Just in case you thought the Kardashians might finally be reaching the end of their extremely lengthy fifteen minutes, guess again. Kim Kardashian, who last year snagged a role in Tyler Perry’s “The Marriage Counselor,” has just landed a multi-episode arc on the fourth season of the Lifetime series “Drop Dead Diva” according to Deadline Hollywood. On the show Kardashian will play Nikki, the new love interest of Fred (Ben Feldman). Nikki will also be partnering with Fred’s ex Stacy (April Bowlby) in a new business venture.
Yes, Kardashian has made forays into acting before (she popped up in “How I Met Your Mother,” “CSI: NY,” “Disaster Movie,” and “Deep in the Valley”) and is scheduled for a small role on an episode of “Last Man Standing” next month, but Perry’s movie and “Drop Dead” constitute her biggest roles yet. The question is, why?
Perry justified hiring Kardashian because she’d likely lure young movie goers into theaters, while “Drop Dead” executive producer Josh Berman gushed about “her smarts, sense of humor and passion.” All I can go on is her monotone, flat affect on every reality TV show I’ve seen her on. Yes, she’s gorgeous. She has great hair. But, unless she’s taken some truly amazing acting workshops lately, she’s never actually seemed all that comfortable talking in front of a camera (posing for a still shot, she has down to a science).
Maybe Berman will be able to coax something out of Kardashian we haven’t seen yet. Maybe that expressionless gaze will be stripped away to reveal a deadpan wit. But I have to wonder if Kardashian’s acting career has more to do with producers hoping to grab her loyal audience for themselves, regardless of whether or not she’s a good fit for any given project.
Will you watch Kim on “Drop Dead Diva”?