Shannen Doherty’s best movies and TV shows showed the great range of the actress, as she became a massive television star in three different decades while also turning in some quality film roles along the way. Doherty started her career as a child actor, getting early roles in shows like Father Murphy and Voyagers before she got her first major TV role in Little House on the Prairie. After making her name in that show as a pre-teen, she also voiced a role in The Secret of NIMH before her career skyrocketed.
Most fans know Doherty from her television career. As a teen, she appeared in Our House, where she garnered award recognition, before she took on a starring role in one of the most popular television shows of the 1990s, Beverly Hills, 90210, as Brenda Walsh. While that remains the role she remained best known for throughout the rest of her career, she also had big roles in the TV show Charmed and some cult classic movies like Heathers and Mallrats. In 2024, Doherty passed away at age 53 after a battle with cancer.
10 Darkness Of Man (2024)
Shannen Doherty Played Vivian
Darkness of Man RActionThriller Director James Cullen Bressack Release Date May 7, 2024 Cast Jean-Claude Van Damme , Emerson Min , Kristanna Loken , Peter Jae , sticky fingaz Runtime 108 Minutes
While she was best known for her television work, the best Shannen Doherty movies include a mix of cult classics and beloved favorites. However, for anyone who wants to see Doherty in a late-career role before her death, Darkness of Man was released two months before Doherty passed away, making it the last project she starred in and saw before she died. The movie is a VOD release with Jean-Claude Van Damme leading the cast, with supporting roles by Doherty, Kristanna Loken, and Spencer Breslin.
Darkness of Man
was the last project Shannen Doherty starred in that was released before her death.
The movie sees Van Damme as Russell Hatch, an Interpol operative who takes on a father figure role to a young man named Jayden, the son of an informant killed in a raid gone wrong. While a VOD release with Van Damme as the lead actor, the movie received positive reviews from critics, sitting at 70% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Doherty only had a small role as a woman who chastises Hatch for smoking on school grounds while he is there to pick up Jayden.
9 Our House (1986-1988)
Shannen Doherty Played Kris Witherspoon
After making her name as a child on Little House on the Prairie, Shannen Doherty picked up a starring role in the 1986 drama series Our House. This drama stars Wilford Brimley as Gus Witherspoon, a retired widower who invites his daughter-in-law and her three kids to live with him after his son dies. Her kids weren’t happy to leave their home in Indiana, but their mom (Deidre Hall, Marlena from Days of Our Lives) packs them up anyway and takes Gus’s offer to live with him in California.
Shannen Doherty plays the oldest child, 15-year-old Kris. The main plot sees the grandkids realize how hard it is to live with Gus, who implements the same strict rules on them that he did with his own kids. However, soon, they all seem to change and grow together. The series lasted for two seasons on NBC with 46 episodes. The show wasn’t a success thanks to its Sunday night time slot, but Shannen Doberty earned best actress nominations at the 1987 and 1988 Young Adult Awards.
8 90210 (2008-2009)
Shannen Doherty Played Brenda Walsh
90210 DramaRomanceComedy
Beverly Hills 90210, the 2008 series, is a spin-off of the iconic ’90s show, focusing on a new generation navigating the complexities of high school life in the wealthy world of Beverly Hills. The series takes drama to new heights with more modern issues as it follows the Wilson family and their friends between their personal relationships and dark secrets.
Cast Shenae Grimes , Tristan Wilds , AnnaLynne McCord , Jessica Stroup , Michael Steger , Jessica Lowndes , Matt Lanter Release Date September 2, 2008 Seasons 5 Creator(s) Rob Thomas , Gabe Sachs , Jeff Judah
In 2008, Shannen Doherty returned to her most famous role, that of Brenda Walsh, on the reboot series 90210. The new series focuses on several wealthy students attending Beverly Hills High School, most of whom were a brand-new cast of characters. However, during the first two seasons of the show, original cast members made appearances. Tins included Jennie Garth, Tori Spelling, Joe E. Tata, Ann Gillespie, and Shannen Doherty, all playing their roles from the original series.
Doherty appeared as a guest star in seven episodes of the first season of 90210. The character of Annie Wilson (Shenae Grimes) was based partially on the character type of Brenda from the original series. Just like in the original series, Kelly (Garth) and Brenda have a falling out thanks to Brenda sleeping with someone Kelly was dating. The series saw Brenda show up in Beverly Hills to star in a play and take time to reconnect with Kelly.
7 Little House On The Prairie (1982-1983)
Shannen Doherty Played Jenny Wilder
Little House on the Prairie (1974) TV-PGWesternDramaFamily Where to Watch
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Little House on the Prairie is a historical drama television series based on the book series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The show follows the life of the Ingalls family, particularly Laura, as they travel across the American frontier in the late 19th century, facing various challenges and experiences.
Cast Melissa Gilbert , Dean Butler , Karen Grassle , Katherine MacGregor , Melissa Sue Anderson Release Date September 11, 1974 Seasons 9 Creator(s) Ed Friendly , Laura Ingalls Wilder
Shannen Doherty picked up her first awards recognition in the very first TV show she ever appeared in, earning a nomination for Best Young Actress, Guest on a Series in Father Murphy. This led to Doherty earning the role of Jenny Wilder in the long-running drama series Little House on the Prairie. The series is based on the novel series by Laura Ingalls Wilder about her life with her family living in the American Midwest in the late 1870s.
Doherty also returned for three sequel television movies that aired in 1983 and 1984.
Doherty played the niece of Almanzo (Dean Butler), Laura Ingalls husband, who moves in with Laura and Almanzo after her own father dies. She only starred in the drama series for its ninth and final season for a total of 18 episodes. The series was big for the 12-year-old actress, who earned two nominations for Best Young Actress in a Drama Series in 1983 and 1984. Doherty also returned for three sequel television movies that aired in 1983 and 1984.
6 Girls Just Want To Have Fun (1985)
Shannen Doherty Played Maggie Malene
Girls Just Want to Have Fun PGComedyMusicRomance
Girls Just Want to Have Fun is a 1985 film directed by Alan Metter. The plot centers around Janey, a new girl in town played by Sarah Jessica Parker, who dreams of becoming a dancer on a popular television show. Alongside her rebellious best friend Lynne, portrayed by Helen Hunt, she navigates the challenges of adolescence and pursues her passion, despite strict parental opposition and various obstacles.
Director Alan Metter Release Date April 12, 1985 Cast Sarah Jessica Parker , Lee Montgomery , Morgan Woodward , Jonathan Silverman , Shannen Doherty , Helen Hunt , Ed Lauter , Holly Gagnier , Lee Arnone , Margaret Howell , Terry McGovern , Biff Yeager , Kristi Somers , Robin Antin , Stuart Fratkin , Gina Gershon , Bruce Goldstein , Scott Coffey , Wayne Bascomb , Cyndi Lauper , Robert Downey Jr. , Richard Blade Runtime 87 Minutes Expand
Shanne Doherty’s first live-action movie role as a teenager came in the 1985 romantic comedy Girls Just Want to Have Fun. The 14-year-old actress starred in the film as Maggie Malene, the sister of Lee Montgomery’s Jeff Malene. Sarah Jessica Parker takes the lead in this movie as Janey Glenn, an Army brat who moves to Chicago after her dad retires from the military. She decides she wants to try out for a popular dance show with her new best friend Lynne (Helen Hunt).
Janey and her partner Jeff impress the judges, but while they are great dancing together, the two struggle to get along, which sets up the tropes needed for a romantic comedy to progress until they finally find their way together. Doherty’s role is very small, mostly playing the role of a little sister to the main actor, but it was still her first big film role and would lead the way to many more casting opportunities in the future.
5 Charmed (1998-2001)
Shannen Doherty Played Prue Halliwell
Charmed 4
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Charmed follows the lives of three sisters, who after the tragic death of their mother, discover they are powerful witches. The original series ran for eight seasons between 1998 and 2006 and starred Holly Marie Combs, Alyssa Milano, and Rose McGowan. In 2018, a reboot of the series premiered on The CW and lasted for four seasons.
Cast Holly Marie Combs , Alyssa Milano , Rose McGowan Release Date October 7, 1998 Seasons 8 Showrunner Brad Kern
While Shannen Doherty is best known for her role on Beverly Hills, 90210, she was also one of the leads in a hugely popular fantasy television series in the late 1990s. She starred as Prue Halliwell, one of the three magical sisters on Charmed. Doherty appeared in the first three seasons of the series, which saw the sisters tasked with protecting innocents from demons and warlocks, using their combined “Power of Three” powers, while known as the Charmed Ones.
Related Charmed: Why Shannen Doherty Left After Season 3
Charmed was on the air for eight seasons, but Shannon Doherty – who played Prue Halliwell – left at the end of season 3. Here’s why.
However, Doherty’s time on the show ended in controversy. Citing bullying from fellow castmember Alyssa Milano, Doherty ended up exiting the series after the third season, with Prue dying in the final episode of that season. Despite her exit, Charmed remained a popular series, with Rose McGowan replacing her as a new half-sister that showed up in season 4. During her time on the show, Doherty picked up two Saturn Award nominations for Best Genre TV Actress.
4 Mallrats (1995)
Shannen Doherty Played Rene Mosier
Mallrats 2
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Mallrats is the second film in Kevin Smith’s View Askewniverse and a prequel to Clerks, focusing on two friends who bond at a mall after being dumped by their girlfriends. The film didn’t perform well at the box office but has since become a cult classic and one of the most notable films in Smith’s portfolio.
Director Kevin Smith Release Date October 20, 1995 Cast Jason Lee , Kevin Smith , Jeremy London , Claire Forlani , Jason Mewes , Joey Lauren Adams , Shannen Doherty , Ben Affleck Runtime 94 minutes
Thanks to her huge success on Beverly Hills, 90210, it didn’t take Kevin Smith long to cast her in his follow-up to the groundbreaking Clerks. His second movie, Mallrats, was an R-rated teen comedy with Jeremy London starring as a college student named T.S. Quint, a slacker who prefers to just hang out at the local mall rather than do anything with his life. When his girlfriend, Brandi (Claire Forlani), signs up for a dating game show her dad is hosting, T.S. and his buddy Brodie Bruce (Jason Lee) set out to sabotage it.
Related Mallrats 2: Will It Happen? Everything We Know
Kevin Smith’s 1990s cult classic Mallrats is ripe for a modern-day sequel, but will the beloved slacker comedy ever return for Mallrats 2?
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Shannen Doherty stars as Rene, the girl who just dumped Brodie for having no direction in his life. This makes her an antagonistic force, especially when she starts immediately dating Shannon (Ben Affleck), who has his sights on taking down Brodie and T.S. The movie was a box office failure and received mostly mixed reviews, However, it has become a massive cult classic since its release, with some critics believing it was ahead of its time, comparing it to American Pie, which came out four years later.
3 The Secret of NIMH (1982)
Shannen Doherty Played Teresa Brisby
The Secret of NIMH GAnimationDocumentaryDramaFamilyFantasySci-Fi Where to Watch
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*Availability in US Director Don Bluth Release Date June 17, 1982 Cast Derek Jacobi , Elizabeth Hartman , Arthur Malet , Dom DeLuise , Hermione Baddeley , Shannen Doherty
The very first movie that Shannen Doherty took part in was the animated film, The Secret of NIMH. Regarded as one of the scariest animated kids movies, the film is about a group of field mice who want to move before the plowing time in the field in which they live starts. However, when their son Timothy falls ill, they can’t move and danger then arrives when the plowing starts early and Timothy has to remain inside, or he could risk death. The idea of children, even mice, in mortal danger was shocking at the time.
Shannen Doherty was 11 when the movie came out, and she voiced Teresa, one of the daughters in the Mice family. The film itself was very dark, especially since it was marketed towards kids. It has a surprising amount of emotional depth and is one that caused both nightmares and memories that would last a lifetime for the people who watched it as kids. Critics awarded it a 93% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and it won Best Animated Film at the Saturn Awards.
2 Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990-1994)
Shannen Doherty Played Brenda Walsh
Beverly Hills 90210 Drama Where to Watch
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Beverly Hills 90210 is a teen-centric drama series that ran on Fox from 1990 to 2000. The show focuses on twins Brandon and Brenda Walsh, two teens forced to move from Minnesota to the progressive and wildly different Beverly Hills in California. 90210 explores significant and controversial topics for teens that have remained prevalent over time, such as sex, racism, and drug abuse, and became a global sensation in the early 90s.
Cast Jennie Garth , Jason Priestley , Luke Perry Release Date October 4, 1990 Seasons 10 Showrunner Darren Star
The TV series that made Shannen Doherty a star was Beverly Hills, 90210. In the series, Doherty played Brenda Walsh for the first four seasons. She was Brandon Walsh’s (Jason Priestley) twin sister who lived with him in Minnesota until their family moved to Beverly Hills for a job. Once past the culture shock, Brenda and Brandon made several new friends and the series followed their trials, tribulations, friendships, love affairs, and tragedies as they navigated high school and beyond.
Related Beverly Hills 90210: Brenda’s Transformation Over The Years (In Pictures)
Shannen Doherty’s character on Beverly Hills 90210, Brenda Walsh, transformed over the course of the show as these 10 pictures illustrate.
Brenda’s biggest storylines surrounded her meeting and dating bad boy Dylan McKay (Luke Perry), which caused a lot of problems at home and with her new friends. However, Doherty’s time on the show ended after just four seasons, although the series lasted for a total of 10 and remained one of the highest-rated teen shows on television during its run. Doherty won the Best Young Actress award in 1991 and 1992 from the Young Artist Awards for her work on the show.
1 Heathers (1989)
Shannen Doherty Played Heather Duke
Heathers 4
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Heathers is a dark comedy film directed by Michael Lehmann, featuring Winona Ryder as Veronica Sawyer and Christian Slater as J.D. Released in 1989, the story delves into high school social hierarchies and the consequences of rebelling against popular cliques. The film addresses themes of teen angst, peer pressure, and the impact of destructive behavior within a satirical framework.
Director Michael Lehmann Release Date March 31, 1989 Cast Winona Ryder , Christian Slater , Shannen Doherty , Lisanne Falk , Kim Walker , Penelope Milford Runtime 103 minutes
Shannen Doherty’s most beloved movie role came in the 1989 dark comedy Heathers. In the movie, Winona Ryder stars as Veronica Sawyer, a teenager who becomes involved with a mean girl clique, which includes three wealthy, pretty girls, all named Heather. These include Doherty as Heather Duke, Lisanne Falk as Heather McNamara, and Kim Walker as Heather Chandler. However, when a bad boy named J.D. (Christian Slater) moves into town, things start to get deadly for anyone named Heather.
When J.D. suggests killing the three Heathers, Veronica goes along with it, thinking he is joking. However, when the deaths start piling up, she realizes she is in too deep and has to find a way to escape J.D. before she ends up next. The film has overwhelmingly positive ratings, sitting at 95% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, and it has become one of the most beloved cult classics from the 1980s. The Shannen Doherty movie also spawned a musical and a TV adaptation decades later.