It's time to sift through all the drama, surprises and rumors that are hiding in 'BH90210'!
It's time to sift through all the drama, surprises and rumors that are hiding in BH90210!
The new Beverly Hills, 90210 reunion show premiered Wednesday night on Fox, and the series -- which blurs the lines between fiction and fantasy with a ultra-meta twist -- is encouraging fans to uncover which storylines are real and which ones are pure gossip.
Lucky for audiences everywhere, ET recently traveled to the BH90210 set up in Vancouver, Canada, to get the inside scoop straight from cast!
First things first, fans should know that Jennie Garth and Tori Spelling's off-screen friendship is 100 percent real, and the former co-stars are the ones responsible for co-creating this nostalgic new series, which also stars Jason Priestley, Shannen Doherty, Ian Ziering, Brian Austin Green, and Gabrielle Carteris.
"It came from [the fact that] Jennie and I wanted to work together. We've been best friends ever since the show, so we've been best friends for 30 years," Spelling admitted with a smile to ET's Kevin Frazier. "We were like, '[Reboot] 90210? Hmm, I don't know. No one will ever do that!' And then we were like, 'Wait, what if we do it a different way? What if it wasn't a straight reboot? What if we did an entire ensemble cast playing a heightened [and] fictitious version of themselves?' Everyone would be like, 'Is it real? Is it not real?'"
In a delightful -- and confusing -- twist, BH90210 is taking heightened reality one step further, because, according to Garth, this is the "first time an entire cast has played themselves in an ensemble."
"I like to look at it as if we're playing characters that we're creating that have the same names as us," Garth clarified. "And we're also taking people's perceptions and images that they think they know about us, and using that to create these characters. [We're] poking fun at it and sort of flipping it upside-down and inviting people to look at things different, but at the same time familiar."
"What we loved is that the entire cast was on board to kind of poke fun at themselves, to go there, to be self-deprecating," Spelling shared. "Let's go there and address things people have said in the public, so that's really cool that everybody was on the same page."
So what's real and what's fake about BH90210? We're breaking down the truth about all your favorite 90210 stars!
(For the record, when we use the actors' first names, we're talking about their BH90210 characters. When their last names are mentioned, we're talking about the actors themselves. Get it? Good! Let's go...)
TORI SPELLING
What's Fake? Honestly, there are quite a few true threads that have been weaved into Tori's "heightened" storyline, but first let's point out the fictitious parts: First up, Spelling is not married to a man named Nate, played on the show by actor Ivan Sergei, and she does not have six kids. She has done plenty of reality shows, but the series mentioned on the premiere, Tori and Nate: Spelling the Beans, does not exist.
"So, I have six kids in this version," Spelling clarified to our cameras on the BH90210 set. "I've done a lot of reality TV, which is different from the other cast, so people blur the lines of what's real and not real in my life."
What's Real? Off-screen, Spelling has been married to Dean McDermott since 2006 and -- similar to the Tori we see on BH90210 -- the couple has opened up their lives to the public to film a number of reality shows together including True Tori, Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood, and Tori and Dean: Cabin Fever. The couple share five children together: Liam, 12, Stella, 11, Hattie, 7, Finn, 6, and Beau, 2.
Another real-life issue that Spelling is "poking fun at" on the series is her past financial troubles. In February, Spelling and McDermott were served with an order of examination in regards to their case against City National Bank, according to legal documents obtained by ET. The company wanted to examine the pair’s finances after suing the couple in 2016 over a $205,000 debt they allegedly declined to pay.
The tension between Tori and her BH90210 husband, Nate, is also a nod to Spelling's marriage troubles with McDermott. Spelling has had a lot of ups and downs over the years, and in March 2018, she allegedly had a meltdown in her home in Thousand Oaks, California, due to multiple stress factors, chief among them marriage and financial issues, a source said at the time.
But the most surprising real-life connection in the premiere episode was when Tori said, "And just when I think things are slowing down -- Boom! I fall on a hibachi." This is, of course, a reference to the fact that Spelling was hospitalized in April 2015 after tripping and falling on a hot hibachi grill while dining at Benihana Restaurant in Encino, California. Later that year, Spelling sued the restaurant chain, alleging that she endured "deep second and third degree burns."
JENNIE GARTH
What's Fake? The main fabrication in Jennie's BH90210 story is her tumultuous and strained relationship with Jason. In Garth's 2014 Memoir, Deep Thoughts From a Hollywood Blonde, the 47-year-old actress had nothing but positive things to say about her former co-star -- he even attended one of her weddings. In fact, their relationship is so sweet that Priestley's daughter, Ava, 11, recently paid homage to Garth's 90210 character by dressing up as Kelly Taylor for a '90s-themed school dance!
In other "fake news" on the series, Jennie only has one daughter, played by actress Karis Cameron, but off-screen she actually has three daughters -- Luca, 20, Lola, 14, and Fiona, 11 -- with her ex-husband, Peter Facinelli.
What's Real? Similar to her on-screen persona, Garth has also had a series of weddings and divorces. Garth tied the knot with her third husband, Dave Abrams, in 2015. In April 2018, Abrams filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences, but it looks like the couple have decided to make things work; in February 2019, Abrams "filed a petition for dismissal in his divorce case," according to the most recent online court records.
Garth was previously married to Twilight actor Facinelli for 11 years before their divorce was finalized in 2013. Prior to that, the blonde beauty was married from 1994 to 1996 to actor and musician Daniel B. Clark.
Another very real reference in BH90210? The on-set cat fights. Garth got candid in her memoir about why she feuded with Doherty, sharing, "We were locked in this sound stage for 14 to 16 hours every day. There were times when we loved each other and there were times when we wanted to claw each other's eyes out."
Garth, Doherty and Spelling have all grown, matured and reconciled since their days on the set of the original show, but Garth recently dished to ET about why she wanted to address the infamous feud. "You know, you have to embrace everything, even the bad things," she said. "So, I think we were all on board to look at people's perceptions of us and flip it and take the power back."
SHANNEN DOHERTY
What's Fake? In the premiere episode, Shannen video chatted into the Beverly Hills, 90210 30th anniversary panel to plug her animal advocacy work and steal a bit of the spotlight away from her former co-stars. "It's me and it's not me," Doherty dished of Shannen's brief appearance in the pilot. "I think she is much more free-spirited. She is much more vocal than I would be about where she is at in her life... She's just a little more hippy dippy than I am."
"When I started developing the character in my head and started discussing it, I wanted the wardrobe to be a character within itself, so my wardrobe fittings are very exact and it's fun," Doherty, who also serves as an executive producer, added. "I think there's a part of me that's very similar to that, but I'm way more grounded than she is."
And for the record, PawsitivelyShannen.org, is not a real website.
What's Real? Even though Shannen's donation site might not be real, Doherty's love for animals certainly is. "Some of my passions, some of my loves, like my desire to advocate for animals, that's definitely in there," she explained.
However, there are a lot of real-life aspects from Doherty's life that you will not be seeing on-screen. "Forever there will be things that are off limits to discuss," the 48-year-old actress revealed. "My marriage [to Kurt Iswarienko] is off limits. It's private, it's sacred to me. There is no husband on the show. We don't tap into that, nor should we."
As of now, it is unclear if Doherty's real-life health issues will be incorporated into Shannen's storyline. Doherty was diagnosed with breast cancer in August 2015 and later told ET that her cancer had spread, which resulted in her having to undergo several rounds of chemotherapy as well as a single mastectomy. In April 2017, Doherty revealed she was in remission and by September 2018, the brunette beauty revealed she has a new outlook on life.
"It's the best time in the world for me to be an actor because I'm so in touch with every single emotion," Doherty said through tears at the annual Stand Up to Cancer event.
GABRIELLE CARTERIS
What's Fake? Of all the characters on BH90210, Carteris seems to have the most in common with her on-screen counterpart -- but there are a few key differences. As sweet as it was to see Gabrielle as a brand-new grandma on the series, that's one familial milestone that Carteris has yet to hit in her real life.
Additionally, there is another small tweak that we need to point out. On-screen, Gabrielle is said to be the president of the Actors Guild of America -- but that's a fictional union created for this series. While the union name may be changed, Carteris' role as president of one of the most powerful labor unions in America is actually very real.
What's Real? In April 2016, the 58-year-old actress was elected as the president of SAG-AFTRA, a union which represents approximately 160,000 actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists and other media professionals. Carteris has served as SAG-AFTRA president for the past three years and is currently seeking re-election.
"There is that degree of who we are today, so we'll be doing a little it of a play on that," Carteris said, referring to blending of her BH90210 character and her own real-life re-election campaign. "I think the best part is that little element of really who we are. It's very freeing and then the idea that it's not really all of us. It's not [showing] all of who I am and that makes it even more freeing."
Furthermore, Carteris has been happily married to stockbroker Charles Isaacs since 1992, and together the couple have two daughters: Kelsey, 25, and Molly, 20.
BRIAN AUSTIN GREEN
What's Fake? Sorry to break it to ya, but pretty much everything in Brian's personal life on the series is totally not true. Green is not married to a singer named Shay (La La Anthony) who has five platinum records, nine GRAMMYs and her own private plane. He also does not have three daughters or have the role of "stay at home dad" in his house.
"La La is not playing David's wife, shes playing Brian's wife, so it's a little different," Green revealed. "It's a fun twist adding her. For me, it was figuring out who can we cast where we can get away with stuff. It's not about myself and my actual life, it was about finding the difference there."
What's Real? Green may not be married to a multi-platinum recording artist, but in the real world, he does have a pretty successful (and smokin' hot!) wife. After dating on and off for six years, Green tied the knot with Transformers actress Megan Fox in June 2010. (Fun Fact: Fox has never seen an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210!)
Unlike his character on BH90210, Green is the proud parent of four boys. Green and Fox share three sons together: Noah, 6, Bodhi, 5, and Journey, 3. The actor's oldest child, Kassius, 17 -- whom Green shares with his ex and former Beverly Hills, 90210 co-star, Vanessa Marcil -- recently paid a visit to Vancouver, Canada, to see his dad and hang out with him on the set of BH90210.
JASON PRIESTLEY
What's Fake? For starters, the most obvious fictitious part of Jason's storyline is his marriage to powerful publicist-turned-wife, Camille, played by Vanessa Lachey. (She's happily married to Nick Lachey, people!)
"It's super meta, this show," Priestley dished. "I mean, you know it's all scripted, so it's not real, but there are certainly elements of reality woven through it all... It's gonna be really interesting for people who try to pick out what's real and what's not."
What's Real? Preistley's passion for directing is one of the few true aspects he shares with his character. The 49-year-old actor has stepped behind the camera on a number of TV projects like The Secret Life of the American Teenager, 7th Heaven and a whopping 15 episodes of Beverly Hills, 90210. He even directed one of the series' most iconic scenes, when Tori Spelling's character loses her virginity.
Another fun nod to Preistley's real life? He may not have punched an actor on a superhero series, but he did admit to punching Harvey Weinstein back in 1995!
As for Priestley's love life, the former 90210 heartthrob has been married to Naomi Lowde-Priestley since 2005 and together they have two children: a daughter named Ava, 12, and a son named Dashiell, 10.
IAN ZIERING
What's Fake? On the show, Ian is all about his "brand" and bragging about his wife, Stacy, (Jenna Rosenow) a fitness guru who's auditioning for The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. In fact, Ian even used the 90210 reunion panel to shamelessly promote his new book, Holly-Wed Workout: Sweat Together, To Get Together that he co-authored with a his wife -- but by the end of the premiere, we (and the rest of the cast!) discovered that Stacy has been cheating on him. Luckily, absolutely everything in Ian's BH90210 storyline is totally bogus.
What's Real? In real-life, Ziering is less about promoting his brand, and more about having fun with his fame. The 55-year-old actor has appeared in a number of reality shows -- like Dancing With the Stars, Celebrity Apprentice and Worst Cooks in America: Celebrity Edition -- and also starred in all six of SyFy's fan favorite Sharknado TV movies.
Ziering married his wife, Erin Ludwig, in 2010, and together the couple have two daughters: Mia, 8, and Penna, 6.
So, what's the only true connection to his BH90210 character? "He has a superhero gene that kind of comes out if anybody has been threatened, which is very similar to me," Ziering said of his on-screen persona. "But all of the stories will be elevated or blown out of proportion. This is TV. It may be a tad serialized or dramatized, but there will be a good dose of comedy as well."
BH90210 airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. EST/PST on Fox.
What do you think of all the similarities and differences that BH90210 is bringing to your favorite West Beverly Hills alumni? Share your thoughts with @ETnow on Twitter and shout out what you thought of the first episode!
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