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For nine seasons, he played lovable – and oh-so swoon-worthy — Brandon Walsh on the hit ‘90s show Beverly Hills, 90210.
Now Jason Priestley is making our inner 90s girl jump for joy with the May 6 release of his tell-all, Jason Priestley: A Memoir — and it’s FULL of secrets from on set!
In the book, the now married father-of-two dishes on his co-stars.
As avid 90210 fans recall, Tori Spelling, who played virginal Donna Martin, finally lost her virginity to longtime love David Silver (Brian Austin Green) during the show’s seventh season – and Jason was the man behind the lens.
So why was Jason nervous? Her father, Aaron Spelling, was a producer on the show and Jason had to watch the final cut with the TV mogul.
Jason, Aaron and Tori
I took my director’s cut to Aaron’s office to discuss it. I sat next to him and tried not to squirm as we watched an episode featuring his only daughter losing her virginity on screen. I was beyond nervous. Aaron chewed on his pipe the whole time but said nothing. Finally, we came to the end. …“Very tasteful, Jason, very tasteful,” Aaron finally pronounced. And that was that.
These days, Tori is going through many personal issues involving her husband Dean McDermott’s infidelity.
Speaking of Dean, Jason also mentions him in the book and reveals their cold first encounter at the 2006 DVD release party for the Fox series.
I walked over, extended my hand and said, “Hi, Dean, Jason Priestley”…He stared down at my hand, then back up at my face. No handshake…nothing…”Well, [Mutual friend] Tom Cavanagh speaks highly of you,” I said.
”Oh yeah?” Dean said aggressively.
”Yeah. For some reason, he seems to think you’re a nice guy.” I turned and left. Haven’t spoken to him since…
Dean McDermott
He then mentions turning on the television about a month later and seeing Tori’s yard sale on the news.
And he’ll never forget what he saw next.
I saw my very own wedding invitation on screen. Apparently, it had gone for five bucks, including a personal autograph by Tori. She sold my wedding invitation to a stranger.
Another 90210 alum who made the pages of his story? None other than Shannen Doherty, who played his sister Brenda.
Jason and Shannen
The 44-year-old former heartthrob recalls a time when the duo were sent via private jet on a last-minute trip to meet with advertisers in NYC – and she was a diva long before the show made its debut in 1990.
I could not believe my ears at Shannen’s very first words after she boarded. Her butt had barely hit her seat before she said loudly to the PR execs, “Really? A town car? You send a town car to take me to the airport, not a limo?” She sighed a very put-upon sigh. I laughed, as I couldn’t really tell if Shannen was kidding or not.
As it turns out, she wasn’t!
But that was just the beginning. I looked on, becoming more uneasy by the minute as she began bitching about the short notice and the food on board and the temperature in the cabin and everything else.
90210 wasn’t the only show with divas. In fact, Jason mentions working with Mischa Barton when they co-starred on Tru Calling in 2004. The young girl was angry she and her mother had to share a car with the actor during a press event.
Mischa Barton
The three of us got seated in the back of the limo; I was sitting directly across from Mischa and her mother as the car prepared to leave. Mischa looked at her mother and said, “Do we have to share a car with him?”
”He can hear you, you know!” I said. “He’s sitting right here!”
