Shannen Doherty, ‘Beverly Hills 90210’ and ‘Charmed’ Star, Dies at 53

Getty Images for Hallmark Channel

Shannen Doherty, known for her roles in the hit series “Beverly Hills, 90210” and the witch drama “Charmed,” died after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. She was 53.

“It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress Shannen Doherty. On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after many years of battling the disease,” ‘ Doherty’s publicist Leslie Sloane said in a statement to People.

Doherty rose to fame in 1990 as fresh-faced brunette Brenda Walsh on Fox’s “Beverly Hills, 90210”. Along with his twin brother Brandon, played by Jason Priestly, the Walshes were an old fish-out-of-water family who had just moved from Minnesota to Beverly Hills and were always fascinated by the antics of LA rich kids.

The romance between Brenda and Dylan, played by Luke Perry, sparked controversy in the first season of the story, with Brenda considering losing her virginity. Their later breakup, when Dylan reunited with his best friend Kelly, played by Jenny Garth, was also big news, and the show was seen as a prime target. dealing with topics such as drug abuse and racism.

The show was a huge success, and with its success came intense scrutiny and gossip surrounding the cast, including a teenage Doherty. Although the show started with Garth’s Kelly as an unlikable character, the mood quickly changed and Brenda became a member of the cast who loved to hate her. She was called a “diva” in the press and there was even an early Internet meme called “I Hate Brenda.” Doherty appeared in 111 episodes before leaving the series at the end of the fourth season, amid reports of conflict with other cast members, particularly Garth.

During the show’s two revivals, each character was reduced in age and returned as Brenda in the 2008 revival of “90210” for one season and in the 2019 revival. BH90210″.

After her departure from “Beverly Hills, 90210,” Doherty found herself in “Charmed,” a supernatural drama that follows three sisters who discover they are witches and must work together to fight it’s bad. She played the eldest of three sisters, Prue Halliwell, alongside Alyssa Milano and Holly Marie Combs. In 2000 and 2001, he directed three episodes of the series – “Careful What You Fight For,” “The Good, The Bad, and The Rohaed,” and “All Hell Breaks Loose,” the final episode of which who was born from it. The character was killed off when he left the series at the end of the third season.

Born in Memphis, Tenn., Doherty moved to Los Angeles with his family as a child and made his debut at the age of 10 with a role on the series “Daddy Murphy.” Michael Landon saw her in the series and cast her as Jenny Wilder in “Little House on the Prairie” when she was 11 years old.

Doherty then had a recurring role in the family series “Our House” with Wilfred Brimley,

In notable films, she appeared in another youth group, “Heathers,” as well as “Girls Who Just Want to Have Fun” and Kevin Smith’s “Mallrats” and “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.”

Among other shows she has appeared on are “North Shore,” and “Riverdale” as well as several TV movies.

In 2006, she launched a reality show, “Breaking Up With Shannen Doherty,” where she helped people in troubled relationships who wanted out but couldn’t do it themselves, and later appeared on another reality show, “Off the Map with Shannen and Holly.”

Doherty was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2015, and in 2017 she said she was in remission. But in 2019 the cancer had returned and spread. He continued to work, with roles in TV movies including “Dying to Belong” and “Lifetime List.”

In June 2023, he said he was receiving radiation for cancer that had spread to his brain.

She was briefly married to George Hamilton’s son Ashley Hamilton and poker player Rick Salomon, and in 2011 she married actor Kurt Iswarienko. They filed for divorce in 2023.

More to come…