Jennie Garth

Jennie Garth Early life

Jennifer Eve Garth was born in Illinois to John and Carolyn Garth, who each already had three children from different marriages. She grew up on a 25-acre horse ranch in Arcola, Illinois with her six older half-siblings: Johnny, Chuck, Lisa, Cammie, Wendy and Lynn. Jennie also lived in Tuscola, Illinois during her younger years. When Garth was 11, she and her family moved to Phoenix, Arizona. She took dancing lessons and did a little modeling while living there, at the time wanting to go to college and later start her own dance studio. At age 15, she was discovered and encouraged to pursue an acting career by a talent scout, who had seen her win a talent competition....

She dropped out of Greenway High School during her junior year, and she and her mother moved to Los Angeles so she could become an actress. She later obtained her diploma in California. There, she started taking acting classes and went to auditions almost every day. After living in L.A. about four months, she landed the role of 'Erica McCray' on the NBC series A Brand New Life (1989).

Jennie Garth Career

Garth is best known for her role as the beleaguered Kelly Taylor on the television series Beverly Hills: 90210. At various points in the series, Garth's character was involved in a love triangle between Dylan McKay (Luke Perry) and Brandon Walsh (Jason Priestly), became a diet pill abuser, was trapped in a fire, became involved in a cult, used cocaine, was raped, shot, got amnesia and had a miscarriage. She and former costar Tiffani Thiessen are best friends.

After 90210 ended, she starred in the shortlived series The $treet which was about a group of young, sexy investment bankers who all slept with each other.

From 2002 to 2006 Garth starred in the sitcom What I Like About You as Amanda Bynes' sister Valerie Tyler. Along with Leslie Grossman and Amanda Bynes, she starred on the show for all four seasons. Garth's story, "I Am Home," was featured in Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul. She played the lead female role in the 1993 television production of Danielle Steel's Star.

In the Fall of 2008, Jennie reprised her role of Kelly Taylor on the CWs revamped 90210.

Jennie Garth Dancing With The Stars

Garth appeared on Season 5 of Dancing with the Stars and was paired with Derek Hough. She was eliminated on the ninth week of competition finishing at a respectable fourth out of 12, after scoring her first perfect score of the competition with her Cha-Cha-Cha. During the course of the show she appeared at the AMA, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and at Disneyland where she performed with Mickey Mouse to promote the show.