I'm starting this topic because I frequently surf to IMDb to look up new information about my favorite actors and actresses. Tonight, this was no different.
The only thing that was different is that I read a post from someone who called Shannen a 'quitter' because she left "Beverly Hills, 90210", "Charmed" and "Scare Tactics". In defence of Shannen, I felt pushed to place the following post. I would like for all of you to read it, and give me your opinion about it. Thank you.
I just feel the need to comment on this. This is my complete opinion:
I am a very big fan of Shannen and in my opinion she is a very good actress and a beautiful woman. I respect her for the person she is, love her for the woman she is and cherish her for the actress she is. I'm 19 years old. I've seen all eight seasons of "Charmed" and am currently working on "Beverly Hills, 90210" at which I'm in Season 3.
I love watching her in anything she's in because of how she plays the characters she plays. They are, in the eyes of me and many other people, very alive. Almost as if they are real people.
I'm a guy and so I can't relate to everything Brenda went through and I'm no witch so I really can't relate to anything Prue went through, but some people can relate to Brenda. And that is totally understandable. It's a real challenge for every actor/actress to play a character that well. Shannen did it. And no, I'm not saying she's the only person who did that, because she's not. But as I said, it is very difficult.
Also, Shannen has been acting for 27 years. And in those 27 years, she has gained a lot of fans. Fans from different ages. There even are many fans who have followed Shannen through her acting career. People who were 16 when "Beverly Hills, 90210" started. They've followed her through that onto "Charmed" and from that onto "Scare Tactics" and now to "90210".
That too, is something that doesn't happen very often. I think that's something that can be said when we talk about Shannen. She has a strong fan base and all those fans feel very connected to her. And I think Shannen feels very connected to her fans as well. Why do I think that, you ask? I think that because Shannen has said so herself. The only reason she came back as our beloved 'Brenda Walsh' is because we (her fans) asked her to. The fan-response to the new "90210" was big. And when there was a possibility of Shannen returning as 'Brenda Walsh', that response only grew bigger. Shannen recently said in an interview "How do you say thank you to fans for giving you a 27-year career? You play the one character you said you'd never play again because they want you to play it." So you see, Shannen really does feel connected to her fans because at first, she didn't even want to reprise her role as Brenda. But she did, as a 'Thank you.' to her fans. Shannen signed on for four episodes. She has filmed these now, and it is not yet known if she will do more episodes. If she will, many fans will be happy. If she won't, then she won't. Shannen has to live her life the way she sees fit. It's her life, after all. It's not ours. We don't decide what she has to do. She does by herself.
Furthermore, I'd like to say something about Shannen leaving both "Beverly Hills, 90210" in 1994 and "Charmed" in 2001. Many people say she quit, and that she's a quitter, because of the fact that she left other shows. This, however, is incorrect. We weren't there in 1994. We have never been backstage (and the people who have, haven't been there long enough) to have the right to judge Shannen for leaving "Beverly Hills, 90210". We don't know what Shannen went through at the time. A lot of factors must have been a part of her leaving. Factors that are now long in the past. We shouldn't be talking about that anymore. It's not our business. It's Shannen's and Shannen's only. "Charmed" is, for me, the same story. She left for her own personal reasons. She doesn't have to explain anything to anyone.
I hope that, by placing this message on this board, I have made people realize that Shannen's life is Shannen's and not ours. Just because she's a celebrity doesn't mean that she has to talk about everything she does in her life. She is just a woman with a job. She's a woman. She has feelings, just like anyone else. Do you know how many nights she spends at home with her dogs eating ice cream just like any other girl and woman you know? The only difference between Shannen and the girl next door is that almost the entire world knows Shannen's name... please know that. Thank you for reading this and hopefully respecting celebrities as people. Because they are.