In a new interview, Jason Priestley discussed his time on "Beverly Hills, 90210," touching on his position at the top of the call sheet, his early directing career, and the costars he's since lost.
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It’s been more than three decades since "Beverly Hills, 90210" premiered in 1990, and Jason Priestley is opening up about the show. In a new interview on “Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade,” the actor discussed how he landed at the top of the call sheet to directing episodes of the show to castmates who had gone too soon.
Jason Priestley attends the 2025 Canadian Screen Awards Gala at CBC Broadcast Centre on June 1, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario | Source: Getty Images
Priestley, who played Brandon Walsh for nine seasons, was one of the highest paid actors in the show. Explaining why he was number one on the call sheet, he told Carvey and Spade that by the time he was cast, "I'd done stuff," adding, "I was just coming off a series that was on NBC.”
He also said Shannen Doherty, who played his twin sister, Brenda Walsh, was second on the sheet. “Shannen had done lots of stuff too before we started, you know, she was on "Little House on the Prairie" for Christ's sake,” he explained. “We sort of had been around for a while.”
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Before "90210," Priestley had already appeared in films like "The Boy Who Could Fly" and "Watchers," with TV credits in "MacGyver" and "21 Jump Street." Doherty had also been working steadily since 1981, including a stint on "Little House on the Prairie" and the NBC series "Our House."
Jason Priestley at the Grand Opening of the West Coast's China Club in Hollywood in August 1989 | Source: Getty Images
Towards the end of the first season, Priestley was setting his sights on directing. He recalled “bugging” producer Aaron Spelling to give him a chance to direct. "By the end of the third season, he did,” Priestley said. “He let me direct my first episode and by the end of the show, I directed 15 hours of it. Like I directed a lot."
Priestley, who says he’s been directing for the last 25 to 30 years, was grateful for the cast’s support. "I was super lucky in that everyone was always very supportive of me," he said, adding that James Eckhouse, who played his on-screen father, was the only other cast member who directed several episodes too.
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On what he loves about directing, Priestley says he enjoys “having a more macro vision of what's going on and having to solve bigger problems,” compared to being a performer who only has to worry about his own character.
Actor, director, and producer Jason Priestley, poses for a photo session during the 7th edition of the Cannes International Series Festival on April 7, 2024 | Source: Getty images
After 10 seasons, “Beverly Hills, 90210” bid farewell in 2000. Since then, the show has lost two original cast members. Luke Perry, who played Dylan McKay, died in March 2019 at the age of 52, following a stroke. Doherty passed away five years later in July 2024 after battling breast cancer. She was 53.
Speaking about Perry, Carvey described him as someone who “really stood out as one of the nicest people” he’d ever met, recalling the late actor’s stint as host on “SNL” during the height of “90210.”
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Priestley agreed. "Luke was an incredibly kind, generous, smart, funny guy. He was great," he added.
Jason Priestley, Luke Perry, and Shannen Doherty pose for a portrait on the set of "Beverly Hills, 90210" in September 1991 | Source: Getty Images
Priestley is still acting and directing these days. He’s currently promoting the CW reboot "Private Eyes: West Coast," where he portrays a hockey player-turned-private investigator. The show premieres on October 5.
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