Shannen Doherty 'loved' her boobs and stripped for Playboy before breast cancer fight

Shannen Doherty became one of the biggest TV stars of the 90s after starring in Beverly Hills, 90210 and Charmed.

The American actress, who is celebrating her 52nd birthday today (April 12), was best known for her roles as Brenda Walsh and Prue Halliwell in the iconic shows.

But during her career, Doherty has also battled with two devastating breast cancer diagnoses and revealed the physical impact took a toll on her career — which she says was based on her “superficial shell.”

READ MORE: Beverly Hills 90210’s Jennie Garth hailed ‘beautiful’ at reunion after painful diagnosis

After rising to fame in the 90s, Doherty also saw success in her off-screen career, stripping down for Playboy.

The actress appeared in two issues of the iconic raunchy magazine, first appearing in a 10-page “safe sex” pictorial in the March 1994 edition, which saw her posing in white lacey lingerie alongside two doves.

She then made another appearance on the cover of the December 2003 issue, this time stripping down to a bikini and barely there crochet cover-up.

But her career took a blow in March 2015 when she was diagnosed with cancer after finding a lump in her breast.

Revealing the diagnosis six months later, Doherty said in a statement: “Yes, I have breast cancer and I am undergoing treatment,

“I am thankful to my family, friends and doctors for their support and, of course, my fans who have stood by me.”

She went on to open up about her battle with cancer on The Dr Oz show, revealing that while she “loved” her breasts, she had no problem going through with a mastectomy.

She said: “Ultimately, they’re just breasts right? I mean, I love them, they’re mine, they’re beautiful, but in the grand scheme of things I would rather be alive and grow old with my husband.”

The actress left it up to doctors to decide whether she had a lumpectomy or full mastectomy and they decided on the latter.

But she revealed the physical changes to her body impacted her career in Hollywood.

She explained: “I think that all affects a career like mine, that’s not only based on talent, but it’s so much based on sort of the superficial shell that is right here.

“And so it has affected it and I’ve been lucky I have like a director that adores me and hires me for a lot of stuff”.

However, the actress said she no longer cares so much about her physical appearance after her experience with cancer taught her there’s more to being sexy than she used to believe.

She added: “My perception of sexy has changed. For me now, sexy is strength. Sexy is vulnerability. Sexy is compassion. Sexy is grace. Why should I care so much about the physical shell?”

After having the mastectomy and undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatment, Doherty went into remission in 2017.

But in 2020 she revealed the cancer had returned and she’d been diagnosed with stage four breast cancer.

Despite the diagnosis — which came just four months before the sudden death of her 90210 co-star Luke Perry — Doherty has continued to work, appearing in films including Dying to Belong, Fortress and Hot Seat.

Now, Doherty sees her cancer as a part of life and regularly shares candid moments from her journey on Instagram.

While attending a virtual panel for the 2021 film List of a Lifetime, which saw Doherty play a terminally ill woman, she told reporters she’s still “very much alive”.

“I feel like I have a responsibility in my more public life, which I separate from my acting life … to talk about cancer and perhaps educate people more and let people know that people with stage 4 are very much alive and very active,” she said.

She added: “My husband [photographer Kurt Iswarienko] says that you would never know that I have cancer.

“I never really complain. I don’t really talk about it. It’s part of life at this point.”

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk