Biography
Jennie Garth rode the wave of teen stardom as Kelly Taylor in "Beverly Hills 90210" (Fox, 1990-2000) into a long-lasting career in the entertainment industry. A native of Urbana, Illinois, she relocated to Los Angeles as a teen to pursue a professional acting career. She made her screen debut in the short-lived sitcom "Teen Angel Returns" (Disney Channel, 1989) with future co-star Jason Priestley. Soon after, she appeared on an episode of the sitcom "Growing Pains" (ABC, 1985-92). The actress then joined the cast of the Barbara Eden show "A Brand New Life" (NBC, 1989-90), but it was her next role that would rocket her to fame. Garth was cast alongside Shannen Doherty, Tori Spelling, Luke Perry, and Priestley in Darren Star's teen drama "Beverly Hills 90210." Her Kelly Taylor began as a vapid L.A. rich girl but over the course of the show became a more well-rounded character, facing a variety of challenges, including drug addiction, pregnancy, and amnesia. The character also served as the springboard for the hit spin-off series "Melrose Place" (Fox, 1992-99) with the actress appearing in multiple episodes during the first season. While working on "90210," Garth began a second career starring in television films. Her projects during this time included "Star" (NBC, 1993), "Without Consent" (ABC, 1995), and "An Unfinished Affair" (ABC, 1996). While sticking primarily to TV, she appeared in the feature films "Power 98" (1996) with Eric Roberts and "My Brother's War" (1997) with James Brolin. After the end of "90210," the actress had a recurring role in Star's short-lived drama "The Street" (Fox, 2000). She found greater success starring with Amanda Bynes in the sitcom "What I Like About You" (The WB, 2002-06). The pair played sisters sharing an apartment in New York City. She also continued acting regularly in TV movies, gaining notice for her portrayal of a HIV-positive teacher in "Girl, Positive" (Lifetime, 2007). When Star rebooted his teen drama with "90210" (The CW, 2008-13), Garth returned on a recurring basis, with Kelly now working as a guidance counselor at the show's West Beverly High School. The actress went on to compete on "Dancing with the Stars" (ABC, 2005- ), lasting until the season's penultimate episode. She also starred in the holiday-themed television movies "A Christmas Wedding Tail" (Hallmark, 2011) and "Holidaze" (Freeform, 2013). The actress teamed with Spelling for the sitcom "Mystery Girls" (Freeform, 2014) with the pair playing former co-stars brought back together to solve mysteries. While that show failed to find an audience, Garth created a buzz with another return to the famous zip code that launched her career. The actress joined most of the original "Beverly Hills 90210" cast for "BH90210" (Fox, 2019). Reuniting with Spelling, Doherty, and Priestley, the group played fictionalized versions of themselves trying to launch a reboot of the original show. Garth then had the opportunity to join her actress daughter, Luca Bella, in the TV movie "Your Family or Your Life" (Lifetime, 2019).
