Shannen Doherty, the actress whose film and television work resulted in some of the most iconic TV characters of the 1990s, has died at the age of 53 after a long battle with cancer.
“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 fighting the disease,” Doherty’s publicist said in a statement to People. “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 in Memphis in 1971, Doherty first rose to prominence as a child actress playing Jenny Wilder in 18 episodes of “Little House on the Prairie.” She continued to build a resume of guest appearances throughout the 1980s before rising to mainstream prominence with her role as Heather Duke alongside Wynona Ryder and Christian Slater in the 1989 cult classic “Heathers.”
Soon after, she landed the role that would define her career in the eyes of many fans. Beginning in 1990, she played Brenda Walsh, a teenage girl from Minnesota whose life is turned upside down after moving to California, in “Beverly Hills, 90210.” While she left the iconic teen soap opera after four seasons, she would go on to reprise the role in the 2008 CW reboot “90210.” She also appeared as herself in the 2019 meta comedy “BH90210,” which featured the show’s cast members playing fictionalized versions of themselves while working on a “Beverly Hills, 90210” reboot.
Doherty’s other roles from the 1990s included Kevin Smith’s “Clerks” follow-up “Mallrats” and a series of made-for-TV movies. But in 1999, she returned to the small screen in a major way with “Charmed.” The series saw Doherty starring alongside Alyssa Milano and Holly Marie Combs for the first three seasons as a trio of powerful witches known as The Charmed Ones. Running for eight seasons total on The WB, the series solidified Doherty’s reputation as one of her generation’s most beloved TV stars.
In March 2015, Doherty announced that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. While she battled the disease for the rest of her life, she continued to work and speak publicly about her health struggles until her death.
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