Shannen Doherty has credited Michael Landon with helping “spur” her passion for acting.
Shannen Doherty has heaped praise on Michael Landon
The ‘Beverley Hills, 90210’ star rose to fame aged 11 when she was cast as Jenny Wilder on the final series of TV drama ‘Little House on the Prairie’, and she has credited her late co-star with helping her discover a love for the artform.
Speaking on her own ‘Let’s Be Clear’ podcast, she said: “It’s kind of amazing because, when I think about the long span of my career, but also how rough some jobs were — and unenjoyable to be a part of, a little bit toxic — it was really the experience on ‘Little House’ that spurred that passion on for being an actor.
“And it was having a mentor like Michael Landon — and I don’t care what anybody else’s experience was like, I know the truth about that man, and he was just unbelievable.”
The 53-year-old actress explained that being on the show at a young age “shaped her in so many ways”, and hailed it as the “best experience of her entire career”.
She “adored” her co-star Landon, who played Charles Ingalls and died in 1991, and described him as a “mentor” who taught her a lot of lessons about acting.
She added: “[He was] so, so, so talented, so kind, so considerate, and it really helped shape me. And he was incredibly caring for my entire family.”
Shannen recently reflected on her experiences on ‘Charmed’, which she left amid reports of on and off-set tensions with co-stars.
Now, she has admitted although she “doesn’t regret” not returning for the series finale, she does feel bad for the fans.
She said on a recent episode of her podcast: “I regret it in one sense. I regret it for the fans.But I don’t regret it for me, because I was so incredibly wrecked from getting fired that, I think, even years, years. years later, had I walked on that set, and I think it just would’ve stirred everything back up for me. And it would’ve crushed me all over again.”
