'Housewives' Reunion = 'Out of Control'

By Amber James Posted May 8th 2009 09:53AM

Filming a reality show can get ugly if you take yourself too seriously, 'The Real Housewives of New York City' star Alex McCord told PopEater.

"The other women are too invested in what the rest of the cast thinks of them," she said.

Even the reunion special took seven hours to film because the drama was completely "off the charts" and "out of control," McCord added.

The 'Real Housewives' focuses on the lifestyles (and drama) of affluent women and their families living in New York. While the finale episode ended on a resolved and happy note, McCord assures the reunion episode is going to make up for it.

"You really could just run the tape [without editing.] It goes from one fight to another ... It really could have been its own mini-series. Given that so much of it was TV worthy, we really don't know what is going to hit the air," McCord said.

McCord usually stays out of the fierce drama and tries to distance herself from most of the squabbles. "I don't particularly care what the other women think of me. It's very liberating ... I don't really care if they are on my side or not," she said.

The 'Real Housewives' reality show focuses on the lifestyles of affluent women and their families living in New York. McCord, who lost her job due to lay-offs earlier this year, said she's finally landed a new gig. While she wouldn't disclose the details, she'll be making the big reveal on the reunion show. "Stay tuned. It's something that is really, really exciting for me and is exactly the right thing to be doing in this economy," she said.

While the 'Housewives' await the news of a possible third season, McCord is keeping herself busy. She and her husband, Simon Van Kempen will release a "tongue-in-cheek" parenting book in January 2010 and are creating a line of shirts with a fashion design couple from Brooklyn. So, how good is life for McCord? "So good it should be illegal," she said.

Alex McCord's Q & A with PopEater

The truth about Simon's red pants in the finale episode (see side video): "The production staff had said '[Simon] is going to wear something crazy on the finale, right?' So we were like, 'What can we come up with here?' Simon pulled the pants out of the back of the closet, and I thought, 'Yes! Those are it.' I thought the end [of the finale] was particularly funny with Simon dancing in those pants."

Advice about fashion and style: "I personally think that the one thing you should never be with fashion is boring. You need to have fun with it."

On the reality of the show: "We are definitely happy with the Second Season because we learned how to do it whereas during Season One we got asked to do things and agreed, even though we probably shouldn't have ... I remember there was a time when someone asked Simon and I to do Pilates on the beach. Neither of us have done Pilates in our entire lives. That would be not real for us, so we didn't do it."

If she would film a third season: "I think there are more stories to be told. We are all one big dysfunctional family. I hope if they do another season, they bring everybody back."

'The Real Housewives of New York' reunion episode will air on Tuesday, May 12 at 10 p.m. EST on Bravo.

Tags: alex mccord, AlexMccord, bravo tv, BravoTv, the real housewives of new york city, TheRealHousewivesOfNewYorkCity