The highlight of my (pop culture) year (so far) took place at Fan Expo Canada late last month as I witnessed the reunion I never thought would happen – Jason Priestley and Luke Perry together again reminiscing about Beverly Hills 90210.
The reunion took place in front of a surprisingly small crowd after Jason and Luke’s autograph sessions on the convention floor.
Both stars were surprising candid about the series, their 90210 co-stars, and the impact of fame on stars today verses the 1990s when their show hit its peak of popularity.
When asked about their co-stars, Priestley and Perry admitted they knew there was some backlash against Shannen Doherty’s character, Brenda, but they didn’t hold that against her. “I had friends in the outside world that would deliver me copies of the ‘I Hate Brenda’ newsletter,” Priestly said. “It was kind of mean, but it was kind of fun.” He also admitted the difficulties in her personal life were brought to the set “a little too often.”
They also talked about the addition of fan favorite Tiffani Thiessen, who joined the cast as Valerie Malone after Doherty’s departure. “Tiff brought a shot to the arm to the show because she was only wearing a bra and underwear,” Perry quipped.
He also explained that the addition of Thiessen was an example of the genius of TV legend Aaron Spelling. “He knew what the show needed,” Perry said. “He also taught me how to polish off a bottle of vodka.”
As for their fans, it was often a mixed bag for the newly famous young men. “Girls would think they were going to date the virtuous Brandon Walsh,” Priestley said of the women who pursued him. “We would sit down and I would order a Manhattan. They would look at me like, ‘Huh? You don’t want to start with a ginger ale?’ ‘Umm, no, and this isn’t going to end well for you.’”
“Yeah, and girls would date me and expect the bad boy,” Perry added. “And I’d say, ‘Yeah, you got it!’”
They did talk about some of the more serious aspects fame, too.
“I feel sorry for some of these kids when I look at them,” Perry said of the current crop of teem heartthrobs. “They get too famous too quick … and it’s a lot. If you come to Hollywood — come to this business — aspiring to be famous, it will kill you. You better come willing to do the work. Otherwise you won’t be there that long, and it won’t be much fun.”
Check out a few photos from the event below and video of the full panel!
