Hilton builds posh pad for her pups

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- Hollywood actress and reality TV star Paris Hilton says she had a special luxury dwelling constructed for her 17 pet dogs.

"I built a little thing called a doggie mansion in my backyard. It's a replica of my house," Hilton told reporters in Los Angeles recently, while promoting her new big-screen comedy, "The Hottie & the Nottie."

"It has a chandelier and the same stairwell and furniture and they all live there."

Hilton said before she was offered the "hottie" role in her new movie, she was sent scripts for numerous horror films and comedies.

"This is the one I liked the most," she said, describing it as a "cute, fun love story."

"I think a lot of people see me from 'The Simple Life.' I've been doing that show for five seasons. It's a reality show where I'm playing a character, so I'm basically acting in that. And maybe people think that's really how I am, but it's not. And I've been working with ... an incredible acting coach and I've worked really hard for this, and now I'm taking it seriously."

Hilton will next be seen in the horror musical film "Repo! The Genetic Opera."