An interactive multimedia assistant device (IMAD) includes an interactive core component (ICC) and a swappable personality customizable skin (SPCS) for performing interactive communication and control actions based on multimedia inputs. The ICC includes multimedia sensors for recognizing multimedia inputs; a storage medium for storing the multimedia inputs and media content; a controller for processing the multimedia inputs, modulating an audio output, and performing control actions based on the multimedia inputs; output devices for rendering outputs of the controller, and one or more communication interfaces for communicating with the SPCS. The SPCS is operably coupled on and activated by the ICC. The SPCS is programmed with a unique identifier that identifies a personality of the SPCS. The SPCS directs and programs behavior of the ICC based on the unique identifier, thereby allowing the ICC to assume the personality for performing interactive communication and control actions based on the multimedia inputs.