Charmed Actress Shannen Doherty Dies at 53
The actress was fighting a years-long battle with cancer.
(SPOT.ph) American actress Shannen Doherty of Charmed and Beverly Hills, 90210 fame, has passed away from breast cancer on July 13, 2024. She was 53.
According to a Variety report, Doherty's publicist Leslie Sloane confirmed the death on July 14. “It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress, Shannen Doherty,” Sloane said in the statement. “On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after many years of fighting the disease. 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.”
Shannen Doherty's battle with cancer
Doherty was diagnosed with breast cander in Februrary 2015. In 2017, the actress said she was in remission, but by 2019, the cancer had returned and spread. Still, Doherty was booked and busy with TV movie roles and a podcast Let’s Be Clear With Shannen Doherty discussing her acting career and battle with cancer.
In 2023, Doherty said the cancer had spread to her brain and was receiving radiation treatment.
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Shannen Doherty as an actress
The veteran actress started acting young. At just age 10, she landed a role on Father Murphy. Director and actor Michael Landon saw her in the series and cast her as Jenny Wilder in Little House on the Prairie a year later.
Doherty first rose to fame in the '90s as Brenda Walsh on Fox's Beverly Hills, 90210 where she, along with her brother Brandon played by Jason Priestley, brought to life a fish-out-of-water family marvelling at the antics of the wealthy and privileged in one of the world's most expensive zip codes. Life for the Walshes was nothing like that back in Minnesota.
The show was a hit, and broke ground when it came to putting the spotlight on more serious topics like sex, abuse, and racism. Coupled with that success was hate and gossip following the cast, Doherty included, whose character earned the ire of the show's viewers. After four seasons of 90210, Doherty left the show amidst rumors that she was difficult to work with.
After her departure from the hit series, Doherty took on Charmed, a supernatural drama chronicling the journey of three witch sisters who must learn to harness their powers and fight evil. Doherty played the oldest sister, Prudence Halliwell, called Prue, alongside Alyssa Milano and Holly Marie Combs.
Doherty went on to direct three episodes in 2000 and 2001; “Be Careful What You Witch For,” “The Good, The Bad, and The Cursed,” and “All Hell Breaks Loose,” which is the last episode she appeared in. She left the series at the end of the third season, and her character Prue was also killed in the story.
Apart from the two series, Doherty also had a recurring role on the family series Our House with Wilfred Brimley, and appeared in feature films. Some movies pre-90210 under her belt include teen classics Heathers, Girls Just Want to Have Fun, and Kevin Smith’s Mallrats and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.
Her more recent apperances include North Shore and Riverdale.
The Internet remembers Shannen Doherty's Prue Halliwell and more roles
Many of Doherty's fans took to X, formerly Twitter, to show love and celebrate her portrayal of eldest Charmed sister Prue Halliwell, along with Brenda Walsh on Beverly Hills, 90210. The badass witch had some cool moments on the show, which fans brought up again in her memory. And of course, Brenda's romance with Dylan, played by Luke Perry, on 90210 bears remembering.
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