Nicole Richie

By Sara Templeton

You wouldn't think it possible, but I can can actually empathise with the brash Nicole Richie.

You see, just like Nicole who rose to fame as a celebrity who isn't really a celebrity, I am a writer who isn't really a writer.

Like her close friends the Hilton sisters, Nicole managed to make a name for herself not by showing how good an actor she is, or singing like her father Lionel, or penning a brilliantly witty sitcom like 'Frasier' or 'Seinfeld'.

No, she gained celebrity - or is it notoriety - thanks to her party girl behaviour, and what do we do when she says things like "I've just gone through so much in my life that pulling my top up just doesn't seem like that big a deal"?

We reward her for it by giving her not one season, but multiple seasons of the cutting-edge 'The Simple Life' reality show.

Apart from being well-known for her work at seducing dashing country boys in the 'The Simple Life' series, she is also the adopted daughter of singer songwriter Lionel Richie, and perhaps her best known exploit was when she got arrested for possessing heroin in early 2003.

Besides her more recent role-model-in-the-making adventures, Nicole Richie grew up in world not unlike that of the brilliant 'The O.C' television series, where our movie man Clint Morris recently spent some time on the set.

Born on the 21st day of September in the year 1981, in Berkeley California, Nicole's biological parents were Peter Michael Escovedo and an unknown backstage assistant. Nicole's real father was, at the time, a part of Lionel Richie's band and cared for her until she was three years old, at which point in time Nicole began living with Lionel, allegedly for financial reasons.

Being cared-for by Lionel Richie and his then-wife, Brenda Harvey-Richie, Nicole was eventually adopted by the Richie's at the age of six, and by the time she was attending the elite Buckley School in Los Angeles she had bumped into none other than hotel heiress Paris Hilton.

The start of what would become a social pairing to polarise all views, the Nicole and Paris friendship begun when the two upper class girls began partying and socialising together.

The partying led to alcohol and eventually drugs - but like many young people in Generation Y, this was a fairly normal thing, and look at her now -- sure, she was busted with heroin, but she's making a very good living and I say good on her. If there's a market and the demand for such trashy TV shows like 'The Simple Life', then why not embrace it and make the most of it? I know I would.

Upon graduating high school in 2000, Nicole went to university, or college if you will. She began her study at the University of Arizona, but decided it wasn't for her after a few years and decided to stop. Some people call it dropping out, but that's a silly term in my book, and a negative one at that. It's a decision, not a predicament.

Of her experience at college she said: "I went to the University of Arizona. I stopped because I went there for two years and I felt like I experienced college or whatever. I'm over it. I like Hollywood better."

After leaving higher education behind, Nicole turned to more artistic pursuits, namely music. She set up a band called 'Darling', which included high profile members, including the delightfully cute top model Josie Maran.

Just before she was about to begin filming the first series of her new TV show 'The Simple Life', in February 2003, her Mercedes-Benz was ordered to pull off the road by Police in Malibu, California. At first she was stung with a charge of driving with a suspended license, then when the cops searched her luxury car they found heroin, and she was promptly arrested.

Where such possession of A-class drugs would have seen her put to death in some countries, she pleaded guilty to all charges laid against her, and was ordered to attend a drug rehabilitation program while being put on probation.

Interestingly, before filming of 'The Simple Life' began in earnest, Paris Hilton was supposed to be teamed up with her younger, but less outgoing sister, Nicky, who turned down the part. Thanks to Nicky Hilton's declination of the role, Nicole was approached and the rest, as they sometimes say in clichéd biographies, is history.

With her small screen exploits, Nicole Richie's reputation grew and between series she appeared on Ashton Kutcher's 'Punk'd', as well a other shows such as 'MADtv' and 'Eve'. Her musical ambitions are still playing a part in her life, and she currently lives in L.A and has been seen dating men such as Elijah Blue Allman DJ AM.

Still, at least with her more recent activities in television and film she's now a legitimate celebrity, but me, I'm just a lowly hack...