Paris Hilton moves into new season of life and song

Paris Hilton

LOS ANGELES - Munching on a creamy pink cupcake, Paris Hilton arrives late at the studio for a day of hawking her latest wares -- projects she hopes will make her famous for something more than just being famous.

A small army of make-up artists attend her every need. One combs her long blond hair to make sure that not a single strand crosses her face, another applies makeup under her eyes and a third acts quickly to avert a crisis: She sends for a napkin to brush away the cupcake crumbs.

A shout of "quiet, please" rings out as heiress Hilton, 25, a brand name on the international celebrity scene, prepares to do a day's work, this time record a promotional spot for the fourth year of her TV series The Simple Life.

She will use the occasion to do interviews discussing the series, her films, her books, her plans for a TV cartoon character based on her life and most of all her new album of sexy "you can dance to it" music.

There are some things that the celebrity best known for being a celebrity cannot answer without taking a long pause and some things she will not discuss (like the sex video that helped make her famous).

She stretches her long limbs out comfortably in a deck chair and lets the camera roll for the promotional spot. She pauses and appears to think for a long time before answering a series of simple questions like, "Who is your favourite actor?"

"Brad Pitt," she finally says and then reacts slightly more quickly when asked who her favourite actress is (Angelina Jolie) and favourite comedian (Ellen DeGeneres).

There is no hesitation at all -- and maybe that is the point of the promotional ad -- when asked what her favourite television show is. "The Simple Life," she says.

In the show she and fellow "celebutante," former best friend Nicole Richie, perform ordinary tasks like housework, milking every scene for "poor little rich girl" gags.

Hilton will not talk about Richie, and she and her entourage have been kept in the dark that Richie, her entourage and two tiny dogs are in the building at the same time as they are.

Although their paths are never to cross, the entourages almost bump into each other at the garage level elevator bank at the studios of cable network "E!."

Hilton and Richie had a very public bust-up, details of which they have kept private. But both agreed to work on a fourth year of the series because business is business and the show helps all their auxiliary projects.

Hilton says she and Richie still do not talk to each other but they do appear side by side in two of the 10 episodes that "E!" will be showing in June.

When asked what was it like to work with Richie, she answers: "You will have to watch. It has a surprise ending. This is the best season so far. I had a great time doing it."

She also says she had a great fun making her record for Warners Bros which comes out in June and is already the subject of much media play, including 1-1/2 pages in the Los Angeles Times which posed the question, will she be better than expected since so little is expected of her?

The Times pop music writer Chris Lee, who listened to four tracks, reported that Hilton has "a competent, kittenish singing voice" that in one cut is played against a background of orgasmic squeals and suggestive panting that makes it sound like "the musical companion to her sex tape."

This sort of comment has probably long stopped bothering Hilton, who says, "I am so happy to have so much success. The album is sexy and fun and you will want to dance to it. People will see that I am talented. I think people like me because I am very real myself and I lead an exciting life. There is no one like me. I am unique.

"I worked hard for all this. I tell girls that if you basically work hard all your dreams will come true."

- REUTERS