In one short year, Spencer Pratt, 24, the self-promoting Machiavelli of MTV's hit show The Hills, has become the man viewers love to hate. Pratt, who joined the scripted-reality fray when he began dating aspiring famous person Heidi Montag, immediately drew ire for his blazing SoCal accent and manipulative ways. As the third season winds down, the Santa Monica–born Us Weekly staple, music manager, and feud-starter is well on his way to joining cold-hearted Puck, scheming Richard Hatch, and dastardly Omarosa in the pantheon of reality TV villains. But is he really so terrible? Judge for yourself in this online-only extended version of Radar's interview.
Finally, we speak. I hope you haven't been reading all the Radar coverage of your misdeeds.
I've gotta be honest. I've never been so excited to do an interview. I love the bad press. The bottom line is I'm making people react and ultimately not think about that we are in a war in Iraq and are trying to pick leaders. The Hills is a good breath for people. I do not take it a little bit seriously. I'm an entertainer.
So I take it you are enjoying the effects of reality TV?
I would be on reality TV until I am 100. It's the coolest thing in town. I'm not saying that I'm a celebrity—they should be famous leaders and Nobel Prize winners—but this is the way the world works. If the world was normal, which it's not, I would not even be in these magazines. But people get caught up in the drama and the feuds. It doesn't affect me one little bit. I think it's hilarious that someone is in their office typing negative things about me—like, what are you doing with your life that you have to stay at work typing about Spencer Pratt?
Thanks for legitimizing my career.
No, I think it's great that we are here talking. I'm here and I didn't harm anybody, get in a car accident, didn't get a DUI, and didn't assault anybody. I would rather be this hated guy for not doing any harm to anyone physically. I'm here and I have not been racist or homophobic. There are people out there that you could go after so much more, but I'm the new villain, and that's hilarious! It's so cool to be alive.
But, seriously, doesn't your family feel kind of embarrassed that your general image is "sleazebag"?
My grandma, who is 81, was at my birthday dinner last night, and she was saying in her whole life—which has been miserable for the most part—the one thing that has made her happiest is getting to read the tabloids, watch The Hills, and be a part of this weird pop culture phenomenon. She wears two buttons with my face on it. And if my grandmother is crying for joy in the last years of her life, then it is all worth it.Have you always wanted to be famous?I was the guy from the time I was five to 15, every golf tournament on the West Side, I was out there with Cokes and water selling them $4 over price because it was so hot out, reselling chips for $5. I was making thousands of dollars when I was a kid just reselling food on the corner. I grew up in Santa Monica and went to Crossroads, and every parent around me was a president and CEO, and when you're around that many talented people and seeing them always on their BlackBerries from kindergarten, you start getting your grind on way younger.
So you're a born hustler?
Well, I'm trying to be a billionaire before 30. Once you find an open market, that's where you can make billions to trillions of dollars. Every big product, from Proactiv to the Internet—these were things that were just ideas. And I'm a free thinker. There is no box. I'm thinking about ideas that people might think are crazy, and I'm like, this world is crazy, where do you think we are? You want to tell me there's a planet and there's a universe, and gravity holding us down? It's like, okay, I'm crazy then.Whoa. I think you just blew my mind right now.Yeah, I've been learning a lot about business. For example, I learned a lot about guerrilla marketing from rappers, and that's essential. To break a rap record, you need to have the street behind you and then serve it to America. In our culture, hip-hop sets the cool.How exactly does a white kid from Santa Monica get in with street crews from Compton?Because I'm real. I'm not fake. If you hang out with me, you know me. Business is business and I play ball. When I did Princes of Malibu, I wanted to do a scene where we use David Foster's studio to record a rapper. I thought, you know what, I'm going to find some hot young street rapper so I can manage him, promote him through the show, blow him up, and give him the FOX platform.
Too bad the parents got divorced on the show and that episode never aired.And now you manage Heidi's [Montag, his fiancée] music career
Yes, but I don't take a dollar from Heidi. I get my own money. I just don't want anyone taking a percentage from Heidi that isn't committing their life to her.Isn't that a bit controlling?I would never tell Heidi what to do. I would never make any decisions where Heidi is not 100 percent in charge. Are you really trying to think Heidi is so crazy that she is brainwashed? She's in love, I'm in love, we are the happiest we've ever been. I would have married Heidi the second I realized who this girl was. She was born and raised in Crested Butte, Colorado. She can't be tarnished or corrupted like you can in L.A. or New York, she is a pure soul. She is an angel, and I'm honored to be with her. People don't even know!
Easy, tiger.
So Heidi can really sing?
Like a Mouseketeer on steroids! She was made for entertaining. She was walking around in high heels at two years old doing dances. I would never call Spencer Pratt a star, but she is, because she shines. That is the definition of star—she pops out from the universe.It takes a star to refer to themselves in the third person. You seem to really want your name out there.Like I said, I would do reality TV forever. It's so much cooler to have people come up to me and be like, "Spencer Pratt!" and know my name, than to be Orlando Bloom, who's famous for being some pirate.Do a lot of people approach you in the clubs?I'll be honest, I haven't been out to the clubs in about a year. I stopped going as soon as I stepped up my business. A president of a major talent agency that I play squash with every day gave me a quote: "Spencer, I know you want to be the biggest and the best. And nobody in the clubs is the biggest and the best. People are either on the squash court at night or they are in bed and get up at 4:30." And that's when I stopped going, and everyone was all, oh, Spencer can't get into the clubs! Please, I know every promoter in town.
But you recently lost your business partner and David Foster's stepson, Brody Jenner, to a friend breakup.
Brody and I went our separate ways because I don't think Brody has loyalty, and that's one thing I'm so big on, integrity and loyalty. And there are things he would do that I would never, over my dead body, do to my friends, let alone business partners or clients.
But you did go through a lot together, including an unflattering Details profile and subsequent fight with Joel Madden. [In the piece, Pratt called Madden's girlfriend, Nicole Richie, a "skinny bitch."] Doesn't that count for anything?
I think that stuff is so hilarious, because the editor/writer of the piece came out there to just sniper Brody. And that quote about Nicole Richie being "a skinny bitch"—he was misquoted. That editor was just trying to get his name out there and get out the big piece and get his little writer chips when it comes down to it. But there was no fallout, Brody didn't care and I didn't either. Joel is just Nicole's new baby daddy, and the fact is, in pop culture, it's middle school, and if your girlfriend is sad because some dude said something mean, you gotta go show how tough you are with your tattoos and make a scene. It's all part of the game.
Speaking of which, it got pretty middle school with the Lauren Conrad "beef curtains" tirade you posted on your blog.
If you start it with me, I play back. But if I saw Lauren right now I'd say, hey, wassup, you know? This beef is nothing—real beef is if you harm my family or friends. Bad things were said, and you can't leave those unanswered. And maybe I got emotional because I am in love with Heidi and these were harsh comments relating to the sweetest person ever who isn't brainwashed and is totally normal.
Don't you worry that your fights today will affect your future?
Well, I definitely want to go into politics later in my life. I plan to be governor at least, and president if possible. But if people look back on the show, I'll say, who were you when you were 23 years old? Don't tell me you didn't go to the nightclub and get in fights with your girlfriend and throw paint on the wall. It's not going to affect my politics and things I want to change. It's going to be about who I want to be and not who I was when I was 20.So live it up now.Definitely. I just am so blessed. I've never been very religious and now I'm like, if there is a God, I love God. I know there is something out there because I am seriously the happiest person on earth.
source: radaronline.com
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