When you think of the TV show “Beverly Hills 90210”, it’s hard not to picture the charming face of Jason Priestley. Surprisingly, Priestley was the last cast member to be added to the show. He auditioned for the role of Brandon Walsh and landed the part in record time.
After auditioning on a Thursday, he was offered the job the very next day, and filming began just three days later, on a Monday. It just goes to show how talented and charming Priestley was and how quickly he was able to make such an impact on the show and become a fan-favorite heartthrob.
Going to School With Buffy
Torrance High School in California is famous. Not only did "Beverly Hills 90210" film there, but so did a number of other shows, including "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Medium," and "The Secret Life of the American Teenager." It's a real classic L.A. TV show location.
It even had appearances in several movies, such as "The Wild Life," "Not Another Teen Movie," "Cursed," and "Bruce Almighty." While not many shots were taken inside the building, the grounds and facade are often featured. Imagine "Buffy" meeting the cast of "90210" – now that's a crossover event for the ages. Which "90210" character works best as a vampire?
The Walshes' Real Home
The whole point of the show is the idea of a couple of midwest kids – Brandon and Brenda from Minneapolis, Minnesota – feeling out of place among the cream of the crop. That's what "Beverly Hills 90210" is all about when you get down to brass tacks.
However, information gleaned from exterior shots of their home makes it seem like the Walshes actually live in Altadena, California — more than thirty miles away. We can forgive the producers a little bit of fudging, though. After all, "Altadena 91001" doesn't exactly have the same kind of pop when we're talking about titles.
No Sunglasses
The sunny backdrop of Beverly Hills in the hit show "Beverly Hills 90210" may make you wonder why none of the characters ever wear sunglasses. The answer lies with producer Aaron Spelling, who had a strict rule against cast members donning shades. In fact, he disliked sunglasses almost as much as he disliked last-minute haircuts.
According to his daughter Tori, Spelling believed that viewers should be able to see into the character's eyes during conversations to experience the raw, genuine emotion. As a result, the show features plenty of scenes of the cast squinting in the California sunshine. Despite the challenge, the actors managed to convey their emotions effectively.
Valerie Malone's Hand Double
Playing the role of the bad girl Valerie Malone in "Beverly Hills 90210," actress Tiffani Thiessen faced a unique challenge when it came to her character's smoking scenes. While filming a scene that required her to roll a cigarette, the actress was unable to do so. This posed a problem, as the script called for her character to smoke "the devil's collard greens" at the Walsh's house.
As a solution, the producers filmed someone else's hands rolling the joint for her. Despite this minor hiccup, Thiessen's portrayal of the rebellious Valerie was convincing and added a layer of intrigue to the show, making her a polarizing character among fans.