Farewell to a Beloved Icon: Remembering Shannen Doherty, 1971-2024

Story by Mitchell Smith

Hello everybody today we say goodbye to an actress taken way too soon. Shannen Doherty was born in 1971 in Memphis Tennessee. Doherty started acting in the eighties and among small rolls on shows like Magnum P.I., Airwolf, and 21 Jump Street Doherty was non other then Jenny Wilder on one of my favorite shows growing up Little House on the Prairie. It wasn’t till 1991 though that I would recognize Doherty in a little show that I believe came on after Herman’s Head, but don’t quote me on that. Of course I refer to Beverly Hills 90210.

The show was an instant hit for me, starting out somewhere in season 2, I was very interested as it was hitting topics that I was living being in high school at the time. I’m not sure exactly which fashion the show created but we all were definitely folding our pants legs and rolling them at the bottom just like they did on the show. Doherty’s popularity skyrocketed during her time on 90210 and would lead to another huge roll when she became Prue Halliwell on Charmed. This was definitely one of my favorite shows that my wife and I used to watched together. Doherty who recently finished up on a couple of films unfortunately was taken by a long battle with breast cancer. For me and millions of others we grew up with Doherty.

We went through the good times and the bad times. She was one of the eighties child stars that grew up with us, who grew up with me. Doherty will be missed dearly and she will forever be my high school heart throb, Brenda Walsh. RIP Shannen Doherty.