Who Is Chris Zylka? 5 Fast Facts About Paris Hilton's Fiancé

Paris Hilton and Chris Zylka
Paris Hilton and actor Chris Zylka are pictured at the 24th annual Race To Erase MS gala at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on May 5 in Beverly Hills. They became engaged over the holiday weekend.... Getty Images

Cupid's arrow struck for hotel heiress Paris Hilton and her fiancé, Leftovers actor Chris Zylka. Since Hilton is arguably better known (and richer) than her other half, get acquainted with Zylka after he proposed over the holiday weekend.

Here are five fast facts:

1. He started acting in 2008.

Zylka's first appearance was on 90210. After that, he landed a recurring role on Everybody Hates Chris the same year. According to his profile on the Internet Movie Database, Zylka is best known for his roles in The Amazing Spider-Man, Shark Night 3D, Kaboom and Piranha 3DD.

2. His birth name wasn't Zylka.

Zylka is his mother's maiden name. He was born under the surname "Settlemire."

3. Zylka has German ancestry.

He also has smaller amounts of Irish, English, Scottish, and Welsh heritage on his paternal side, along with Slovak origins on his maternal side.

4. He likes playing the villain.

"It's just so much more fun to play bad than good," he once said. "Plus it's just good to get that out of your system so it doesn't show up in your personal life."

5. In July, he got a tattoo of Hilton's first name on his arm.

"Such a lucky girl!" Hilton captioned a photo of his new body art. "My love surprised me & got my name tattooed in #Disney font. And said cause I'm his most magical place on Earth & he finally found his fairytale princess. #BoyfriendGoals."

Zylka proposed to Hilton with a 20-carat diamond pear-shaped sparkler worth $2 million.

"Paris at one point in time told Chris she really loved her mother's pear-shaped diamond, and when Chris came to me that was his request," Diamond expert and celebrity jeweler Michael Greene told People magazine on Tuesday.

"The pear-shaped really jumped out for him and ultimately for her. He did some fishing, but in the end it was all him," Green added. "He's a smart guy, and hangs out a lot with the family, and I think she realized how much she liked her mom's ring."

Hilton went on social media Tuesday to announce her happy news. "I said Yas," she wrote on Instagram. "So happy & excited to be engaged to the love of my life. My best friend & soul mate… So dedicated, loyal, loving & kindhearted. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world! You are my dream come true! Thank you for showing me that fairytales do exist." She continued: "The most romantic moment of my life!"

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

About the writer


Maria Vultaggio is a Brooklynite originally hailing from Long Island. She studied English at Stony Brook University and interned at the ... Read more

To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.

Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek magazine delivered to your door
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go
Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go