Kim Kardashian shares the stage (but not the spotlight) with Glenn Close and Naomi Watts in ‘All’s Fair’

Placing Kim Kardashian, 45, in any situation — whether a TV series, a movie theater, or a press conference — comes with one potential problem: she becomes the center of attention. But, of course, that can also be an advantage if the goal is precisely to make Kim Kardashian the focus. And that’s exactly what creator Ryan Murphy sets out to do and and achieves in his new series, All’s Fair, which premieres on Disney+ on Tuesday, November 4. Because even when Kardashian is surrounded by dazzling jewelry, jaw-dropping homes, high-fashion looks, steamy plots, and, above all, actresses like Naomi Watts, Glenn Close, Sarah Paulson, Teyana Taylor, and Niecy Nash, Kardashian is just too Kardashian to lose even an ounce of the spotlight.

Murphy has made the reality TV star, entrepreneur, aspiring lawyer, ex-wife of Kanye West, mother of four, and creator of the world’s most famous shapewear and thongs the protagonist of his new series. The now-actress is not a guest star; she has her own lines, storylines, and presence. Her face and figure are plastered everywhere in Hollywood — surrounded by her co-stars, yes, but clearly at the center of the frame, one step ahead. Murphy knew her presence would work, and he has capitalized on it.

During the premiere of the first episode in Los Angeles, Kardashian stole the show, from the moment she entered the theater until halfway through, when she had to leave for interviews, as she told the audience. Disney+ did not provide advance screenings to the press, so the only way to see the episode was to attend the premiere in mid-October in West Hollywood. That’s why the theater (actually two theaters) was packed; curiosity to see the stars, along with the after-party at the iconic Chateau Marmont hotel, drew even more attendees.

Everything surrounding the series has been both public — grand premieres and launches in New York, Paris, and London — and private: there have been very few individual interviews, aside from major podcasts like Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy with Kardashian herself. That’s why the series press conference at a Hollywood hotel was so closely followed by the media. Once again, Kardashian became the center of attention, dominating both the questions and the answers.

During the 35-minute conversation, there was time for about a dozen media outlets — including EL PAÍS — to ask questions. Three of them were directed to the six lead actresses: Niecy Nash, Naomi Watts, Teyana Taylor, Glenn Close, Sarah Paulson, and Kardashian herself. One question was for Watts and Close. The remaining six were all for Kardashian. After all, being a woman surrounded by famous women (four sisters and a very famous mother), a multimillionaire, entrepreneur, lawyer, and twice divorced isn’t so different from playing a wealthy divorce lawyer in a series. In All’s Fair, Kardashian plays the co-owner of a firm with several partners (showing off fabulous pieces of jewelry and couture), and a tumultuous love life.

During the discussion, the actresses talked about divorces (though without getting too personal), the importance of the women in their lives, and the significance of receiving a call from Ryan Murphy — the unstoppable and acclaimed creator of anthology series like Feud, American Horror Story, Monsters, and shows like Glee, Pose, and Ratched.

“When he called me and told me all the names involved, I said, ‘Oh my God, yes!’” recalls Teyana Taylor, who also has a lead role in the new movie One Battle After Another. “I was not letting this opportunity pass me by. To be able to share the same space and breathe the same air as these amazing women is an honor. I’m just soaking everything up and being a student.”

Glenn Close, the most veteran actress, explained that she doesn’t like to repeat roles or genres because she doesn’t want to get bored, but that she learned a great deal on this project. “He called me and said it was about women lawyers, and I said, ‘I did Damages. I don’t want to play the same role again,’” she recalls. But Murphy assured her that she would be “the matriarch, the mentor.” “And you’ll have great clothes,” he told her — “which is, coming off some of the things I’ve been doing recently, very seductive,” Close admits with a laugh.

As with everything Murphy touches, the production of the series is spectacular, filled with designer outfits and scenes set in massive mansions.

Kardashian explained that their characters’ job to help their female clients get their “their confidence back and to go in there and get them what they need.” “I feel very well-versed in family law and divorce law,” Kardashian admitted. “I was happy to bring my knowledge into the character.”

Kardashian may be an expert in managing fame — and even in law — but acting is another story. She has lent her voice to animated films and made cameos and small roles in music videos, TV series (CSI: NY, American Horror Story), and movies (Ocean’s 8), but nothing compares to starring in a series. And she has a full plate of commitments, from her reality show — the foundation of her fame — to her businesses and studies.

“I knew coming on to this that I was working with women that were the best at what they do, and they’ve been doing this for a very long time,” she says in response to this newspaper. “So my job was to make sure that I didn’t waste anyone’s time, and I showed up prepared as best that I could. And every single day I learned from them just by watching them — how they lived their life and how they perform their craft ... it’s the best lesson that I could ever learn."

And she does admit: “I did have a lot going on and but so does everyone else here — Teyana has an album coming out at the same time... everyone here has so much going on and so many projects and products."

Her co-stars also praised her work ethic. Close recalled how, between takes, “she had flash cards for her law exams.”

Sarah Paulson also celebrated Kardashian’s work ethic during the press conference: “I think we all felt this way watching you juggle what you were juggling and being able to do the work with dignity and grace and ease and joy and humor. It was inspiring for me because sometimes I might be quick to say, ‘Ah, I’m just tired.’”

She continued: “I remember one time wrapping at midnight and you saying you weren’t going to be able to sleep in because you didn’t have a lot of help in the mornings, because you like to get up with the kids, and you were going to still do that even though we had to be back up in five hours. It was a very good lesson and inspiration to me to watch how you navigated all that, because it was not easy, and you did it with a lot of grace and were still funny and knew all your lines.”

Watts echoed this: “The juggling aspect was incredible to watch. I think Kim is the calmest person I’ve ever met in my entire life, which is crazy considering how big her life is. Her multitasking is next-level.”

“We always talked about that,” Nash added. “She has a kid on the phone, law books, a script, runs a business on her laptop… all at the same time.”

Was Kardashian, with so much on her plate, at the right moment to accept such a major role? “When Ryan Murphy calls, there’s no right moment,” she said.

And how did she feel about starring alongside acting giants like her co-stars? If Glenn Close admitted she had never been among a cast of women like this and felt “truly intimidated at first,” how did Kardashian feel? “When you expressed you were intimidated at the beginning, I was scared shitless. I just was like, ‘Glenn Close is intimidated? What should I be?’ I didn’t even know how to be.”

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