Denise Richards: Biography

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Denise Richards.Image via Wikimedia Commons

Who Is Denise Richards?

Denise Lee Richards (born February 17, 1971) is an American actress, model and television personality. She rose to prominence with roles in the science fiction film Starship Troopers (1997), the erotic thriller film Wild Things (1998) and the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough (1999). Her performance as the Bond girl Christmas Jones gave Richards her mainstream breakthrough.

Richards has appeared in films such as the comedies Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999), Undercover Brother (2002), Scary Movie 3 (2003), Love Actually (2003) and Madea's Witness Protection (2012), the slasher Valentine (2001), the dramas Edmond (2005) and Jolene (2008) and the musical thriller American Satan (2017). Her television roles include the sitcom Blue Mountain State (2010–2011), the mystery thriller series Twisted (2013–2014) and the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful (2019–2022). She returned to the soap in May of 2026.

Richards has starred on reality series such as Denise Richards: It's Complicated (2008–2009), The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (2019–2020, 2023–2024, 2026) and Denise Richards & Her Wild Things (2025). In 2011, she published a memoir, The Real Girl Next Door, which became a New York Times Best Seller.

Early life

Early Life: Where Is Denise Richards From?

Richards was born in Downers Grove, Illinois, to Joni (née Braden), a coffee shop owner, and Irv Richards, a telephone engineer. Her mother died of cancer in November 2007. She has said that her ancestry includes German and French heritage. Richards has a younger sister, Michelle. She grew up in both Downers Grove and Mokena, Illinois. As a child, she was the "only girl on the baseball team."

When Richards was 15 years old, her family moved to Oceanside, California. In 1989, she graduated from El Camino High School. She was voted best looking in her high school yearbook. Richards was raised Catholic. After her high school graduation, she began working as a model and traveled to cities such as Paris, New York, and Tokyo to do photo shoots and commercials.

1990s: Immediate breakthrough and stardom

Richards began her career as a teenager in modeling and appeared in print ads for Bonne Bell cosmetics in 1991. She also appeared on the cover of Teen magazine; in an instructional video, "Modeling: What It Takes"; and later in Max Factor's Premiere 2K advertising campaign.

Denise Richards's Career and Major Works

In the 1990s, Richards appeared in several films and television shows such as Loaded Weapon 1 (1993), Tammy and the T-Rex (1994), Lookin' Italian (1994) and guest starring in episodes of Saved by the Bell, Married... with Children and Doogie Howser, M.D. In 1993, she portrayed Ben Affleck's character's girlfriend named Jodi Collins, in the short-lived drama series Against the Grain. Richards made guest appearances in several television shows, including Beverly Hills, 90210 (1992), Seinfeld (1993), Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1994) and a guest-arc in Melrose Place (1996). In 1995, Richards appeared in a made-for-TV movie In the Blink of an Eye, alongside Veronica Hamel and Mimi Rogers.

Her first starring role in a wide theatrical release was Starship Troopers in 1997 for which Richards was nominated for the Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Female Newcomer. The film grossed a total of $121.2 million worldwide. In 2012, Slant Magazine ranked the film at number 20 on its list of the 100 Best Films of the 1990s. She followed this with a role in the erotic thriller film Wild Things (1998) alongside Kevin Bacon, Matt Dillon and Neve Campbell. Variety praised Richards's transition from good-girl-type roles to manipulative villainess and the review continued to include her as part of "an ensemble that appears to be enjoying the challenge of offbeat roles and unusual material. There's not a wrong note struck by the game group of players." In 2016, Glamour praised the film's female characters by describing Richards and Neve Campbell as "two of the most well-rounded, fascinating, and exciting characters to ever grace the screen."

Richards was cast as the nuclear physicist Christmas Jones in the James Bond film The World Is Not Enough (1999). Though she considered her role "brainy", "athletic", and having depth of character, she was criticized as not credible in the role. Her outfit, which often comprised a low-cut tank top and tight shorts, elicited unfavorable comments. Richards stated that a lot of viewers "made fun of" the character's attire but that "These Bond girls are so outrageous and if I did really look like a scientist, the Bond fans would have been disappointed." Richards was nominated for the Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actress – Action, for the film. Later that year, Richards starred alongside Kirsten Dunst in the beauty pageant satire, Drop Dead Gorgeous. The film has gained new fans with time and is regarded as a cult film. Richards, playing a spoiled princess, was praised for her performance by Los Angeles Times for being "as rightly nasty as she is pretty".

2000s: Mainstream and television work

Denise Richards's Personal Life and Relationships

In 2001, she guest-starred in Friends as Ross and Monica Geller's cousin, Cassie Geller in the episode "The One with Ross and Monica's Cousin". Later that year, she appeared in four episodes of Spin City as Jennifer Duncan, a love interest of Charlie Sheen's character. She starred as Sheen's character's ex-girlfriend two years later in two episodes of Two and a Half Men. Richards appeared in numerous films such as Valentine (2001), Good Advice (2001), Undercover Brother (2002), The Third Wheel (2002) and You Stupid Man (2002). She played Annie Logan in the horror comedy film Scary Movie 3 (2003), which was a commercial success and grossed $220 million worldwide. The film's plot significantly parodies the films The Ring, Signs, The Matrix Reloaded. Richards made a brief appearance in the British romantic comedy Love Actually (2003). In 2004, she appeared in two films, Whore and Elvis Has Left the Building.

In 2005, Richards had a lead role as publicist Jolene in the short-lived UPN soap opera Sex, Love & Secrets. The series focused on rich young adults living in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, and their secrets involving sex and love. She starred in the ensemble drama film Edmond (2005) alongside William H. Macy and Mena Suvari. In 2008, she reunited with her Wild Things on-screen mother Theresa Russell in the drama film Jolene (2008).

Her reality show Denise Richards: It's Complicated debuted on E! on May 26, 2008. The series followed the daily lives of Richards, her daughters Sam and Lola, and her married younger sister Michelle and father Irv. Entertainment Weekly published a review and wrote that "It's Complicated is one of those "celebs, they're just like us!" shows in which we're expected to enjoy watching a famous pampered person doing things we don't want to do either." The series concluded after two seasons on July 26, 2009.

Richards appeared on season 8 of the dance competition television series Dancing with the Stars, paired with Maksim Chmerkovskiy. She was the second contestant eliminated on March 24, 2009. She landed the role of Autumn Bliss in the romantic comedy film Deep in the Valley (2009) alongside Kim Kardashian and Chris Pratt.

Where Is Denise Richards Now? Recent Years

2010s: Continued success in film and television

In 2010, she joined Paramount Network's sitcom Blue Mountain State as Debra Simon. The series is about a fictional university, Blue Mountain State, and its football team, the "Mountain Goats". It portrays certain aspects of American university life, including American football, sex, drinking, and partying. In February 2012, it was reported that Blue Mountain State would not be renewed for a fourth season. Over the years, due in large part to being streamable on Netflix, the series has developed a cult following. In July 2011, Richards published a memoir The Real Girl Next Door, a New York Times Best Seller. Richards decided to write a book because she "wanted to do something inspirational for other people going through challenging times," she told HuffPost in 2011. In September 2011, Richards reportedly turned down $100,000 to appear as an ex-girlfriend at Charlie Sheen's funeral in Two and a Half Men. A month later, she began filming a guest spot for an episode for the sixth season of NBC comedy series 30 Rock. Richards was part of TV Guide Network's show, Hollywood Moms' Club, which aired in November 2011.

Richards played Kate Needleman in the comedy film Madea's Witness Protection (2012), which grossed $67 million at the box office. Madea's Witness Protection was filmed in Atlanta in early 2012 and was released through 34th Street Films and Lionsgate. In 2012, Richards joined the cast of ABC Family's mystery-thriller television series Twisted. In 2015, she appeared in two films, Operation: Neighborhood Watch! and Christmas Trade. In 2016, she made a guest appearance as herself in The CW's Jane the Virgin, in the episode "Chapter Fifty-One." She portrayed Kat Faust in the musical thriller film American Satan (2017), for which Richards was nominated for the Festival Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Feature Film at the Northeast Film Festival. Later that year, Richards portrayed Temple Hampton in an episode of Bravo's comedy-drama series Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce. She starred in the supernatural horror film The Toybox (2018) opposite Mischa Barton. The film is about a family who go on a summer road trip in a used RV and get stranded in the desert by a supernatural force that is slowly killing them off. She portrayed Karen in the faith-based film The Prayer Box (2018), released on October 20, 2018.

In August 2018, Richards announced that she would be joining the Bravo reality series, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, for the show's ninth season, which premiered on February 12, 2019. Vanity Fair described her addition to the series by saying: "She might be one of the most famous people to join the Housewives franchise, someone who was a legitimate household name before becoming a reality star. Now, that doesn't always translate to on-screen gold, but it is a nice little coup for Bravo." The New York Times wrote that Richards "brought a refreshing and occasionally disarming dose of reality" to the series. On May 31, 2019, The Daily Beast wrote that "Richards's appearance on the show is the best kind of surprise, one that reveals that a celebrity is not who we may have assumed them to be. She's an extremely warm, loving parent, without a hint of narcissism or vapidity about her." Fox News called her "an instant fan favorite" when she joined the show in 2019.

Denise Richards's Legacy and Impact

In 2019, she joined the cast of CBS's soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful as Shauna Fulton. "Shauna is a fun-loving, hard-working single mother from Las Vegas who aspires to live life to its absolute fullest," executive producer and headwriter Bradley Bell told People magazine. In July 2019, it was announced that Richards had joined the cast of Fox Broadcasting's comedy-drama television series BH90210 in a guest role, playing a fictionalized version of herself. She portrayed overly-ambitious mother Candice in Lifetime television film The Secret Lives of Cheerleaders, released on September 2, 2019. "I think the story's about this girl that's trying to fit in and makes some bad choices and then, knowing right from wrong, decided to make a better choice," Richards told Parade. On November 4, 2019, Richards appeared as a guest model on the game show The Price Is Right. Richards played Valerie in the Christmas film My Adventures with Santa (2019) opposite Patrick Muldoon. The film was released in limited theaters on November 15, 2019.

2020s: Unscripted television and independent film output

Richards returned for The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' tenth season, which premiered on April 15, 2020. On September 10, 2020, her representative confirmed that Richards is leaving the series after two seasons. In late 2020, Richards traveled to Spain to begin filming adventure drama series Glow & Darkness, portraying the role of Countess of Champagne. In 2020, she appeared in five films: Money Plane, Switched, Reality Queen!, Alpha Code and Timecrafters: The Treasure of Pirate's Cove. The heist film Money Plane was released to video-on-demand services on July 10, 2020, by Quiver Distribution. In Switched, released on September 4, 2020, Richards portrayed Victoria Sharp, the mother of a school bully. On August 28, 2021, she played Amanda in Lifetime's thriller film Killer Cheer Mom. The film follows a high school junior named Riley, who moved to a new town with her dad and stepmom, Amanda (Richards). In April 2023, it was confirmed that Richards would return to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, in a guest capacity for the thirteenth season.

On November 15, 2024, Fox announced that Richards would be one of fifteen contestants to appear on the third season of reality quasi-military training television series Special Forces: World's Toughest Test.

In March 2025, Richards starred in Denise Richards & Her Wild Things, a reality television series focusing on her and her family for Bravo. The series launched on E!. The show lasted for one season.

In August 2025, Richards made another return to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, appearing as a guest star for the fifteenth season.

Other activities

Denise Richards's career continues to be documented by reputable media; the facts above are drawn from Wikipedia's biography and public records.

Frequently asked questions