Shannen Doherty Through the Years: Her Career Highs, Health Struggles

Shannen Doherty made a name for herself in film and television, becoming a household name in the ‘90s. Her career took her from navigating one of TV’s most memorable love triangles to casting spells to reviving some of her beloved roles decades later.

The actress was born in Memphis, Tennessee, in April 1971. She got her start as a child star on Little House on the Prairie and went on to appear in the dark comedy Heathers.

Doherty’s fame continued to grow after she earned the part of Brenda Walsh on Beverly Hills, 90210. After departing the series, she joined the cast of Charmed, portraying Prue Halliwell.

In the midst of her professional success, the Girls Just Want to Have Fun star tied the knot three times. She was married to Ashley Hamilton from 1993 to 1994 and Rick Salomon in 2002. She ultimately wed Kurt Iswarienko in 2011.

Doherty received sad news in 2015 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She announced she was in remission in 2017 but revealed in 2020 that the illness had returned.

Despite her diagnosis, the Our House alum returned to film the revival BH90210. “I was hesitant for all different reasons — where I was at [in] my life [and] being unsure if I wanted to revisit 90210,” she explained to Us Weekly in August 2019. “I didn’t want to be the reboot queen. I had already done Heathers, which was very important to me.”

However, former costar Luke Perry’s sudden death in March 2019 following a stroke gave her a purpose. “They were always going to, with or without me,” she acknowledged. “It came back around at a time where I thought it was the right time to do it, to honor a friend and be with my friends, recreating something that was special to America, special to the world and most importantly, special to all of us.”

The revival also gave cast members — including Tori Spelling — the opportunity to set the record straight on past headlines about Doherty. “She had an unfair rap. She took it and took it like a champ,” the actress told Us in September 2019. “Once they gave her that label, it lived with her, her whole career, and that’s unfortunate. … It just wasn’t true. … We were all really good friends.”

Scroll to revisit Doherty’s career, personal life and health struggles through the years.