‘Vanderpump Villa’ Stars Spill on ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Crossover

Lisa Vanderpump is a reality TV icon. Though she rose to fame on nearly 200 episodes of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, her fan-favorite status and business savvy allowed her to build an empire that includes shows like Vanderpump Rules, Vanderpump Dogs, and most recently Vanderpump Villa, where that very business savvy is on full display. While Vanderpump Rules follows her as she wrangles the chaotic employees of her Los Angeles restaurant Sur and Vanderpump Dogs showcases her dog foundation and rescue center, Vanderpump Villa sees her manage the staff of an opulent villa as they attempt to give its high-profile guests the getaway of their dreams — while also juggling behind-the-scenes drama amongst them, of course.

Two of the villa’s employees are Andre Mitchell and Anthony Bar. Mitchell acts as a mixologist — and the heart of the show. Season 1 saw some emotional moments as he connected with Vanderpump over his mother’s death and seemed genuinely grateful for her advice regarding how to grow in the business. He also formed a complicated relationship with events coordinator Gabriella. Bar has a crucial job as the villa’s chef, creating the most decadent meals for its sometimes demanding clientele.

Collider got the chance to speak to Mitchell and Bar about working with Vanderpump, Stassi Schroeder, and the Mormon wives, as well as how the show has changed their lives and what other reality shows they’d like to appear on.

‘Vanderpump Villa’ Stars Discuss Working with Stassi Schroeder and ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Cast

COLLIDER: I want to start by asking about Season 2 specifically because we see from the promo that there are some changes happening, one of them being that Vanderpump Rules’ Stassi is heavily involved. I’m curious, what did you expect from her going in, and then what was it actually like being around her?

ANDRE MITCHELL: I know, for me, personally, I didn’t know too much about her, but I expected her to come in with the attitude and everything, but it was the total opposite. She’s so sweet.

ANTHONY BAR: I didn’t know her either, but when you start hearing about it, you’re like, “Be careful.” But she came in very nice, and her family was amazing.

I want to ask the same thing about The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives cast because we also see them coming in.

MITCHELL: Well, I expected them to be calm — it was the total opposite. They are wild. They are a wild bunch, for sure.

BAR: It’s actually funny because the only group that doesn’t drink alcohol actually parties the most. That was the funniest thing.

‘Vanderpump Villa’ Stars Reveal What It’s Like Working for Lisa Vanderpump

Obviously, the show sees you working for Lisa Vanderpump. What would most people be surprised to learn about what it’s like working for her?

MITCHELL: She cares. She’s so sweet, and she cares. She’s a mother figure to almost everybody, and the one thing she does is instill confidence, so even if you don’t believe what she tells you, she believes, and that’s the best part.

BAR: Yeah, she’s really testing you to put yourself out of your comfort zone, but she believes in you, so that means if she asks you to do something, you’re gonna say you can do it. She’s very aware about what we can do for her, and she pushes everybody to be their best self.

I love that. Is there one piece of advice she’s giving you that’s really stuck with you?

MITCHELL: For me, it’s, “Yourself is enough. Be yourself, and yourself is enough.” That’s always what she’s told me.

BAR: And I think it’s a good balance. Lisa is a very successful woman, but she knows how to party and to be naughty. It’s like the saying, “Walk the walk,” but we can also chill when it’s time to chill.

Speaking of work, there’s so much that goes into this. Not only are you filming, but you are also working at a villa, so I’m curious about what people might be surprised to know about the behind-the-scenes of it all.

MITCHELL: We work a lot.

BAR: Most people expect it to be fake, but if we don’t find a way to make a drink, nobody’s going to make it. If I don’t make food, there is no food. When you look at the show, everything goes so fast, so you don’t realize that, but actually, behind each day, there’s like 15 or 16 hours to work. We want people to know that this is a reality TV show, but it’s real. We actually work. We have a schedule, we have everything — it’s not fake food, no fake drinks. There’s nobody behind us.

‘Vanderpump Villa’ Stars on How the Show Has Changed Their Lives

I love the heartwarming moments on the show, but, of course, there is bound to be some conflict, some drama. What can you tease in that regard for Season 2?

MITCHELL: A lot of drama, number one.

BAR: We’re mixing people from Season 1 with new staff members from Season 2, and we definitely create kind of a competition in a way. Plus, all this group of guests coming and creating more drama — it’s way better. You have to watch it, for sure.

There are a lot of crossovers nowadays between reality shows. If you could appear on another one, what would be your choice? I know, Anthony, you’ve appeared on Secret Chef. I can see you on Below Deck, for sure.

BAR: [Does dance] Dancing with the Stars.

MITCHELL: I’m going with The Bachelor.

Oh, I love that! What has the reception to the show been like for you? How has your life changed since the show came out?

BAR: Lisa opened a lot of doors for me for people to take me seriously as a chef. Before that, I was doing my career, but now, people see me on the street and recognize me and say, “Chef! Chef!” So it’s kind of funny that everywhere I go, people call me Chef.

MITCHELL: Lisa instilled so much confidence in me, so that’s what really changed for me. I learned that I am good enough to do this.

Vanderpump Villa Season 2 is now streaming on Hulu.

Watch on Hulu