‘Vanderpump Rules’: Peter Madrigal Reveals His True Passion and How He Stays Out of the Drama on the Show
Although Vanderpump Rules fans know Peter Madrigal as their favorite charismatic manager at SUR, they shouldn’t be surprised to see his name attached to a major motion picture in the near future.
On the Bravo reality show, Madrigal exudes casual charm, managing to stay above the fray and typical Vanderpump-style smackdowns. He typically steers cast members toward reason, often stepping in to defuse explosive situations. But off-camera, Madrigal oozes kinetic energy and enthusiasm. His passions are abundantly apparent as he shared with Showbiz Cheat Sheet where he sees his career heading.
Madrigal is hot off of filming season 8 of Vanderpump Rules. He also just launched his own highly addictive Vegas-style slot machine app, Peterific Slots. Plus he dedicated a significant amount of time helping teachers fund necessary back to school supplies through #CleartheLists.
Peter Madrigal goes all-in
Although Madrigal manages one of the hottest restaurants in West Hollywood, he has an endless number of projects in the works. In addition to Vanderpump Rules, this includes launching his new app, an upcoming video shoot in Miami, and a quest to secure funding for a film project. Apparently, for Madrigal, sleeping is for suckers.
This fall, he joined cast members like Ariana Madix to help teachers fund their back-to-school supplies. While a number of celebrities banded together to help educators, Madrigal made this effort almost a full-time job posting and interacting with teachers numerous times during the day throughout the campaign.
“I just feel like some teachers are under-appreciated and underpaid,” he said. “And they don’t have the resources to really provide for their students.” He says now that he’s more established in his life, he is focused on how he can give back. Madrigal adds his brother is a teacher so the initiative had a special place in his heart.
Another labor of love is the Peterific Slots app, which was 10 months in the making. Over a breakfast burrito, Madrigal and his manager’s conversation about Instagram transformed into a new project. “We started with a concept because I take a lot of pictures at SUR,” he recalls. “And it slowly evolved into becoming a slot game. But it’s not just my slot game. It’s can be a slot game for a bunch of different celebrities because this is the umbrella corporation for celebrity slots.”
Fans are going to see two sides of Madrigal this season of ‘Vanderpump Rules’
During Vanderpump Rules filming, a number of rumors swirled around the cast. Why did Jax Taylor block cast members on social media? Is Kristen Doute on the “outs” with friends? Although Madrigal is a major cast member, he seems to have a knack for remaining pretty drama-free.
Although he played coy he said, “It’s going to be a great season,” laughing. He adds that his temperament keeps him out of the drama, but also something boss Lisa Vanderpump told him.
“Lisa told me a few times, ‘Peter you’re the manager. Don’t get involved. You tell them what to do,'” Madrigal recalled. “‘You be a hard ass and don’t get involved in the petty bulls**t.'” Plus, with a number of cast members working outside of SUR, the drama opportunities aren’t constantly in Madrigal’s workspace.
Will fans get to see more of Madrigal this season? “Here’s the thing, a lot of people are like, ‘Where’s Peter?’ Peter is full-time at SUR and full-time on the show. I don’t have any time. I don’t even date anymore.” He says any blip of time he has is dedicated to his career. But, “You’re going to see two sides of me this season,” he hints. “You’re going to see the fun-loving side. You know the usual Peter. That’s what you’ve gotten a lot. But then you also see Peter being a manager, which you haven’t really seen in a while.”
This is his ultimate dream career
Although he’s a successful manager, he ultimately wants to be a Hollywood producer. Madrigal has a passion for filmmaking and the creative process. He sees numerous opportunities where filmmakers have missed the mark to bring groundbreaking cinema to fans and aspires to fill that void. “I think this place is devoid of any originalism,” he says. “It is devoid of creativity. Hollywood in general.”
He passionately points out examples in shows like the Game of Thrones finale to recent Star Wars films and how the narrative completely missed the mark. “I want to get into movies, and I want to produce film,” he said. Madrigal says his perspective and drive is the catalyst that would produce what moviegoers really want to see.
“I’ve wanted to get into the movie industry for a long time,” he continues. “I used to go to the movies all the time and I feel that a lot of people feel the same way I do.” He adds that with the number of entertainment choices, film creators can’t phone in their work. “That’s why you have to be very good at what you do,” he shared. “If you can’t keep the audiences’ eye, they’re gone. You’ve got to keep the audience engaged.”
