She had a tenuous connection to Hollywood from birth — she was, after all, child number seven for a real-life Brady Bunch couple (both of her parents had three children from a previous marriage) — so perhaps it’s no surprise that, after being discovered by a talent scout, Jennie Garth dropped out of high school, moved to Los Angeles with her mom, and started landing roles almost right away.
Her most famous character, of course, is Kelly Taylor, one of the spoiled rich kids of “Beverly Hills 90210.” As one of the few castmembers who stuck out the show’s entire 10-year run, Jennie was able, as Kelly, to run the dramatic gamut: at various points, she was addicted to drugs, raped, joined a cult, left Jason Priestley at the altar, and suffered a miscarriage — just to name a few storylines.
Since “90210” went off the air in 2000, Jennie has (perhaps understandably) stuck with more low-key roles; apart from co-starring opposite Amanda Bynes on the WB’s “What I Like About You” from 2002-2006, she has concentrated mostly on her marriage (to actor Peter Facinelli) and their children (three, at last count). It isn’t as flashy as being naned to FHM’s “100 Sexiest Women” list two years in a row, but there’s something to be said for the simpler life, no?
Iconic Character – Kelly Taylor on “Beverly Hills 90210”
Jennie is having a fantastic career as she shows off her many talents and continues to look beautiful. But for many fans, her role as Kelly on “Beverly Hills 90210” will always be a favorite. We highlihgted this character in our “TV Girlfriends” feature in the “Girls Next Door” catagory. Here’s what we said about the character:
“Kelly Taylor has come a long way, baby…so long, in fact, that it’s a little hard to believe that she’s being considered for the “Girls Next Door” category. She’s always been jaw-droppingly attractive, but when she first encountered Brandon and Brenda Walsh, she was – let’s face it – a spoiled little rich girl. But over the course of her years at West Beverly High, California University, and beyond, she went through so much incredibly awful shit that all you really want to do now is just hold her and tell her everything’s going to be all right. Seriously, let’s go through the list: she had a rotten family life, she’s been addicted to diet pills and cocaine, she’s been raped, stalked, shot, joined a cult (accidentally), got pregnant (probably also accidentally), then had a miscarriage. She even had amnesia, for God’s sake! But, dammit, Kelly’s a tough gal, and she made it through all of that stuff, going on to achieve her Master’s Degree and, in a brilliant full-circle move, return to West Beverly as a guidance counselor. Now that’s the kind of spunk you want in a girlfriend.”
Jennie Says
On her friends:
“I never met a cow I didn’t like.”
On her talent:
“I know I have the ability to do so much more than just stand in front of the camera the rest of my life.”
On dating:
“The craziest thing I did to get a guy to notice me was going out with his best friend. It worked — he did notice me — but I don’t recommend it.”