Shannen Doherty, known for Charmed, 90210 roles, dead at 53
Shannen Doherty, Beverly Hills 90210 Star, Dies At 53
Written by Rachel Looker for BBC News in Washington
Picture captured by Tibrina Hobson from WireImage
Actress Shannen Doherty, famous for her appearances in popular TV series Beverly Hills 90210 and Charmed, passed away on Saturday at the age of 53 after battling cancer.
I am sad to announce that actress Shannen Doherty has passed away, confirmed by her publicist Leslie Sloane. She was with her family and dog, Bowie, at the time, as a loving daughter, sister, aunt, and friend.
Doherty worked as an actress for more than forty years. She is most famous for her role as Brenda Walsh in four seasons of 90210. The show focused on a group of teenagers from Beverly Hills navigating relationships and family problems.
Ms. Doherty received multiple award nominations for her performance in the show.
After that, she starred as Brenda in a 2008 remake of the show, where her character evolved into a successful theater performer.
The performer was found to have breast cancer in March 2015 and had surgery to remove the affected breast, followed by radiation and chemotherapy treatments. She shared that she was cancer-free in 2017, but unfortunately, the disease came back in 2019.
She was honest about her fight against cancer, sharing updates on social media. In a video on Instagram in June 2023, she revealed that the cancer had reached her brain. Last autumn, she declared her determination to continue fighting the illness even though it had spread to her bones.
"I still have more life to live. I still have more love to give. I still have more art to make," she told People magazine in November 2023.
Picture taken by Michael Tran from AFP
Hailing from Memphis, Ms Doherty began her acting career at a young age. She made appearances in TV shows such as Voyagers, Our House, and Father Murphy before landing the role of Jenny Wilder in Little House on the Prairie at just 11 years old.
Three years later, in 1985, she landed her first significant movie role in Girls Just Want to Have Fun, alongside Sarah Jessica Parker and Helen Hunt.
In 1988, Ms. Doherty portrayed the character Heather Duke in the famous teen movie Heathers, which also starred Winona Ryder, Lisanne Falk, and Kim Walker.
The actress faced challenges in her youth while gaining fame, developing a reputation as a disruptive presence while working on the set of 90210.
"At that time, I was feeling really lost about my own desires, and the spotlight was overwhelming," she explained. "I didn't always cope with it effectively."
Afterwards, she appeared in the TV series Charmed, which followed the story of three witch sisters.
Ms. Doherty also appeared in North Shore, which takes place at a hotel in Hawaii, as well as the quirky comedy film Mallrats.
The actress had been married two times prior to tying the knot with her current spouse, photographer Kurt Iswarienko, in 2011.
During the 2010s, she decided to try something new by participating in reality TV shows like Dancing With The Stars and the American version of Strictly Come Dancing from the BBC.
Ms Doherty was a dedicated advocate for animal rights. Her partially autobiographical book Badass, which came out in 2010, inspired young women to embrace life with boldness and self-assurance.
