When Gabrielle Carteris won the role of sixteen-year-old Andrea Zuckerman on “Beverly Hills 90210,” she hid an important piece of information: she was almost thirty. Still, she was able to land the part and all was well… until Carteris got pregnant. There always seems to be a twist in the tale, right?
The writers decided to simplify things by making her character get pregnant as well. It wasn’t the first time writers had to do some tricky thinking to work around a cast member’s personal life, and it won’t be the last. Carteris isn’t even the only member of the cast to lie about age!
A Diva Attitude
It is safe to say that cast members on the set of "Beverly Hills 90210" didn't always get along so well. After all, they were all pretty young at the time. There was plenty more behind-the-scenes action that wasn't as lovey-dovey. Shannen Doherty quickly earned a reputation as a diva when she complained about having a normal taxi instead of a limo for promos.
She even had a years-long feud with fellow actress Jennie Garth. Their on-screen characters were conflicted as well. It's been said the two have since repaired their relationship. Doherty also often showed up late to showings, much to the frustration of producer Aaron Spelling.
Casting Changes
Pilot episodes are often strange thanks to a shift in writing, a switch in details, and a change in actors. It always seems to be the case. And such was the case with "Beverly Hills 90210." The original actor for the father of twins Brandon and Brenda was Lyman Ward. He is best known as Ferris Bueller's father in the eighties movie "Ferris Bueller's Day Off."
However, he was replaced – James Eckhouse became Jim Walsh for the rest of the series. They even reshot Ward's pilot scenes with Eckhouse standing in. All this happened before the show even aired, so few knew about this last-second casting.
90210 Almost Had Drew Barrymore or Alicia Silverstone
Shannen Doherty's diva antics finally reached a breaking point, and she was dropped from the show at the end of season three. In order to fill the hole her character had left, the producers knew they had to cast big.
The new character of Valeria Malone was first offered to Alicia Silverstone, then Drew Barrymore, then Alyssa Milano. However, none of them ended up in the role, which eventually went to Tiffani Amber Thiessen. This didn't exactly please her boyfriend Brian Austin Green, who played David Silver. Austin didn't want Malone to get together with anyone from the male cast.
The Magic Trio
One of the long-running conflicts on the show was the animosity between Dylan McKay and his father Jack. Believe it or not, three different actors provided their skills to create Jack McKay. It began with Terence Ford (Harrison Ford's brother), followed by "Independence Day" actor Arthur Brooks.
They both put their spin on the wealthy businessman with a shady past. Finally, "Days of Our Lives" actor Josh Taylor stepped in until the character was killed off in a car explosion, shortly after Jack and Dylan made up. A car bomb? Really? Man, this show got wild. You could even say that it "jumped the shark."