Transcription
Hillary Swank's tenure on Beverly Hills 90,210 was short-lived, but her co-stars Tori Spelling and Jenny Gar believe it wasn't her fault. The two actresses, who played Donna Martin and Kelly Taylor throughout the series, discussed Swank's brief stint on the 8th season in their recent episode of the 9,021 OMG Rewatch podcast.
Swank played Carly, a single mother working at the Peach Pit and a love interest for Ian Xering's character Steve. Despite being introduced as a regular cast member, she exited after just 16 episodes. Spelling, daughter of the show's producer Aaron Spelling, suggested that poor writing led to Carly's unpopularity and eventual dismissal. "I didn't think the writing was great in this episode," Spelling remarked about Swank's debut in the season 8 premiere. Bar agreed, expressing similar sentiments.
Amy Sugarman, producer of the podcast, initially thought Swank didn't perform well in the role. However, upon re-watching, she revised her opinion. "It's not that she wasn't good, she actually is good." Spelling added that the writing did Swank a disservice, questioning how much writers and producers can hinder a new character's acceptance by an audience. Entertainment Weekly has reached out to Swank's representatives for comment on Spelling and Gar's observations.
Despite her early departure from the show, Swank's career thrived. She won her first Oscar for Boys Don't Cry, a role she could audition for because she was free after leaving 90,210. Sugarman noted that Swank's success came because the 90,210 riders did her dirty and the fans just thought she sucked. Swank later won a second Oscar for Milliondollar Baby in 2004. Listen to Spelling and Gar on 921 OMG for more insights.