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Tori Spelling
ToriSpelling2018.jpg
Spelling at Ultimate Women's Expo in 2018
Born
Victoria Davey Spelling

(1973-05-16) May 16, 1973 (age 51)
Occupation
  • Actress
  • author
  • television personality
Years active 1982–present
Television Beverly Hills, 90210
Spouse(s)
Charlie Shanian
(m. 2004; div. 2006)
Dean McDermott
(m. 2006; sep. 2023)
Children 5
Parents
Relatives Randy Spelling (brother)

Victoria Davey Spelling (born May 16, 1973) is an American actress and author. Her first major role was Donna Martin on Beverly Hills, 90210, beginning in 1990. She has appeared in made for television films, including A Friend to Die For (1994), A Carol Christmas (2003), The Mistle-Tones (2012), and The Last Sharknado: It's About Time (2018). She has also starred in several independent films including The House of Yes (1997), Trick (1999), Scary Movie 2 (2001), Cthulhu (2007), Kiss the Bride (2007) and Izzie's Way Home (2016). She reprised her role of Donna Martin in Beverly Hills, 90210's spin-off, BH90210, in 2019.

Spelling's autobiography, Stori Telling, debuted on top of the New York Times Best Seller list and was awarded the title of best celebrity autobiography of 2009.

Early life

Spelling was born in Los Angeles, California. She is the daughter of Candy Spelling (née Marer; born 1945) and television and film producer Aaron Spelling (1923–2006). She has a younger brother, Randy, a former actor who, as of 2009, works as a life coach. Spelling's parents were from Jewish families whose ancestors moved to the United States from Russia and Poland. Her middle name comes from her paternal grandfather, David. She attended Beverly Hills High School in Beverly Hills, California, and graduated from the elite private school Harvard-Westlake School in 1991.

Career

Early work

At age six, Spelling was given acting lessons from an acting coach hired by her father, and was subsequently given guest spots on television series such as The Love Boat, T. J. Hooker, Hotel, Fantasy Island, Vega$ and Saved by the Bell. At the age of 17, she was given the role of Donna Martin on Beverly Hills, 90210, co-produced by Aaron Spelling's company Spelling Television. Tori Spelling portrayed Donna for the show's entire run and was nominated for two Young Artist Awards.

While starring on Beverly Hills, 90210, Spelling was cast in a number of made-for-television films, including A Friend to Die For (1994), and several independent films, including The House of Yes (1997) and Trick (1999).

2006–2009

In 2006, Spelling starred as herself in the VH1 sitcom So Notorious, which parodied her public image. In January 2007, she and her second husband Dean McDermott pretended to purchase and operate a bed and breakfast hotel, Chateau La Rue in Fallbrook, California for their reality series, Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood, originally Tori & Dean: Inn Love, which aired on Oxygen from 2007 to 2012. In July 2007, Spelling became a minister to marry a gay couple at Chateau La Rue. A tape of the wedding ceremony was shown on Inn Love.

Spelling's fashion and jewelry line premiered on HSN. She released her autobiography, sTori TELLING, on March 11, 2008. Her second book, Mommywood, was released on April 14, 2009.

On January 7, 2009, it was reported that Spelling would reprise her role as Donna Martin on Beverly Hills, 90210 spin-off 90210. She appeared in the nineteenth and twentieth episodes of the first season as a special guest star.

2010–present

In 2010, Spelling released her third book, Uncharted TerriTORI. Spelling told People: "I love sharing my stories and experiences with people and connecting to them on both a humorous and emotional level. The response to my first two books has been so amazing that I wanted to write a third one for my fans."

Home Sweet Hollywood's spin-off series, Tori & Dean: sTORIbook Weddings premiered on April 6, 2011. Writers, who claimed they came up with the idea of a similar series starring Spelling and husband Dean McDermott, filed a $60 million lawsuit against the series, citing breach of implied-in-fact contract, breach of fiduciary duty, slander of title, false advertising, and unfair business practices among other charges. Later in 2011, Spelling voiced the Pirate Princess in Jake and the Never Land Pirates. She played a role in the comedy short film Hoarders: Untold sTori which premiered at the Outfest Film Festival in July 2011.

On September 4, 2011, Spelling made an appearance on Big Brother 13.

On April 21, 2012, Spelling hosted My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic 'Royal Wedding' special, celebrating the series' second-season finale, called A Canterlot Wedding. She also hosted the series premiere of Craft Wars, where three new contestants each episode battle against each other crafting for a chance to earn $10,000.

On December 18, 2012, Spelling appeared on Nick Jr.'s Yo Gabba Gabba! and performed a skit where she baked cookies for the characters on the show. This was part of a Christmas special for the series. The special included other famous guests such as Tony Hawk and My Chemical Romance.

It was announced on August 26, 2013, that production had started on a reality television series titled Tori & Dean: Cabin Fever. The series chronicles Spelling, McDermott, and their four children as they move to a lakeside cabin in Ontario, Canada while renovating it into their vacation home. Eight half-hour episodes were produced and aired on CMT Canada and HGTV in 2014.

Spelling starred in the short-lived ABC Family TV series Mystery Girls with former 90210 co-star Jennie Garth in 2014.

In 2016, Spelling voiced April in the animated movie Izzie's Way Home. The same year, she co-starred in the TV movie Mother, May I ... Danger? alongside James Franco.

Since June 24, 2018, Spelling is hosting the TV series The Look: All Stars. In the same time, she appears in the successful TV movie The Last Sharknado: It's About Time.

On January 30, 2019, Spelling competed in The Masked Singer as "Unicorn".

In November 2020, Spelling began a podcast with Beverly Hills 90210 co-star Jennie Garth titled 9021OMG, where the two re-watch and share memories from their time on the show and chat about their experiences, along with TV and radio personality Sisanie Villaclara.

On August 24, 2022, Spelling competed for one-night only on The Masked Singer Australia as "Poodle". On May 10 Spelling competed on the Spain version of the masked Singer as Herlequin.

Personal life

On July 3, 2004, Spelling married actor and writer Charlie Shanian. In July 2005, Spelling was filming the Lifetime TV-movie Mind Over Murder in Ottawa, during which she met actor Dean McDermott, who was then married to actress Mary Jo Eustace. Spelling and McDermott began an affair the night they met. Spelling and Shanian separated in October 2005. Shanian cited irreconcilable differences when he filed for divorce, which was finalized on April 20, 2006.

Spelling married McDermott less than a month later, on May 7, 2006, in a private ceremony in Wakaya, Fiji. Spelling and McDermott renewed their vows on May 8, 2010, in Beverly Hills, California. The couple have five children together: three sons, Liam Aaron (born March 13, 2007), Finn Davey (born August 30, 2012) and Beau Dean (born March 2, 2017) and two daughters, Stella Doreen (born June 9, 2008) and Hattie Margaret (born October 10, 2011).

Spelling anticipated a sizable inheritance from her father's $500 million estate after his death in 2006. The estate was to be divided primarily between Spelling, her brother Randy, and their mother Candy. Candy Spelling was the estate executor, but she and Tori Spelling were estranged. Tori and Randy Spelling each inherited $800,000, although Randy was not estranged from Candy. Candy established a $10 million trust fund for Tori's eldest child.

In her sixth book, Spelling It Like It Is, Spelling admitted to having financial troubles, due to the cancellation of her reality series, poor real estate decisions, and a difficult fourth pregnancy, during which she was hospitalized for ten weeks. In explanation, Spelling said, "...as my real estate obsession persists, it's starting to look more compulsive. Moving is expensive, and I've put us in a precarious financial situation."

In December 2013, after welcoming their second son, Us Weekly broke the news that McDermott was unfaithful to Spelling. The couple worked through the aftermath of the affair on a Lifetime series titled True Tori.

While Spelling and McDermott's marriage was back on track, the couple once again made headlines in 2016 for owing $39,000 to American Express in unpaid credit card bills. Candy, who was on good terms with her daughter, told TMZ at the time that she was helping out Spelling and her family financially.

In June 2023, McDermott announced that he and Spelling decided to separate after 18 years together in a now-deleted Instagram post.

Filmography

Tori Spelling and Tim Gunn
Spelling and Tim Gunn co-presenting at an event in November 2007.

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1989 Troop Beverly Hills Jamie
1996 Calls for Cthulhu Susan Video short
1997 House of Yes, TheThe House of Yes Lesly
Scream 2 Herself / Stab Sidney Prescott
1999 Trick Katherine
2000 Perpetrators of the Crime Lucy
2001 Scary Movie 2 Alex Monday
2002 Naked Movie Iris Pytlak
2003 Sol Goode Tammie
Evil Alien Conquerors Jan (uncredited)
2004 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover Stephanie
2005 Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story Donna Martin Voice role
2007 Cthulhu Susan
Kiss the Bride Alex Golski
2012 The Mistle-Tones Marci
2016 Izzie's Way Home April Voice role

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1981 Vega$ Julie Episode: "Seek and Destroy"
1983 Matt Houston Nelli Brant Episode: "Fear for Tomorrow"
Shooting Stars Jenny O'Keefe TV film
Fantasy Island Christy / Laurie Shannon 2 episodes
The Love Boat Penny Gibson / Sarah Toomey
Hotel Lisa Walker Episode: "Christmas"
1984 T. J. Hooker Toni Polnoi Episode: "Grand Theft Auto"
1985 Hotel Sara Episode: "Cry Wolf"
1987 Hotel Jody 'Jo' Payne Episode: "Barriers"
1989 Monsters Beverly Episode: "The Match Game"
1990 Saved by the Bell Violet Bickerstaff Episodes: "House Party", "The Glee Club", "Check Your Mate"
1990-2000 Beverly Hills, 90210 Donna Martin Main role
1992 Melrose Place Donna Martin Episodes: "Pilot", "Friends & Lovers"
1994 Burke's Law Mary McKenna Episode: "Who Killed the Host at the Roast?"
A Friend to Die For Stacey Lockwood TV film
1995 Awake to Danger Aimee McAdams
Biker Mice from Mars Romana Parmesana Voice role; episode: "Hit the Road, Jack"
1996 Deadly Pursuits Meredith TV film
Co-ed ... Joanna
Malibu Shores Jill Episode: "The Competitive Edge"
Mother, May I ... Danger? Laurel Lewisohn TV film
1997 Alibi Marti Gerrard
2003 So Downtown Liz
A Carol Christmas Carol Cartman TV film
2004 The Help Molly the Dog Walker Recurring role
Less than Perfect Roxanne Fielder Episode: "Claude's Roxanne"
2005 Family Plan Charlie TV film
American Dad! Kim Voice role; episode: "Stan Knows Best"
Hush Nina Hamilton TV film
Mind Over Murder Holly Winters
2006 So Notorious Tori Spelling Main role
2007-2012 Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood Herself
2007 The House Sitter Elise Crawford TV film
Jeopardy! Herself 1 episode, presenter
2007, 2009 Smallville Linda Lake Episodes: "Hydro" and "Infamous"
2008 Mother Goose Parade Grand Marshall TV film
2009 Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World Gina Michaels Voice role; episode: "The Only Straight in the Village"
RuPaul's Drag Race Herself Season 1, episode 3; guest for the main challenge
90210 Donna Martin Episodes: "Okaeri, Donna!", "Between a Sign and a Hard Place"
2011 Jake and the Never Land Pirates Pirate Princess Voice role; recurring
Big Brother 13 Herself Guest appearance
2012 The Mistle-Tones Marci TV film
Craft Wars Herself/host
2014 True Tori Herself Main role
Tori & Dean: Cabin Fever
Mystery Girls Holly Hamilton Main role
2016 Mother, May I ... Danger? Julie Lewisohn TV film
2017 RuPaul's Drag Race Herself Season 9, guest judge (1 episode)
2018 The Look All Stars Host
The Last Sharknado: It's About Time Raye Martin TV film
2019 The Masked Singer Unicorn/Herself
Masterchef Celebrity Family Showdown Herself with Stella Spelling Episode 2
BH90210 Herself/Donna Martin Co-producer
2020 Celebrity Show-Off Herself Contestant; winner
2021 Overserved with Lisa Vanderpump Herself Episode: "Cabo Fiesta"
2021-2022 Messyness Co-host
2022 The Masked Singer Australia Poodle Guest (one-night only)
2022 The Masked Singer France The cat Guest (one-night only)
2022 Love at First Lie Herself Host
2023 The Masked Singer Spain Harlequin Contestant (season 3)

Discography

Guest appearances

List of non-single guest appearances, showing year released, other artist(s) featured, and album name
Title Year Other artist(s) Album
"Enter You" 1999 None Trick
"We Wish You a Merry Christmas" 2012 Tia Mowry-Hardrict, Melanie Lewis, Tanisha Lang, Sydney T. Sorensen The Mistle-Tones
"The 12 Days of Christmas Tia Mowry-Hardrict, Andy Gala, Megan Kathleen Duffy, Jason Rogel, Britani Bateman Underwood, Melanie Lewis, Tanisha Lang, Sydney T. Sorenson
"All I Want for Christmas" Britani Bateman Underwood, Melanie Lewis, Tanisha Lang, Sydney T. Sorenson

Awards and nominations

Year Title Accolade Category Result
1988 Hotel Young Artist Award Best Young Actress - Guest Starring in a Television Drama Nominated
1991 Beverly Hills, 90210 Best Young Actress Supporting or Recurring Role for Television Series Nominated
1991 Saved by the Bell Best Young Actress Guest Starring in a Television Series Won
1992 Beverly Hills, 90210 Best Young Actress Co-starring in a Television Series Nominated
Best Young Actress Guest Starring or Recurring Role in a Television Series Nominated
1998 Scream 2
The House of Yes
Golden Raspberry Award Worst New Star Nominated
2000 Trick Satellite Award Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical Nominated
2001 Scary Movie 2 The Stinkers Bad Movie Award Worst Supporting Actress Won

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Tori Spelling para niños

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