“I don’t think I’ve made it yet, but I’m working towards it,” says Burruss. “We’ll get there.”
Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Art Streiber
Bravo’s Next Gen NYC suggest that being a good reality star might be genetic. Anchored by Brooks Marks (whose mother, Meredith, holds court on Real Housewives of Salt Lake City) and Riley Burruss (whom we first met as Kandi Burruss’s quiet 6-year-old daughter on Real Housewives of Atlanta), the series follows their rag-tag circle of socialites and fellow celebrity offspring as they navigate life in Manhattan. By building itself around those familiar faces, the show quickly appealed to Bravo devotees who watched Marks, Burruss & Co. grow up on the periphery of the shows featuring their mothers. But leading your own show is a much different game — for better and worse.
When did you know you made it?
Riley Burruss: I don’t think I’ve made it yet, but I’m working towards it. We’ll get there.
Brooks Marks: The second I saw Brooks Marks clothing being worn in real life. That was the most surreal moment for me. I was leaving Salt Lake City airport, and I saw someone wearing it in the security line.
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What did you buy with your first major paycheck?
R.B.: My first big-girl purchase was probably my Frenchie, Banks. He definitely broke the bank.
B.M.: I reinvested it into my clothing brand. Sorry that’s not that exciting of an answer. I wish it could be a Birkin, but no.
If you were to describe your onscreen persona in five words or less, what would they be?
R.B.: My onscreen persona is silly, fun, a little dramatic, funny, and also chill at times.
B.M.: I would say authentic, loyal, and funny, I hope.
What is the moment that defines your career in reality TV so far?
R.B.: There have been two major moments that I always hear, and that’s my conversation about microaggressions and when I was super-dramatic and silly and falling all over the place on the waterslide thing.
B.M.: I would say the conversation that I had with my mom in season one of Next Gen NYC, about continuing the work I was doing for her or not. It was a tough conversation.
If you could go back in time and change one onscreen moment, what would it be?
R.B.: I honestly don’t think I would change anything. Everything happens for a reason, and even if I was like, Ooh, that was crazy, I learned something from it.
Is there a moment that you felt most misunderstood by viewers, and why was that?
B.M.: In Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, I felt a little misunderstood. The viewers would see such minimal aspects of me, a compilation of 15 minutes throughout multiple seasons. But on Next Gen NYC, viewers actually get to know me and see that there’s a lot more to me.
R.B.: I constantly feel misunderstood, but I don’t feel like you always have to be understood.
How did you get to that place?
R.B.: I got to that place by having a lot of conversations with my mom and my friends. I have a really good supportive group around me.
If you could switch places with anyone in reality TV right now, who would it be?
B.M.: Maybe any Food Network kind of show. I would love to be the judge tasting all the food.
R.B.: I would say my mom, but I actually don’t want to do that. I’m really happy with where I am right now.
Which reality star is exactly who they say they are onscreen, and who is the least like their TV persona?
B.M.: I would like to think that I’m the same on- and offscreen. A lot of people tell me that, but who’s the least? You’ll find out in season two of Next Gen.
Do you think that every good reality TV show needs a villain?
B.M.: I mean, from a viewer standpoint, probably.
R.B.: I don’t think so, although that’s simply how it happens. I do think every reality TV show needs someone who you can relate to.
Who is the villain of Next Gen NYC?
B.M.: I think we’re all passing that baton around constantly. See, it works if everyone plays their part. It sucks if you’re the villain perpetually.
What is the one thing you miss about life before you were famous?
R.B.: I don’t know if that applies to me because my mom has been successful, thankfully, for a really long time. So even if I wasn’t feeling it directly, I saw it through her.
What advice would you give to an aspiring reality TV star?
R.B.: I would say just be yourself. Not everyone is going to like you or love you or understand you, but as long as you are true to yourself, the comments won’t hurt you.
B.M.: Saddle up. A lot of people think they’re built for it and then you do it and you’re like, Whoa, that’s insane.
If you could cast two people from the reality-TV-verse to be on The Traitors with you, who would they be?
R.B.: Definitely Mary Cosby from Salt Lake City. My mom’s not on reality TV anymore, but I would say my mom.
B.M.: My mom, a thousand percent, and I’d love to have Riley there.
What is your favorite reality-TV feud in history?
R.B.: I used to really like Bad Girls Club and that was full of feuds.
B.M.: I mean, “I’m disengaging” was pretty iconic, a Meredith Marks original. Also “Love you, baby, bye,” with my mom slamming the door. That made me laugh. The OG feud of the century was Kim Kardashian hitting her sister with a bag.
Brooks, how do you know when to stay out of the drama and when to come in with a line like “Know your place?”
B.M.: Whenever someone I care about seems like they need a little help holding their own, that’s when I want to jump in. Or if I feel like I’m being walked over — but I feel like I’ve let that happen too many times to call that out.
Riley, you grew up with reality-TV cameras in your household. Is there a moment in your life that you’re happiest to have documented on camera?
RM: Sometimes I’ll see little clips of when I was younger in my old pink bedroom and I see how much of an attitude I used to have even back then.
Is there a moment that you’ve changed your point of view on after watching it back?
RM: There are a lot of times where I see clips and I’m like, I do not remember it happening like this. Especially with my family. I was a lot younger, so some things just didn’t compute in my head. Now I’m like, Oh, that was not the best.
Do you know one specifically?
RM: Of course: my grandma’s moments on TV. I laugh at them, but I’m sure my mom doesn’t find it so funny.
Is there a difference between filming in Atlanta versus in New York?
RM: Filming in Atlanta is honestly a lot more chill. Filming in New York can be hard because there’s so many people around you constantly, and so you’ll hear hecklers sometimes.
Can you describe for me your perfect night out in New York City?
RM: I have a lot of different vibes for my nights out in New York. I’d say recently everyone has been loving going to Catch, getting dinner and drinks, then we’ll either do a chill night in at one of our apartments or we’ll see where the night takes us.
B.M.: If I’m being real, it’s probably going to an Italian restaurant and then going home and sleeping. But if I’m out with my friends, I’ll start the night with a cocktail at a cool bar, maybe Crosby or Bond Street. I love that restaurant. Dinner has to be late so that you can go straight to the club post-dinner. You don’t want to show up to the club before midnight.
Brooks, what’s in fashionwise for summer?
B.M.: Terrycloth. Terry Light, specifically, a custom Brooks Marks–developed fabric.
What is your favorite of your mom’s looks?
B.M.: Going back to season one, I loved the look I created with Christian Cowan for her — it was this blazer dress with black metallic fabric and stardust-emulating crystals all over her lapel. More recently, I would say, I love that Rick Owens jacket she wore in one of her confessionals. I loved that Vos floral skirt and jacket that she wore, and she wore a really cool dress to the Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscar viewing party. I mean, she’s constantly crushing it.
What can you tease about season two of Next Gen NYC?
B.M.: Season two is probably exactly what viewers would not expect, and I feel like everyone says that, but genuinely, I didn’t even expect it filming it, so I don’t know how people are going to react viewing it.
Production Credits
Brooks Marks:
Styling by
Daniel Edley
Grooming by
Frankie Payne using Sauvage Serum at Opus Beauty
Wardrobe by
DSquared2 (tuxedo, shirt, shoes), Carrera (sunglasses)
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Riley Burruss:
Styling by
Daniel Edley
Hair by
Mideyah Parker
Makeup by
Nyala Chamberlain at the Only Agency
Wardrobe by archive
Alaïa courtesy of Albright Fashion Library (dress), Jimmy Choo (shoes)