Actor Shannen Doherty, best known for her roles on Beverly Hills, 90210 and the original Charmed, passed away on Saturday, July 13 following a years-long battle with cancer.
The actor was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, and in late 2023, revealed it’d spread to her bones. In a statement provided to People Magazine, Doherty’s publicist said the “devoted daughter, sister, aunt and friend was surrounded by her loved ones as well as her dog, Bowie. The family asks for their privacy at this time so they can grieve in peace.”
Born April 12, 1971, Doherty began acting at 11 years old as a guest star on shows like Voyagers! and Father Murphy. She’d later land a recurring role on Little House on the Prairie as Jenny Wilder for the ninth and final season. She had a healthy career in both film and TV–in the former, she debuted as the voice of Teresa Brisby in 1982’s The Secret of NIMH, and also starred in Heathers and Mallrats. At time of writing, she was attached to two films, Bukowski and How to Make a Deal With the Devil, which will now serve as her final movie roles.
But it was TV where she became a well-known name. After a streak of guest roles in series like 21 Jump Street and Magnum P.I., she landed her biggest role as Brenda Walsh on Beverly Hills, 90210. After negative reception from her character’s shift to a “bad girl” and conflicts with the show’s staff, Doherty exited the show after season four, though she later reprised her role for the first season of the CW’s 2008 reboot. One of her other big roles was the top-billed lead in Charmed (from the CW’s predecessor, the WB) as Prue Halliwell.
Prue was very well-received back in 1998, and Doherty even directed three Charmed episodes. But she’d later leave the show after season three following disagreements with co-star Alyssa Milano and producer Aaron Spelling (who she’d worked with on Beverly). Throughout her life, she’d appear on several reality TV shows (including Dancing With the Stars), and play herself in comedies like Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back or BH90210. She’d stopped doing TV roles in 2021 with the TV films Dying to Belong and List of a Lifetime, instead pivoting to two podcast series.
Doherty is the second major Beverly Hills star to pass following Luke Perry in 2019. In a statement to NBC News, Milano acknowledged the “complicated relationship” between the two, saying “at its core was someone I deeply respected and was in awe of. She was a talented actress, beloved by many and the world is less without her. My condolences to all who loved her.”
Our thoughts go out to Doherty’s families and friends at this time.
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