Shannen Doherty's Life in Pictures

Shannen Doherty was born in Memphis, Tenn., on April 12, 1971. She began acting at a young age, having guest spots on TV series such as Voyagers! and Father Murphy. She later scored her first major role at the age of 11 on Little House on the Prairie.

She'd go on to score roles on a host of iconic TV series and movies, Beverly Hills, 90210 and Charmed among them. In her later years, though, she'd become as known for her cancer journey, which she spoke about openly through her memoir-style podcast, Let’s Be Clear with Shannen Doherty.

“When you ask yourself, ‘Why me? Why did I get cancer?’ and then ‘Why did my cancer come back? Why am I stage 4?,’ that leads you to look for the bigger purpose in life,” she told PEOPLE in 2023.

Here, as Hollywood mourns the actress's death at 53 years old, look back on her life in photos.

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1982-1983: Shannen Doherty on 'Little House on the Prairie'

Shannen Doherty played Jenny Wilder on the final season of Little House on the Prairie before its eventual cancellation in 1983. Though she was only on a few episodes, it helped put her on the map as an actress.

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1985: Shannen Doherty in 'Girls Just Want to Have Fun'

In 1985, Shannen Doherty began branching out into film as she starred in the teen comedy Girls Just Want to Have Fun alongside Helen Hunt and Sarah Jessica Parker.

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1986-1988: Shannen Doherty on 'Our House'

A year later, Shannen Doherty was cast as one of the leads in the family drama Our House. The show ran from 1986 to 1988 and earned Doherty two Young Artist Awards nominations.

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1988: Shannen Doherty in 'Heathers'

Shannen Doherty had a starring role in the 1988 black comedy Heathers, in which she played Heather Duke alongside Winona Ryder and Christian Slater. The film was one of Doherty's first major motion picture roles and has since become a cult classic that was adapted into a musical and short-lived TV series.

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1990-1994: Shannen Doherty on 'Beverly Hills, 90210'

In 1990, Shannen Doherty starred as Brenda Walsh on the TV series Beverly Hills, 90210. As the show became a global pop culture phenomenon, Doherty's role helped her gain critical acclaim and several award nominations. She played the character for four seasons before leaving the show in 1994.

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1998-2001: Shannen Doherty on 'Charmed'

After working with Aaron Spelling on Beverly Hills, 90210, Shannen Doherty reunited with the producer when she was cast on The WB's Charmed series about a trio of sisters who are witches. Doherty eventually left the series at the end of season 3, resulting in her character's death.

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2008-2009: Shannen Doherty on '90210'

In 2008, Shannen Doherty returned to her Beverly Hills, 90210 roots as she appeared on the show's The CW spin-off, 90210. She reprised her role as Brenda Walsh for a handful of episodes on seasons 1 and 2 alongside returning cast members Jennie Garth and Tori Spelling, as well as new additions Shenae Grimes and Tristan Wilds.

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2010: Shannen Doherty on 'Dancing with the Stars'

In 2010, Shannen Doherty competed on season 10 of Dancing with the Stars alongside partner Mark Ballas. The couple made it to week 2 before being eliminated.

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2011: Shannen Doherty Marries Kurt Iswarienko

Following her previous marriages to Ashley Hamilton and Rick Salomon, Shannen Doherty found love with photographer Kurt Iswarienko. In October 2011, the couple tied the knot in Malibu. In 2023, Doherty filed for divorce.

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2019: Shannen Doherty on 'BH90210'

Shannen Doherty returned to Beverly Hills again as she appeared on Fox's BH90210 series in 2019. Unlike previous spin-offs, the show focused on the original cast members of Beverly Hills, 90210 — Jason Priestley, Garth, Ian Ziering, Gabrielle Carteris, Brian Austin Green, Tori Spelling, and Doherty — as they played heightened versions of themselves.

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2015: Shannen Doherty's Battle with Cancer

In 2015, Shannen Doherty was diagnosed with breast cancer, telling PEOPLE at the time, "I am continuing to eat right, exercise and stay very positive about my life. I am thankful to my family, friends and doctors for their support and, of course, my fans who have stood by me."

Though she went into remission in 2017, she announced in 2020 that her cancer had returned and she was currently in stage 4. Throughout her treatments, she has been open and candid with fans about her cancer journey.

"I want people to not hear stage IV cancer and think of the person that is gray and falling over, and they can't move, and they're going into hospice, and they can't work," she told Sarah Michelle Gellar for an Entertainment Tonight interview in 2020. "You get written off so quickly, even though you're vital and healthy and happy and wanting to go out there and work. So, I'm sharing in order to hopefully give a different face to all of this."

In June 2023, Doherty announced that her cancer had spread to her brain, and later that year, her bones.

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2021: Shannen Doherty in 'Fortress'

Amid her cancer battle, Shannen Doherty continued acting, including appearing in several TV movies and a small role on Riverdale season 4 for the special tribute episode to her Beverly Hills, 90210 costar Luke Perry following his death in 2019.

In 2021, Doherty starred in the action film Fortress alongside Bruce Willis and Chad Michael Murray.

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Shannen Doherty Dies

Shannen Doherty at the "BH90210" Press Conference at the Four Seasons Hotel on August 08, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California — Shannen Doherty in 2019.
Vera Anderson/WireImage

On July 14, 2024, Shannen Doherty's publicist announced the star had died in an exclusive statement to PEOPLE. She was 53.

"It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress Shannen Doherty. On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after many years of fighting the disease," Doherty's longtime publicist Leslie Sloane shared.

"The devoted daughter, sister, aunt and friend was surrounded by her loved ones as well as her dog, Bowie. The family asks for their privacy at this time so they can grieve in peace," Sloane continued.