Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photo: Getty Images

In the 20 years since The Real Housewives of Orange Country premiered on our screens, almost 200 women have taken on the mantle of Real Housewife. Some never make it past their first season. But with others, you just know they’re going to have a place among the all-time greats from the moment they enter the frame.

Alicia Carmody is one of the latter. I realized this back in April in the opening scenes of The Real Housewives of Rhode Island, when the mother-of-one casually dropped into conversation that she once “ran ova a woman” with her car. One episode later, when she described a co-star’s cheating husband as a foot doctor who is “rubbing more than just a foot,” while nibbling on charcuterie, it was obvious that she was made for this.

Carmody and the rest of the cast of The Real Housewives of Rhode Island bring together tried-and-tested Housewives archetypes: old-school broads, plucky underdogs, thirsty pot-stirrers, you-better-not-cross-me matriarchs, and women who have skeletons in their closets. There’s a level of chaos that follows them around, which feels reminiscent of The Housewives of Salt Lake City and Potomac. So far this season, we’ve seen polyamory, sugar daddies, multiple cheating allegations, mistresses who are “known for using AI,” and the introduction of the term slam pig into the Bravo lexicon.

As a lifelong Rhode Islander who has decadeslong friendships with many of her co-stars, Carmody is the glue that binds the cast together. Sometimes a mediator, sometimes a fighter, what really makes her stand out is her kookiness and positivity. She speaks with an unmistakable “Rhode Island” drawl and struggles to say certain words, like folklore and ghosts. She’s a collector of dolls and is known for telling us the (many) other things she “loves”: a clambake, a horse, a tequila, a pizza chip, trivia, “Aubrey’s” (meaning Audrey’s), Britney Spears, and “Jane’s Fonda.” “That’s just who I am,” Carmody says. “When it’s time to be serious, I can be an adult. But day-to-day, if we’re having drinks, then I’m not intensely thinking of the perfect word. If I say the wrong word, then I’m gonna say the wrong word!”

Carmody is a woman who, like many before her, has joined Housewives with the hope of finding her voice. She attributes her fan support to being an open book. “I didn’t lie about anything; I didn’t change my personality. I shared my anxieties,” she tells me. “I really went in with my full self, and I think people can feel that.” She did this once again during our conversation, when we spoke about her cracker — sorry, “crackah” — addiction, how much she spends on her dolls, whether or not she was ever homeless as a kid, and her thoughts on polyamory, pizza, prenups, and slam pigs.

On the show, it seems like everyone knows one another’s secrets. Is that what Rhode Island is actually like?
It is! And I think that’s why it’s so hard to leave, because you’re so used to having a background check on everybody. You’re like: I know their entire family, I know what they did when they were in kindergarten, and I know who pissed their pants in second grade. It’s a comforting feeling, and I think that’s why everyone who leaves comes back to Rhode Island, because they miss that security.

As the Pizza Mamma of Rhode Island, what’s your go-to pizza topping?
It depends on the day, it depends on the weather, it depends on my mood. If I’m getting my period or I’m trying to be skinny but I still want pizza, I have a different order for every mood.

What’s your go-to “period pizza”?
When I have my period, I like to treat myself, so I will get a heavy hitter — so that would be the Detroit pizza. Then, if I’m trying to be skinny, it’s a pita pizza — it’s on pita bread, so it’s very thin. I usually get it with light cheese and light sauce, so it kind of tastes like a pizza cracker.

What are three items you’d take to a desert island with you?
Peppermint oil, bronzer, and crackers.

We know you love a cracker. Are all “crackahs” created equal, or do you have a favorite brand or type?
So I don’t need the fancy-schmancy crackers. I’m just good with a mini-saltine — mini-saltines are my favorite. I like them because they’re small. The big crackers, you have to break apart. I eat them throughout the day, every day. I’m like a bird. I even pack them when I go on vacation just in case I can’t find them in the market. I take a little Tupperware [waves Tupperware of crackers in front of the Zoom camera]. And I love oyster crackers — that’s a huge New England thing. They’re here [waves the Tupperware of crackers again] in my little box — the little round ones. You put them in clam chowder.

I know you love dolls, too. How many do you have in your collection? Are they pricey?
We have hundreds — I’m not sure how many, but it’s a lot. I have two brands that I love. American Girl dolls, you could spend a fortune in the store, so they’re expensive. But I also love the Rainbow High dolls, and those are like Barbie prices. They might be like $20 for a doll, unless there’s a limited edition; like the Paris Hilton doll was $100.

And what about the American Girl dolls? How much are we talking? 
They can get very expensive. Usually around Christmastime they come up with the limited-edition job that might be $300. But then you might want to get the ears pierced or get them a manicure or buy them another outfit. Then they have all the accessories you could buy, and they have pets too! Like, it’s wild.

Wait, you can get their ears pieced?! Have you done that?
Of course I have! Oh my God, it’s the best thing ever. You have to go to the American Girl store in New York City, so that’s once or twice a year when I go down there. I’ve probably done it for eight of the dolls.

You’re the first Real Housewife I’ve ever interviewed who arrived before me, so you seem like a punctual person. At what point would you expect a friend to text you if they’re running late to meet you?
Yes, I’m a very on-time person! It gives me anxiety if I’m running late. If I’m sitting in a restaurant, I’d expect a text in five minutes. I’d want to know right away.

Do you have a favorite cocktail?
I love a Stoli Doli. It’s real pineapple that sits overnight in vodka — or like a week. So it’s vodka that sits in pineapple and then you drink it. I never made it myself, but at a restaurant, it’s unbelievable. It’s refreshing, and I feel like it’s healthy because it’s a fruit.

As someone in the restaurant business, what’s your approach to tipping?
I always tip a little over 20 percent — I do, especially if I have a good experience. I love going to a restaurant. I love that I don’t have to do dishes or go to the grocery market, so I really appreciate a waitstaff.

Let’s play a game: “Crackah” or “Crappah” — if you love it, you say crackah, and if you don’t, crappah.
Botox? Crackah.
Searching your own name on social media? Ooh … crackah.
A slam pig? Crackah!
Housewives who skip cast trips? Crappah.
Polyamory? I’m gonna say “crappah” for me, but “crackah” for other people, because it depends on the situation.
Prenups? I would say crackah; you have to always protect yourself.
Foot doctors who “do more than rub a foot”? Crappah!
And, finally, running over a woman in your car? Oh God, crappah, definitely crappah!

Did you get a lot of DMs asking you to explain how you “ran ova a woman”? You just casually dropped that in there …
Oh, I got thousands of DMs — like literally thousands. I was mortified when I saw that I said that on TV. I was like, Oh my God. I forgot that I said that! What happened was, I was driving and the woman dove in front of my car! She went through the windshield a little bit, but she was totally fine — thank God.

You were very open about issues in your relationship with your fiancé, Billy, on the show — particularly about not feeling like you had financial freedom. What was it like watching that back with him? 
Well, sometimes I’m like: Oh, I probably shouldn’t have said that. Because sometimes I say things that I mean in that minute, but then I move on and I don’t feel that way. It’s just like venting, so sometimes I’m like, Maybe I should have talked to him before I fully blasted him on TV. Or it’s difficult to watch it back, because you’re like:, I didn’t know how much this bothered me. It’s like therapy — you’re talking about your feelings all day long, so you don’t even know what it might bring up.

Is there anything in particular you regret sharing?
No, I don’t regret it. I don’t, because I think — knock on wood — it definitely helped our relationship. A few months later, after I asked for a stake in Pizza Mamma, Billy was like, “I love that you did this. I wish we did this a while ago.” And I think I was just embarrassed and I didn’t want to overstep. It really was that I was actually telling him this stuff on TV for the first time.

Your biggest beef of the season was with Liz. Do you think it might have stemmed from the day at the vineyard, where you brought up the rumors that she had an affair?
No, I don’t think it stemmed from there at all. With that, everyone was talking about it and everyone knew about it. So we had to address it on the show, and I think everyone was scared, so they were like, Alicia, you’re it! You’ve got to bring it up. And I was very nervous about it, because I didn’t want to put her on the spot. But she knows that I know the truth, and that’s why she didn’t get mad — because, trust me, she can’t fake her emotions! If she was mad at me, she would have killed me that second.

Why do you think the “you wa neva homeless!” argument happened between you two?
So, first of all, let me clear this up. I said that my dad sold our house and took all of our money — that we had nothing left, so I had to move back in with my grandparents. And she was like: But America is going to think you’re homeless! I never said I was homeless. I said I was without a home. I wasn’t saying “Oh my God, I was at a shelter, I was on the streets, I was living in a car.” Those are two separate things. Liz brought it up, saying, “I’m protecting your family!” But that wasn’t protection — she tried to make a fool out of me and embarrass me. That’s why I just couldn’t stop crying. I was like: What are you trying to do to me right now?!

Speaking of fighting, Dorinda Medley said she almost had to kick the Rhode Island cast out of Bluestone Manor during the 20th anniversary Ultimate Girls Trip. What was it like filming with the OGs?
So, first of all, I love Dorinda. She’s amazing. But yeah, I felt it was like a movie! I was like, This is wild. When I saw Teresa Giudice — her energy is insane.

How has your first season as a Real Housewife changed you? 
It’s wild. I feel like I grew up this year. It’s crazy how much you grow when you’re having to talk about your feelings and talk about things that make you feel uncomfortable. Usually, I would probably just brush things under the rug, but I had to sit and talk about things. I found my voice this season, for sure.

Related