Shannen Doherty’s Most Memorable Roles in TV and Film
Brenda Walsh, ‘Beverly Hils, 90210’
Cast of Beverly Hills, 90210 (Photo by mikel roberts/Sygma via Getty Images)
– mikel roberts/Sygma via Getty Images)
In the ’90s, Beverly Hills, 90210 defined a generation and produced a crop of talented young stars. Shannen Doherty starred as Brenda Walsh, who moves to Beverly Hills from Minneapolis with her parents and twin brother, Brandon (Jason Priestly). Between the fashion, love triangle with Brenda, Dylan (Luke Perry), and Kelly (Jennie Garth), and everything that came with being a teenager in the wealthy city, everything about 90210 is memorable.
While Doherty only starred on the series for the first four seasons, she did reprise her role for several episodes of the first season of the 90210 reboot on The CW in 2007 and 2008. Select episodes of Beverly Hills, 90210 are streaming on Paramount+.
Prue Halliwell, ‘Charmed’
367898 Shannen Doherty from the tv show “Charmed” 1999 Paramount Pictures/Deliverd by: Online Usa, Inc.
– Online Usa, Inc.)
Charmed marked Doherty’s first main TV role since 90210, premiering in 1998, and it was as bewitching as ever. Centering on three sisters who discover they are not only witches but the Charmed Ones, the most powerful good witches, Doherty played Prue Halliwell, the eldest sister who could use telekinesis. She left after three seasons, with the show killing her off and bringing in a new Halliwell sister. Charmed remains a favorite today despite the feud between Doherty and Alyssa Milano.
Heather Duke, ‘Heathers’
From left to right, Shannen Doherty, Lisanne Falk, Kim Walker and Winona Ryder on set of the film ‘Heathers’, 1988.
– New World Pictures/Getty Images)
Before starring in Beverly Hills, 90210, Shannen Doherty was ruling the big screen in the teen black comedy Heathers in 1988. The film, which has since been adapted into a musical and television reboot that Doherty appeared on, follows four teenage girls — three of whom are named Heather — in a clique at a high school. It’s not all great, though, as one new student is intent on murdering the popular students and staging their deaths as suicide. Doherty starred as Heather Duke and definitely showed the world her acting chops with this film and her impact on teenage pop culture.
Heathers is streaming for free on Tubi.
Jenny Wilder, ‘Little House on the Prairie’
LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE — Season 9 — Pictured: Shannen Doherty as Jenny Wilder (Photo by NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)
– NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
One of Doherty’s first roles came in 1982 when she was just 11 years old. She starred as Jenny Wilder in the ninth season of Little House on the Prairie and three television films after the series ended. While she was one of the last actors to join the show as it was in its final season, she certainly made her mark or else Jenny wouldn’t have been in the post-series films.
Little House on the Prairie is streaming on Peacock.
Rene Mosier, ‘Mallrats’
Shannen Doherty grabbing the cheek of Jason Lee in a scene from the film ‘Mallrats’, 1995. (Photo by Gramercy Pictures/Getty Images)
– Gramercy Pictures/Getty Images)
In one of her first follow-ups to 90210, Shannen Doherty starred in the Kevin Smith buddy comedy Mallrats in 1995. While the film was a box office bomb, as it only made $2.1 million on a $6.1 million budget, it has since become a cult classic, and it’s not hard to see why. The film centered on two best friends taking a trip to the mall after their girlfriends break up with them, with one participating in a game show at the mall and the other dating a store manager. Doherty played Rene, the ex-girlfriend of Jason Lee’s Brodie, who starts dating Ben Affleck’s Shannon Hamilton.
Mallrats is not streaming but is available to purchase on Prime Video, Google Play, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home.
Kris Witherspoon, ‘Our House’
OUR HOUSE — Season 1 — 1987: Pictured: (clockwise, top left) Deidre Hall as Jessica ‘Jessie’ Witherspoon, Shannen Doherty as Kris Witherspoon, Keri Houlihan as Molly Witherspoon, Wilford Brimley as Gus Witherspoon, Chad Allen as David Witherspoon — Photo by: Frank Carroll/NBCU Photo Bank
– Frank Carroll/NBCU Photo Bank)
Another memorable role that came before Doherty really took off was Kris Witherspoon in the NBC drama Our House, which premiered in 1986 and ran for two seasons. The series centered on the Witherspoon family and the challenges they faced adjusting to life with three generations living in the same house. Even though it only lasted for two seasons, it certainly had the recipe for a classic drama.
Unfortunately, Our House is not streaming anywhere, nor is it available to purchase, but hopefully, it will come around again soon.
