Bio
Tori Spelling is an American actress best known for her role as Donna Martin in the soap opera Beverly Hills, 90210, appearing in 291 episodes from 1990-2000.
Spelling was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Candy Marer (born Carole Gene Marer) and Aaron Spelling, a famed television producer with the ABC network in the 1970s.
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 is a graduate of Harvard-Westlake School. Her brother, Randy Spelling, is an actor as well.
Spelling appeared in a number of guest roles (mostly in her father's shows) such as The Love Boat, T.J. Hooker, Hotel, Fantasy Island, Vega$, and Saved by the Bell before landing a regular part in Beverly Hills 90210, a series co-produced by her father and Darren Star.
Since 90210 went off the air, Spelling has worked primarily on independent films including Trick and The House of Yes, although she has appeared in small roles in big budget films, including Scream 2 and Scary Movie 2, and in TV shows, including Smallville.
In 2006, Spelling was also the star of the VH1 celebreality sitcom-based reality show called So NoTORIous, which parodied her public image.
Spelling has started her own business, which sells clothing for dogs.
In January 2007, she and her second husband purchased a bed & breakfast in Fallbrook, California (a rural community about 100 miles from Los Angeles, 50 miles from San Diego and just south of Temecula wine country), which is the basis of a new reality show that premiered on the Oxygen network on March 20, 2007, called Tori & Dean: Inn Love.
The Village News of Fallbrook, California, has reported that Spelling did not actually purchase the inn.
After her father's death in 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 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.
In December 2005, Spelling separated from first husband, Shanian, after 14 months of marriage and became engaged to Canadian actor Dean McDermott. Both married at the time, Spelling and McDermott were co-stars of the TV movie Mind Over Murder and met on set.
McDermott also filed for divorce from his spouse, Mary Jo Eustace, with whom he has two children: Jack Montgomery (b. October 1998) and Lola (b. July 2005).
Spelling married McDermott in Fiji on May 6, 2006. The wedding was held on the beach and they were both barefoot.