90210 Stars Remember Sex, Fame and Feuding
Just in time for the CW's revamped 90210 the Times has gathered together simmering drifty-eyed beauty Shannen Doherty and whoever else was on that show with her to discuss the good old days of the incredibly important 1990s soap opera. What do they remember? Well, Aaron Spelling was a classic Hollywood boozehound with the shaggiest shag carpet since 70s porn, and Shannen was a total bitch! Some selections after the jump.
DOHERTY I had already done "Heathers," "Little House" and "Our House." I didn't read it and think, "Oh my gosh, ‘Beverly Hills 90210' is going to be the hugest thing in the world." I moved here when I was 8 years old, so I've always been raised to have a fair amount of confidence. There wasn't very much that I could relate to Brenda, except that maybe we were both going through teen angst at the same time.
JASON PRIESTLEY I remember meeting Aaron for the first time. He was walking across the four-inch-deep shag carpeting in his office with a cocktail in his hand. And the second that happened, there were no more nerves for me. I thought: "Well, you know, Aaron's already drinking. I'm cool. I got this."
DARREN STAR The affiliates were scandalized - not because they had sex, but because Brenda was happy about it, and it didn't have any dire consequences. I was strongly advised to write a show that would address the consequences of that sexual experience. So the first episode of the second season Brenda broke up with Dylan because their relationship had gotten too mature.
PRIESTLEY There was no excitement about it. Fox was this rag-tag group of affiliates back in 1990. "21 Jump Street" was barely hanging on. Johnny Depp had one foot out the door, and they were trying to replace him with Richard Grieco.
JENNIE GARTH There were times when it was worse than high school. The environment there was like: Are you kidding me? There was a lot of tension and unnecessary drama on the set, a certain amount of competition, and a certain - probably - anger about different salaries as the years progressed. People would find out how much someone was making, and then they'd be angry and want that, or if you got days off in your contract, they'd want that. Nobody was brave enough to step in and set us straight, and have a serious talk with us about it. There was a lot of tension directed from one specific person, and that one specific person had to reap the consequences from that.
DOHERTY I really could care less about it anymore. I have nothing to apologize for. Whatever I did was my growing-up process that I needed to go through, that anybody my age goes through. And however other people may have reacted to that is their issue.