Ryan Lochte wants to follow in Kardashian's footsteps

Watch out, Kim Kardashian. There's an Olympian gunning for your empire.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, gold medal-winning swimmer Ryan Lochte reveals that he's hoping his upcoming stint on reality TV will turn into a bigger, Kardashian-esque career move.

"Kim started from pretty much nothing, and now everyone everywhere knows who she is," he says while promoting his upcoming E! series What Would Ryan Lochte Do? (April 21). "That's what I want to do. ... I've seen what E! has done in the past with reality shows like hers. Today, she's huge."

Lochte, who took gold in Beijing in 2008 and London last year, is known for his humorous soundbites, flashy personality and over-the-top fashion sense. During his chat with THR, Lochte opened up about wanting fame, designing clothing and possibly making the move to L.A. Here are the highlights.

On chasing fame: "When I walk down the street, people recognize me, and that never happened before. Now's my chance."

On spicing up the reality format: "During one scene, I looked at the camera out of the blue and said, 'Did you just see that?' I thought I made a big mistake."

On Seth MacFarlane's Lochte impression on SNL: "They made fun of me on SNL. I guess I made it. ... They invited me on to get back at him, but that's not me. ... The only way I can get back at him is in the pool. So if Seth MacFarlane wants to race me, let's do it. But he has to wear a Speedo."

On being a mischievous child: "My dad was my swim coach growing up, and I tried to get kicked out of practice every day. I was a little devil kid. If they let me stay in the pool, that's great, I love being in the water. I'm home in the water. If they kick me out, I'm going to eat candy, clog all the drains in the shower and make a big old slip-and-slide. It was a win-win."

On his flashy footwear: "I design my own high-tops. They have green rhinestones covering the whole shoe. Instead of shoelaces, there's green ribbon. On the very bottom of one shoe -- which is the coolest thing, I don't know how I came up with it -- it says 'Ryan' and on the bottom of the other it says 'Lochte,' so when you get your shoes wet, it shows up on the ground as 'Ryan Lochte.' It's the coolest thing I've ever done."

On his possible relocation to L.A.: "It's a perfect environment. During the days, it's so sunny and I can go to the beach, and night it gets cold so I can bundle up in those covers. … And I'm not going to lie, I like the nightlife. I like to party and dance. I like having a good time."