Kathy Hilton

Kathleen Elizabeth Hilton (née Avanzino, formerly Richards; born in New York City, March 13, 1959) is an American actress, socialite and fashion designer. She is the mother of the media personality, socialite and actress Paris Hilton and fashion designer Nicky Hilton Rothschild.

Her acting career
In 1968, Hilton began acting while still a child. She retired from acting eleven years later in 1979.

In 2005, Hilton hosted the reality program I Want to Be a Hilton through NBC. She later appeared on the show The World According to Paris in 2011 along with her daughter. The show wasn't popular with audiences or critics.

In June 2012, Hilton commented she was really skeptical about seeing her half-sisters Kim and Kyle Richards on the television show The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. She stated they made her "break down in tears" while watching the half-sisters' lives "fall apart."

Business ventures
During the 1980s and early 1990s, Hilton ran her own gift and antique shop. It was The Staircase on Sunset Plaza in Los Angeles. She began selling merchandise in 2002 on the cable television home shopping network QVC. In 2007, Hilton began selling signature skincare lines on the Home Shopping Network. The following year, she launched a perfume called "My Secret".

Philantrophy
Hilton was also known for philantrophic practices. In 2007, she raised money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation by asking celebrities to auction their belongings and donating the proceeds to them.