Detailed Biography

Victoria Davey "Tori" Spelling is an American actress. Spelling became known in the early 1990s for starring in the Beverly Hills, 90210 as Donna Martin. Spelling subsequently starred in a string of made-for-television films, such as A Friend to Die For and Mother, May I Sleep with Danger?. She later starred in several independent films such as Trick and The House of Yes. She reprised her prominent role in the spinoff, 90210 in 2009. Her autobiographical book sTORI Telling debuted on top of the New York Times Best Seller list and was named the best celebrity autobiography of 2009.

Early life

Spelling was born in Los Angeles, California and is the daughter of Candy Spelling and famed TV producer Aaron Spelling. Both of Spelling's parents were Jewish, though her family celebrated both Christmas and Hanukkah while she was growing up. She attended Beverly Hills High School in Beverly Hills, California but graduated from Harvard-Westlake School. Her brother, Randy Spelling, is also an actor.

Career

As a child, Spelling had guest starred on such shows as The Love Boat, T. J. Hooker, Hotel, Fantasy Island, Vega$, and Saved by the Bell.

In 1990, she landed the role of Donna Martin on Beverly Hills 90210, a series co-produced by her father, Aaron Spelling and Spelling Television. She played the role for its entire run, from 1990 to 2000, and was nominated for two Young Artist Awards for her role. Spelling's character remained a virgin until the finale of the seventh season and endured a stalker, attempted rape, and addiction.

In the 1990s, while starring on 90210, Spelling became well-known for starring in a string of made-for-television films, such as Co-Ed Call Girl, A Friend to Die For and Mother, May I Sleep with Danger?.

After Beverly Hills 90210 ended, Spelling starred in several independent films including Trick and The House of Yes.

More recently, Spelling has been the star of two reality-based shows. In 2006, she starred as herself in the VH1 sitcom So NoTORIous, which parodied her public image. In January 2007, she and her second husband, the actor Dean McDermott, decided to buy and operate a bed & breakfast in Fallbrook, California. This became the basis of a new reality show, Tori & Dean: Inn Love, which premiered on the Oxygen network on March 20, 2007. In June 2008, the show returned for a third season under the new name Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood. In the new season, Spelling and McDermott no longer run the inn, and they have returned to Los Angeles where they struggle to balance buying a new home, her second pregnancy, and her book tour. In May 2009 Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood returned for a fourth season.

On January 7, 2009, it was reported that Spelling would reprise her role as Donna Martin on the new CW show 90210. She appeared in two episodes as a special guest star.

Aside from her acting career, Spelling designs and markets her own line of fashion jewelry on HSN. She released an autobiography entitled sTori Telling on March 11, 2008. Her second book titled Mommywood was released on April 14, 2009.

Personal life

On July 3, 2004, Spelling married Charlie Shanian, an actor and playwright. They separated in December 2005, after Spelling fell in love with Dean McDermott, and were legally divorced on April 20, 2006. Spelling married McDermott less than a month later, on May 7, 2006, in a private ceremony in Wakaya, Fiji. The two met when they co-starred in the TV movie Mind Over Murder. McDermott was married at the time to Mary Jo Eustace, whom he divorced to marry Spelling. Eustace has since written about the experience as part of the anthology The Other Woman. McDermott and Eustace have one child together, Jack Montgomery

After her father's death on June 23, 2006, Spelling was anticipated to inherit a sizable portion of her father's $500 million estate. The estate was to be divided primarily between Spelling, her brother Randy and her mother Candy. Spelling's mother was the estate executor. At the time, Spelling and her mother were estranged and it was reported that Spelling inherited just $800,000. Her brother, who was not estranged from his mother, also received $800,000.

Spelling gave birth to her first child, Liam Aaron McDermott on Tuesday, March 13, 2007 at Cedars-Sinai Hospital via emergency caesarean section. Reportedly, her mother was in the delivery room when Spelling gave birth. It has been reported that Candy Spelling established a $10 million trust fund for her first grandchild. On Monday, June 9, 2008, Spelling and her husband welcomed their second child together, by caesarean section, a daughter named Stella Doreen McDermott . Both children were delivered by Dr. Jason Rothbart.

In July 2007, Spelling became a minister to marry a gay couple at Chateau La Rue. A tape of the ceremony was shown on Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood.

Television Career