Shannen Doherty

Shannen Doherty

Active - 1982 - 2022  |   Born - Apr 12, 1971 in Memphis, Tennessee, United States  |   Genres - Drama, Fantasy, Romance

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Biography by AllMovie

Known for portraying conniving TV vixens, dark-haired actress Shannen Doherty started her career at age ten after moving to Los Angeles with her family. When Michael Landon saw her guest-starring appearance on the TV drama Father Murphy, he cast her as Jenny Wilder for the 1982 season of Little House on the Prairie. In 1985, she played bratty little sister Maggie in the teen movie Girls Just Want to Have Fun with Sarah Jessica Parker. She continued playing a bratty kid in the TV drama Our House as Wilford Brimley's granddaughter Kris before graduating to bratty teenager in the supreme black comedy Heathers with Winona Ryder. But her most recognizable role came in 1990 with Aaron Spelling's FOX series Beverly Hills 90210. As the twin sister of Jason Priestley's Brandon Walsh, the character of Brenda Walsh became one of television's meanest teenagers. She left the show in 1994 in a much-publicized huff due to some disagreements, causing the producers to digitally remove her from episodes and promotional materials.

For the rest of the '90s, she appeared in forgettable films and made-for-TV movies, but somehow remained in public view due to her frequent arrests, cameo appearances, turbulent romantic life, and tendency to get into fights with celebrities. In 1998, she found a place for herself as the witch Prue Halliwell on the TV series Charmed, with fellow grown-up child stars Alyssa Milano and Holly Marie Combs as her witch sisters. Several TV movies followed, including Satan's School for Girls and Hell on Heels: The Battle of Mary Kay. In 2003, she hosted the reality-based program Scare Tactics and starred in the made-for-TV thriller Nightlight.

In 2008, the actress reprised her role as Brenda Walsh on the reinvented 90210. Though she appeared in only a handful of episodes, Doherty continued to enjoy resurgence in popularity with her 2010 appearance on the popular ABC series Dancing With the Stars. In 2012, Shannen participated in WeTV's reality television series Shannen Says, which follows the actress and her as she prepares for her wedding to photographer Kurt Iswarienki.

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Factsheet

  • Made film debut in 1982 as the voice of Teresa in the animated adventure The Secrets of NIMH.
  • Was cast as Jenny Wilder on Little House on the Prairie by Michael Landon after he saw her performance in Father Murphy.
  • Appeared in the Slaughter music video "Real Love."
  • Was featured in Playboy magazine in 1993 and as the cover girl in December 2003.
  • Was the first cast member eliminated from Season 10 of Dancing with the Stars (2010).
  • Lent her voice to the Web series Mari-Kari (2010), playing the dual parts of a girl and her evil twin.