Jennie Garth
She defined 1990s teen drama as the quintessential Beverly Hills queen bee, navigating fame and family in the public eye.
Born 1972 (age 54)·American actress·Birthday: April 3·Generation X
Biography
Jennie Garth grew up on an Illinois farm before moving to Arizona and then Los Angeles as a teenager, landing her breakout role almost immediately. As Kelly Taylor on 'Beverly Hills, 90210,' she embodied the complexities of a popular girl navigating addiction, relationships, and trauma, becoming a central figure of the show's decade-long cultural dominance. Garth adeptly transitioned from teen idol to adult actress with roles in television movies and the sitcom 'What I Like About You,' proving her comedic chops. In her later years, she has embraced a more private life focused on family, while also authoring a candid memoir and participating in reality television, offering a reflective look at the pressures of early stardom and personal resilience.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Jennie was born in 1972, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jennie Was Born
The biggest hits of 1972
#1 Movie
The Godfather
Best Picture
The Godfather
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Jennie's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1972Born
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1977Started school
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1985Became a teenager
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Could drive
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1990Could vote
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1993Turned 21
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2002Turned 30
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 40
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 50
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 54 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Portrayed Kelly Taylor for the entire ten-season run of 'Beverly Hills, 90210' and its subsequent revivals.
- Starred as Val Tyler in the WB sitcom 'What I Like About You' for four seasons.
- Published a memoir, 'Deep Thoughts from a Hollywood Blonde,' in 2014.
- Headlined her own reality series, 'Jennie Garth: A Little Bit Country,' on CMT in 2012.
Did You Know?
She was discovered by a talent agent at a skating rink in Arizona when she was 15.
She is a certified yoga instructor.
She was married to actor Peter Facinelli for over a decade; they have three daughters.
She voiced the character of herself in an episode of 'The Simpsons.'
“I'm just a farm girl who got a big break.”
