Paris Hilton visited the HFPA’s West Hollywood offices recently to meet members and chat with them about her life and her career as a highly successful businesswoman.
The socialite and entrepreneur, who now has 44 stores around the world, 17 product lines, the fledgling Paris Hilton Beach Club chain and is about the launch her 16th fragrance line, was relaxed and friendly as she sat at the conference table and answered questions. She clearly enjoyed the experience because she later tweeted: “Had a great time at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association press conference today. All such lovely people. Thank you. Love Paris ?”

Her visit was the first of a series of Round Table talks pioneered by new president Theo Kingma, which will feature famous guests not necessarily connected with showbusiness.

Paris,  32, believes she has finally shed her unwanted image as the idle daughter of a wealthy family and established a reputation for herself as the hard-working brains behind a multi-national business. “I feel that now I’m mature,” she said.  “In my twenties I was just getting to know myself and now I feel I finally know who I am: I’m mature and feel grown-up.”

Paris, who has a cameo role in Sofia Coppola’s latest movie The Bling Ring, believes the biggest misconception people have about her is that because of her name she has had everything handed to her on a platter. “They think I’ve never worked a day in my life and am just spoiled, but really it’s the complete opposite,” she said. “I’ve done this all on my own, I’ve worked very hard and it’s just the opposite of what people say.”