Jason Priestley Biography

Jason Priestley was born on August 28, 1969. His first American TV assignment was the regular role of teen orphan Todd Mahaffey on the 1989 sitcom Sister Kate. When Aaron Spelling's daughter Tori spotted Priestley on the show, she suggested that her father audition him for a role in the upcoming Fox series Beverly Hills, 90210. Priestley was cast as Brandon Walsh, twin brother of Brenda (Shannen Doherty) who move with their parents to the glamorous Hills from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Unlike many of his young series costars, Priestly was intent on laying the groundwork for life after 90210. Despite lack of fanfare with his first major film role in Penny Marshall's Calendar Girl (1993), he enjoyed some success as a 90210 director and producer. Priestley encountered further success and even critical vindication with his turn as Ronnie Bostock, the B movie hunk who steals John Hurt's heart in Love and Death on Long Island (1997). Critics warmed to Priestley's performance, noting that his days of idolatry had given him overly adequate preparation for his portrayal. He is currently separated from his wife, actress Ashlee Petersen, whom he married in 1999.