Article updated: 8/30/2011 5:40 AM

Denise Richards: Suburban upbringing kept me grounded

Downers Grove native talks about her new book

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Denise Richards' First Communion photo.

Photo courtesy of Denise Richards

By the time she attended her senior prom, Denise Richards, left, had already left Downers Grove for California.

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Dressed in their Brownie uniforms, Denise Richards gives her sister, Michelle, a kiss on the doorstep of their Mokena home.

Photo courtesy of Denise Richards

After living in a tiny house in Mokena, Denise Richards’ parents upgraded to this fixer-upper in Downers Grove. “Over time, it became a beautiful home,” she wrote in her new book, “The Real Girl Next Door.”

Photo courtesy of Denise Richards

This 900-square foot, two-bedroom house in Mokena is where Denise Richards spent her early years.

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Denise Richards, her sister Michelle, and her parents Irv and Joni, pose for a photo in the living room of their tiny house in Mokena.

Photo courtesy of Denise Richards

Denise Richards’ high-profile marriage to Charlie Sheen ended in divorce and a bitter custody battle over their two daughters.

Associated Press file photo

Denise Richards talks about growing up in Downers Grove as well as her life in Hollywood in a new book.

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Downers Grove native Denise Richards says the values she was raised with helped her through the chaotic years. “Everyone in Downers Grove ... is very grounded and genuine," she says.

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