Jason Priestley admitted that early success on Beverly Hills, 90210 gave him more confidence than experience.
The actor reflected on becoming famous in his early 20s during an episode of Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum. Priestley said he sometimes believed he understood more than he actually did during the show’s first season.
Jason Priestley admits he was guilty of “youthful hubris” during the first season of Beverly Hills, 90210 as he reflects on becoming famous in his early 20s
Priestley, 56, said he had already spent years working as an actor before joining Beverly Hills, 90210. Even so, he admitted he still carried what he called “youthful hubris.”
“Even in the first season of the show, I was still — because I’d been working for a long time already and I’d learned a lot going into that show — I think that I was still a victim of youthful hubris, right?” he said.
Priestley said that attitude did not make him treat people badly.
“It was never anything where I was mean to anybody or, you know, having tantrums and yelling at people,” he explained.
Instead, the Jason Priestley fame experience made him think he had more knowledge than he actually possessed.
“I thought I knew a little bit more than I did,” he admitted.
Priestley also reflected on how sudden celebrity affected him personally. He said finding fame at such a young age forced him to mature quickly.
“Fame and especially the kind of fame that we enjoyed in our young 20s can be a traumatic event, because your life changes so dramatically,” he said.
The Jason Priestley 90210 era began in 1990, when he played Brandon Walsh. He remained on the series for 10 seasons.
Priestley said some people could become emotionally stuck at the point when fame dramatically changed their lives. He felt fortunate that he avoided that outcome.
“It didn’t happen for me thankfully, but I can see where it happened,” he said.
Beverly Hills, 90210 also starred Tori Spelling, Jennie Garth, Shannen Doherty, Luke Perry, Brian Austin Green, Ian Ziering and Gabrielle Carteris.
The show turned its young cast into major television stars and later led to spinoffs and reboots.
