Phaedra Parks on returning to the Housewives and how her wig game helped her find 'a new Phaedra'
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In possibly the greatest comeback since Mariah emancipated Mimi, Phaedra Parks returned to The Real Housewives franchise with a trunk full of wigs and optimism. This incredibly enjoyable season of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip Ex-Wives Club was made even more so by the cheery presence of everyone's favorite Southern belle cum attorney cum undertaker.
Amid all the arguments and drunken shenanigans, Parks remained a calming, and consistently hilarious, voice: whether she was questioning Brandi Glanville's "lesbian eyebrow" theory, or deploying her vast array of facial expressions and spot-on reactions, or just cracking wise during her confessionals that produced more belly laughs than any scripted sitcom.
Just don't call her the "star" of the show.
"Stars explode sometimes, you know," Parks says with a hint of knowing experience. "They come and go. So you have to be careful when you start saying someone's a 'star' or they want to be the star, because really, in a reality ensemble cast, everyone should be concerned with being the best representation of what they are good at. Only one person can be you. And there's no other Southern belle like me."
Zack DeZon/Peacock
Following her controversial exit from The Real Housewives of Atlanta in 2017 after seven seasons, Parks has remained a popular if problematic ex-wife. Thus her inclusion in a season of all ex-wives — divorced from the dramas of their respective seasons — felt like a no-brainer.
And with a cameo on Peacock's The Real Housewives of Dubai, Parks has been all but welcomed back into the Bravo family. EW caught up with the busy and bewigged Ms. Parks to discuss her time in The Berkshires, the finale of Ultimate Girls Trip, and how her wigs helped her find a "new Phaedra."
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: It's been such a delight watching you on Ultimate Girls Trip. It seems like you, especially, came in with this very positive attitude, like you just wanted to have a good time. Some of the women came with a lot of baggage — metaphorical and literal —
PHAEDRA PARKS: Well, I had plenty of baggage, honey. I actually had a mishap with all my baggage.
Oh no, what happened?
In the airport, my bags got pilfered. I have all that Louis Vuitton luggage and they took the cover off and went and took out some of my things. But it worked out fine because I had brought so many outfits. I was all right.
Zack DeZon/Peacock
You sure did. What were your thoughts when you first got to The Berkshires?
It was beautiful to me. I never really knew where it was — is it like The Hamptons, where is The Berkshires? Where is this place? — but it's so beautiful. When I tell you it's absolutely gorgeous. [Dorinda Medley's] estate is so picturesque. I mean, she could build a whole town on that property. So I was like, "Oooh-weee!"
What did you think of Dorinda as a hostess?
You know, I think if I was a white lady, I'd be Dorinda. I probably just wouldn't drink dirty martinis because I'm not a drinker. But I would be very much like Dorinda. Because she's very well put-together. She likes to have fun, but then she's conservative at the same time. So you get this sorta crazy side then you get this conservative side. But her heart is pure. She is made of gold. She has great intentions. And sometimes I believe people misunderstand her, but she's got great intentions. Just like Brandi. I'm a mixture of Brandi and Dorinda, but you know, I don't do all that taco … you know ...
The eyebrows.
My eyebrows are arched the one way. [laughs]
Now, were there any women that you didn't get along with? Because it seems like you got along with pretty much everybody.
You know what, I got along with everyone. I really did. Because we obviously know how Housewives works, you'd think that maybe you're going to have people who are just going to be aggressive because they want to have that "moment." But I got along with everyone. I didn't have bad juju with any of the ladies.
Zack DeZon/Peacock
How did you get involved with Ultimate Girls Trip in the first place? We haven't seen you on Housewives in a while, how did you get brought back into the fold?
We [she and Andy Cohen] have been talking for a couple of years about my re-entry into the Housewives franchise, but it had to be something that was right for me and my family, and something that I could be happy about. So when they presented this, Andy called and said, "Hey, I've got something that you cannot turn down." He said a vacation, we were still in COVID, I'd been in the house with the kids, been a teacher [grimaces] so I was like, "Count me in, I'm there." And then they said Dorinda's house and I know Dorinda is like Martha Stewart mixed with a dash of crazy Housewives, so I said, "Oh yeah, I'm there."
Is there any part of you that's a little upset that the other Housewives got to go to Turks and Caicos and the next one's going to Thailand?
I think because we were at Dorinda's and we were obviously in the States, I don't think any other Girls Trip will compare to ours. Because I think the talent that's on our show is so undeniably TV-worthy. You can take someone to a beach, you can take them all across the world, but if you don't have the personalities, you still got a snoozefest, okay? You can be great anywhere. And I know what it's like to travel with the Housewives. That can be very, uh, exhausting in itself because of the travel. But I think with the girls, with the ladies on this show, I don't think you'll be able to beat our cast. I doubt it.
Zack DeZon/Peacock
I see that you popped up in [The Real Housewives of] Dubai… How'd that go?
I loved it. I love the ladies over there, I love the culture. I love the opulence of it. I love how over there, there are opportunities, opportunities are opening up. It's just a different way of living. And it suits me.
You're making cameos in Dubai, now that you're friends with the other women, would you be making cameos on, like, Orange County or New York?
You can just start making me a roving Housewife, let me just show up in your kitchen, honey, show up at your vacations. It's funny because, I'm actually going to be attending the wedding of Teresa's, and so I'm like, "Oh my gosh, I'm going to be with the New Jersey ladies, which I love. And I love Teresa and I'm super excited for her. But being a Housewife is definitely a sort of sorority. Only people who have done it can understand what it's like, and can understand the scrutiny that comes with it, the ups, the downs, the highs, the lows. And so I have a special place in my heart for Housewives.
Is there any chance that you'll go back to Atlanta?
Oh, that's not — that's not in my view. Don't you love seeing me with the lovely ladies in Dubai? With all the fabulousness over there.
Zack DeZon/Peacock
I must say, I was obsessed with the wigs you brought to this season.
Ooh, did you love?
I was liviiiiiing!
Were you living for all the hair changes and the wardrobe?
Yes, daily wig changes! Thank you for all your hard work.
Ooh, I love it. Well, I will do more. And I have to say, when I was on Atlanta, I was obviously married, my husband did not believe in anything but all natural everything. He didn't like added hair, he didn't like color, so I was submissive to whatever he wanted me to do. I could never play with color or wigs or any of that kind of stuff, so you know — I got delivered and I am free, honey. I'm gonna get me some wigs and some color. Who thought I could be a blonde bombshell? Who knew? The people love it. It's definitely freeing to be able to just do a new me and not be scrutinized. Because, of course, you know, this is all post-Atlanta, and I just love it. I've found a new Phaedra. If I run out this room, I might be a new Phaedra.
Zack DeZon/Peacock
What can you tell us about the finale?
The finale is full-circle. A lot of fences will be mended. It's going to be a spiritual experience. It's gonna really be good. It's gonna make — it made me cry — it's gonna make you cry, too, I believe. But it's gonna be beautiful. People are going to enjoy it because you'll see all of the confusion, it's going to settle down and we're going to end on a great note. And it's going to be about love and peace and joy. But of course you'll get a few fights before we get to that point.
Of course. We know how this works. So how would you sum up your Ultimate Girls Trip experience? What was your highest high? What was your lowest low?
I enjoyed every moment of it because I came in with the expectation that it would be a good experience and I would give everybody the opportunity to get to know me for who I am. But I would also give them the same opportunity for me to actually get to know them without any judgmental, preconceived notions that people try to place on you because you've been a Housewife and you can Google all the stuff about us. So I don't have any low moments, I really don't. I really, fully enjoyed it. I fell in love with a lot of the women and I keep in touch with them, so I have a new family. I have my Blue Stone Manor family now.
Zack DeZon/Peacock
Did you have a favorite moment?
Oh my, so many favorite moments. I loved us at the winery because that gave me the opportunity to share some of my spiritual beliefs and give them a glimpse into how I survived the tumultuous experience of being a Housewife. But when I tell you Dorinda is the hostess with the mostest, just being able to enjoy lavender ice cream [laughs] and just see her in her element. She pulled out all the stops, from the snow at Christmas, everything was spectacularly done. I have no regrets, it was all positive for me.
The finale of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip Ex-Wives Club is currently streaming on Peacock.
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