Shannen Doherty, Charmed Star, Dead At 53
Actress Shannen Doherty died on Saturday after a nearly decade-long battle with breast cancer. In a statement released by her publicist, Leslie Sloane, Doherty was revealed to have passed on while surrounded by her loved ones and her dog, Bowie. The Charmed actress was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 and discovered in early 2023 that it had spread to her brain.
Broke Into Acting In The 1980s
Shannen Doherty got her break at the age of 11 when she joined the main cast on the last season of Little House on the Prairie in 1982.
The next several years saw Doherty landing guest roles on numerous television shows, including notable ones on The New Leave it to Beaver, Magnum P.I., and Highway to Heaven before co-starring on the short-lived show Our House in 1988.
Shannen Doherty was also cast in a handful of films throughout the early part of the decade, with her voice acting in The Secret of NIMH giving the young actress her start in feature films.
A Star In Beverly Hills, 90210
Shannen Doherty became a cult figure after a stellar performance in the 1988 movie Heathers, starring alongside Christian Slater and Winona Ryder.
Two years later, Shannen Doherty was cast in the role that she will likely always be remembered for: Brenda Walsh in the FOX network prime-time series Beverly Hills, 90210.
There, she joined Jason Priestly, Luke Perry, Jennie Garth, Tori Spelling, Ian Ziering, and Brian Austin Green (among others) for one of the most iconic television shows of the time period.
After her departure from the show four seasons in, the tabloids labeled the late actress as somewhat of a diva and incapable of getting along with her co-stars.
Shannen Doherty Is Charmed
After a solid performance in the 1995 Kevin Smith film Mallrats and cameos in The Naked Gun 33+1/3: The Final Insult and Nowhere (1997), Shannen Doherty got another chance at fame on the small screen when she was cast in a leading role on the hit WB series Charmed.
Doherty played witchy sister, Prue Halliwell, one of three sisters using their combined powers to combat the forces of darkness. She starred alongside Holly Marie Combs and Alyssa Milano.
Shannen Doherty left the series abruptly after its third season in 2001.
Shannen Doherty Continued To Act
Shannen Doherty added dozens of credits to her already impressive acting resume over the last two decades. Along with parts in numerous TV movies and walk-on roles on sitcoms, she co-starred in the films Back in the Day, Fortress, and Darkness of Man.
The soon-to-be-released Bukowski, in which Shannen Doherty portrays a young Katherina Bukowski, is currently in post-production.
Diagnosed With Breast Cancer
After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, Shannen Doherty underwent an intensive treatment regimen that included a double mastectomy, radiation sessions, and chemotherapy.
In 2017, she announced that she was finally in remission before receiving the devastating news 18 months ago that the cancer had reemerged in her brain.
Remembering Shannen Doherty
Shannen Doherty was estranged from her third husband, photographer Kurt Iswarienko, at the time of her death.
The 90210 star had been previously married to Ashley Hamilton in 1993 before divorcing a year later. She also had a brief marriage to poker star Rick Saloman in 2002, though this union was annulled in 2003.
The popular podcast “Let’s Be Clear with Shannen Doherty” served as an outlet for the actress in the later stages of her life as she discussed multiple facets of her long career in show biz as well as her cancer diagnosis.
Sources: Variety
