Nicole Richie Dishes on How She Balances Motherhood and Her Acting Career

Since the end of The Simple Life, Nicole Richie‘s life has been anything but simple. In the ten years since the show’s conclusion, she’s started the House of Harlow fashion line, has had two children with Good Charlotte rocker Joel Madden and is making her scripted television debut on NBC’s Great News, co-starring alongside John Michael Higgins.

The Candidly Nicole star took a moment from her busy schedule to talk to E! News about how she balances being a mom with a blossoming acting career.

Richie was open about how nervous she was about acting in a sitcom, but told E! News that she never let it get to her, or to her kids, Sparrow, 7, and Harlow, 9. 

“My kids were so excited to come to set and watch me in this new chapter of my life,” she said, adding “They were with me throughout the whole process.”

The actress and designer stressed that she felt it was important to communicate with her children about the changes in environment, telling E! “I think that it helped them because they go through those same challenges.”

Richie has given her thoughts on the importance of sharing with her kids before, telling Oprah “My kids operate best when I let them have a voice. I really explain things to them, because really, kids want to be told the truth.”

As for time management, the star expressed very little concern. “I tend to believe that is something is important to you, the time just makes itself available.”

Nicole Richie will make her sitcom debut on Great News. The show, written by 30 Rock alum Tracy Wigfield and exec produced by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, follows a mother-daughter relationship at a cable news network.

Great News premieres Tuesday, April 25th at 9pm PST on NBC.

(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)