|
oh, that
Jennie |
You might expect that Jennie Garth, who plays the snobby-come-lately on "Beverly Hills, 90210" would've developed a major attitude by now. But Hollywood hasn't gone to this girl's head at all! She's still as sweet and friendly as she was when she was unknown 9-year-old living back in Illinois.
Unknown no longer, Jennie reportedly receives more fan mail than any of her female counterparts on the show. But hey, is that surprising? The girl is blond, beautiful, and endowed with a natural air of sophistication that none of the others seem to have a handle on - at least not yet. And although her character, Kelly, has been known to throw off more than a few icy vibes, Jennie herself has a radiant warmth that has already melted many a hardened Hollywood heart.
To be fair to Kelly, though, it must be said that she's not quite the stuck-up Queen of Mean that she used to be. "She's learned a lot by kind of being a member of the Walsh family," says Jennie about her character. "She's kind of been adopted and taken in by [Brandon and Brenda's] parents because she really didn't have that strong of an upbringing. But I think that she's developed. I've worked a lot...and we've tried to make her a little bit more deep...I think she's come a long way. I hope she has. There's still a lot of ground to cover, though.
Down on the
Farm
In Jennie's real-life upbringing, "I was treated like a
little princess," she confesses. Easy to understand! She was born on April 3,
1972, in Urbana, Ill., and she was the baby of seven kids. Her dad, a school
administrator, and her mom, a former teacher and real estate agent, had both
been married before and each had three children when they got together. So
Jennie made lucky number seven, with two older brothers and four older sisters
(Lisa, Cammie, Wendy, Lynn, Johnny, and Chuck...Whew!).
And lucky she was. Her mom says she was the "adhesive that joined the two families together," and Jennie herself remembers only the bliss of an idyllic childhood on a 25-acre horse farm - where she was a total tomboy! She always imagined she'd stay put in the Midwest and grow up to live in a farm community herself. But that was not to be.
Fast Forward
to a New Zip Code
By the time she was 13, Jennie's family had
relocated to Phoenix, Ariz., and she was avidly involved in dance classes,
cheerleading, and a bit of modeling. In high school, she even finished fourth in
a competition known as the Cinderella Scholarship Pageant and had soon signed up
for acting lessons. Up until then, Jennie's ambitions were a little more
mundane. "I just thought I'd go to college and get a teaching degree for dance
and have my own studio," she admitted.
Within a couple of years of straight-ahead-and-upward movement, though, Jennie had left high school (she got her G.E.D.), relocated with her mom to Los Angeles, and captured the coveted role of Kelly on "90210." On her way to her latest - and most lofty - professional position yet, she made several TV appearances and met Jason Priestley, who co-starred in Teen Angel Returns, one of the two movies she's done.
| Today, Jennie Garth has a face that's known around the world, makes at least a half a million dollars a year (if not more), has her own home in Sherman Oaks, Calif., has paid the down payment on a new home for her parents, and is happily engaged to the big, blond, long-haired Dan Clark, who plays in a band called Tongues & Tails. Life seems to be going well for the girl. Her mom would agree. "I knew if anyone could do this, Jennie could," her mom says. "She has always been this magical person who could make anything she wanted happen." |  |
Insight Into The Girl...
|
How
she sees herself: |
What
she says Luke is up to when he's not at work: |
| I am home
by: Jennie Garth Article from the October 97 issue of Teen Magazine You know how some people say they never realized how much they loved their childhood until after they grew up? Well, I always knew that I was having a great childhood when it was happening. It wasn't until later on, when things weren't going so well, that I clung to the memories of that happiness and used them to find a way back home. I grew up on a farm with a huge family. There was lots of love, lots of space, and lots to do. From gardening to cutting hay, from working the horses to doing household chores, the word "bored" never found its way into my vocabulary - I loved it all and none of it seemed like work to me. Peer pressure was nonexistent, since the only "gang" I hung around with was the gang of animals on the ranch. My family and I were very close, and living so far out in the country kept us at home most nights. After supper, my brothers and sisters and I would play games and tell stories, laughing and having fun until it was time to go to bed. Falling asleep was never a problem for me. I just listened to the sounds of chirping crickets and dreamed of another day on the farm. This was my life, and I knew I was lucky. When I was 12, something tragic happened that would change my life forever. My father suffered a severe heart attack and underwent a triple bypass. He was diagnosed with hereditary heart disease, and it became a terrifying time for all of us. The doctors informed my dad that he would need to drastically change his lifestyle, which meant no more horse training, no more tractor driving...no more ranch life. Realizing that we couldn't keep up the place without him, we were forced to sell our home and move west, leaving behind family and friends and the only life I knew. The dry Arizona air was healing for my father, and I was adjusting to a new school, new friends and a new way of living. Suddenly I was going on dates, "cruising the mall" and dealing with pressures of being a teenager. While things were different and strange, they were also exciting and fun. I learned that change, even when it is unexpected, can be a good thing. Little did I know that my life would be changing again, and in a very big way. I was approached by a personal manager from Los Angeles who asked me if I had ever thought about acting. The idea had never crossed my mind, but now that it did, my interest was sparked. After giving it some thought and talking it over with my mom and dad, we decided that my mother and I would move to L.A. for a while and give it a shot. I had no idea what I was getting myself into! Thank goodness my mother was right by my side from the very start. Together, we approached it like an adventure, and as my career grew, so did I. By the time that Beverly Hills, 90210 had become successful, my mom and I both decided that it was time for her to return to Arizona and the rest of the family. The little girl from the farm was disappearing and being replaced by the grownup women in the big city. I truly loved my job and my success was more than I could have ever dreamed. And yet....something was missing. Slowly a dark void found its way into my heart and began to eat away at my happiness. I tried to figure out what was missing. I tried working harder, then working less. I made new friends and lost touch with old ones. Nothing I did seemed to fill the void. I realized that I wasn't going to find the solution to the problem while I was going to clubs and endless parties, and living in the fast lane. I tried to remember when I was happiest, when the things in my life mattered most. I asked myself what was important to me. Finally, I had the answer. I knew what I had to do to be happy. Once again, my life was about to change. I called my mom and dad and said, "I miss you to much. I need my parents back. I'm buying a place out here and I want you to move to California." My father wasn't to keen on the idea of being back in the rat race, but I assured him that this time, it would be nothing like that. So we began looking for a place outside of the city - a place complete with animals running all around and a garden full of vegetables just waiting to be picked for supper. A place that could be the family home where everyone could visit. A gathering place for the holidays. A haven, safe from the outside world. A place just like I remember growing up in. Then one day we found it: the perfect ranch, nestled in a warm and sunny valley. My dream had become reality. The dark void that gnawed inside me began to fade, and a sense of balance and serenity returned to my soul. I was home. |