At one point in the series, Donna Martin’s classmates all began shouting that she should be allowed to graduate alongside them. The character was originally not allowed because she had gotten drunk at her prom, and the cast members all shouted “Donna Martin graduates.” At least, that’s what we hear.
Jason Priestly revealed they were actually shouting other rhyming prophanities. A little bit of editing magic was worked in, and audiences were none the wiser. Donna Martin was allowed to graduate alongside her friends after all, despite this rather rude declaration. It just goes to show how powerful the editing process can be.
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.
Team Brandon All the Way
One of the biggest details of "90210" is the love triangle between Kelly Taylor and her two potential guys, Brandon and Dylan. These best friends spent the entire run of the show competing for Kelly's affection, eventually deciding on Dylan.
Many fans thought she was wrong, including Dylan's actor Luke Perry. In an interview, Perry said he thought Dylan was too unstable for Kelly, and that Dylan should have “fallen on the sword” and given Brandon the go-ahead. It would have been a big shift to the character but could have created one of the most famous moments in the show.
Lucky Number Five
The very first member of the main cast to land a spot was Jennie Garth, who played Brenda's best friend Kelly Taylor. Her casting was not all that breezy though. She had to audition five times before landing the part. The fifth time was the charm for Jennie as well as the producers.
Jennie's – and thus Kelly's – ability to give important and tricky subjects the gravity they deserved ended up making her one of the most popular characters on the show. She was one of the few to appear in all ten seasons. Now that's an impressive fact, if we do say so ourselves.