Now What?, ranks among Amazon’s top 100 self-help titles.
Born in an impoverished neighborhood in Naples, Italy, Rancic moved to the U.S. with her family when she was little (she taught herself English by watching TV). She started her career in Washington before joining E! News in 2002 as a correspondent.
The Rancics own a restaurant, RPM Italian, in Chicago — Michelle Obama recently dined there — and say their dream job is to host a daytime show in the Windy City (though Giuliana’s contract with E! keeps her in L.A. through 2015). “Family is my priority,” she says. “I truly believe you can find a way to do it all.”
“I came in for lunch and left with a restaurant,” says Vanderpump of her West Hollywood eatery Sur, where she and Giggy were photographed by Christopher Patey on March 20.
The January debut of Vanderpump Rules, which Vanderpump also co-executive produces, brought in 1.9 million viewers, the biggest premiere for Bravo since the summer 2010 launch of Bethenny Getting Married?
“It is unusual to have a star who provides great entertainment value but also has business-savvy,” says Alex Baskin, executive vp at Evolution Media, which produces Rules and two of the shows in the half-billion-dollar Housewives franchise. “Lisa has unerring instincts and is completely committed to what is best for the show.”