We may not “know” the celebrities who die, but it doesn’t mean we do not mourn their passing. The art they put into the world can have a profound those who watch it. We see ourselves in thier characters' struggles and aspire to thier moments of greatness. And sometimes we can even see a future for ourselves we didn’t know could exist.
That was all true for many folks here at equalpride, who were deeply saddened by the news that Shannen Doherty, after a courageous years-long fight against breast cancer, died on Saturday, July 13.
There is no question that Doherty had an incredible career in film on television which spanned childhood favorites like The Secret of NIMH; the wickedly funny and subversive dark comedy Heathers; the supernatural ode to Girl Power Charmed; and to, of course, her role as Brenda Walsh in the pop culture juggernaut of the 1990s, Beverly Hills 90210. Each of these holds a special place in our hearts.
While she may have left us, the legacy of her work lives on. So we took a moment to reflect on our connection to Doherty, and how her roles have directly impacted our lives.
Heathers
There weren’t many queer or queer-coded films landing in movie theaters in the late 1980s, at least there weren’t many I knew about as a 21-year-old lesbian living in central Connecticut save for elevated and serious dramas like Maurice and Another Country. I’d been introduced to John Waters’s oeuvre in 1987, peeping a worn VHS of Female Trouble with a girlfriend in the audio-visual department of our college. Hairspray hit theaters in 1988, and it was the first overt or queer-coded comedy I saw in the theater.
In 1989, Heathers arrived at Cinema City in Hartford, Conn., my local art-house theater situated near an ominous off-ramp on Route 91 that led to warehouses, strip clubs, a massive lobster restaurant, and Very Intimate Pleasures, the first sex-toy shop I ever visited. My then-girlfriend and I screened Heathers amid Hartford’s intelligentsia. We gasped breathe through laughing at the film’s pointed excoriation of high school cliques. A movie too queer and too ahead of its time, when we did catch our breath, we realized we were the only one’s laughing. With its original mean girls, brutal one-liners, and upending of high school social norms where the popular girls and jocks became the butt of the joke, Heathers quickly became a queer cult classic. When it arrived on VHS a few months after its release, we played it on a loop (I owned a copy) and recited each line with fervor.
As Heather #2 a.k.a. Heather Duke, Shannen Doherty was among the film’s burgeoning stars alongside Winona Ryder as the non-Heather Veronica Sawyer and Christian Slater as her psychopathic yet charming boyfriend, J.D. The second in line to queen bee status at Westerburg High School, Doherty’s performance is infused with gleeful schadenfreude as she smirks her way to the top. In a scene at Heather #1 / Heather Chandler’s memorial, Doherty’s Heather Duke thanks the Lord for her ascension to the top of the high school food chain. Doherty’s delivery of, “Praise Jesus, Hallelujah,” as she raises her eyes to heaven beside Heather Chandler’s coffin is dark comedy gold.
Later, Veronica implores, “Heather, why can’t you be just a friend? Why do you have to be such a mega-bitch?” When Doherty’s Heather responds, “Because I can be,” we believe her. A star on the rise when she made Heathers, Doherty was a crucial piece of the project that kicked off queer-adjacent bitchy popular girl movies to come including Jawbreaker, The Craft, and Mean Girls. Her performance is at the start of a canon. Of course, Doherty went on to star in 90210 and Charmed, TV shows with their own LGBTQ+ fandoms, but she had me with her Heather Duke.
Doherty openly shared her journey with breast cancer since her 2015 diagnosis, culminating in frank talks about her work, life, and mortality on her 2023 podcast, Let’s Be Clear. A beloved actor whose work became the reel for a few generations, she embraced a role in removing shame from discussing the oft-shushed c-word — cancer. Fierce and fearless in her roles and life, Doherty is forever my Heather #1. — Tracy E. Gilchrist
Beverly Hills 90210
I was an awkward/anxious 13-year-old when this new show came on the weekly TV that nobody could stop talking about! Every tween and teen in America eyes were fixed on Beverly Hills 90210 in the fall of 1990. And although we didn't have fast cars and shiny mansions, we had lots of opinions on each of the characters.
We hated Brenda. She was the new girl, kind of too smart for her own good, a loudmouthed contrarian who was conflicted with her own driving desire to be liked by the popular kids who her twin brother fit in with IMMEDIATELY, the only dark haired girl in a sea of blonde perfection. Also, my step-sister at the time was a total Regina George. I was living out some twisted middle-class version of this show on Long Island, NY. What a time to be alive!
See, I secretly knew that I was Brenda which made me cling to her storyline in hopes for my future to improve. She dated the bad boys, she took risks, she spoke her mind, and she had a soft side that she kept to herself. I could have only hoped at the time to truly emulate the spirit she had shown in following her inner compass. Today I would PROUDLY rock an “I’m Brenda” T-shirt!
I know Shannen has done lots of other quality work that I’ve enjoyed her in, but she will always be Brenda to me.
-Nikki Aye, Digital Photo Editor, equalpride
Charmed
The first episode I ever saw of Charmed was the premiere in season 4, which was the first official episode without Shannen Doherty. It's strange to think of how that celebration of her life will happen for real this time, with all drama aside. Although I started the show without her, I immediately went back to the start and always admired the legacy she brought along with her. I followed her journey after she left the show. I supported her when people portrayed her strength in a negative light. I always thought if she could be besties with Sarah Michelle Gellar, she could be besties with me. She had just started a rewatch podcast of Charmed with Holly Marie Combs and Brian Krause, and there was so much light and life in her eyes and face in the only episodes she was able to record. She will be missed, but she will not be forgotten. — Andrew J. Stillman, Pride.com
There were three TV icons of my '90s queer childhood: Storm, Sabrina, and Prue Halliwell. Shannen Doherty's character on Charmed was fearless and fabulous, balancing her work and romantic lives while kicking demonic ass. In some ways, she was a source of inspiration for the woman I've become as an adult. Though I would later see her depictions in other shows and films, her portrayal of the strong-willed eldest sister in Charmed left an indelible mark. — Marie-Adélina de la Ferrière, Community Editor
