Do you smoke during scenes? Jennie Garth on the set of “Beverly Hills, 90210”.
Jennie Garth talks with USA TODAY’s Ralphie Aversa about what it’s like on the set of “Beverly Hills, 90210” while promoting her new memoir, “I Choose Me.”
AUSTIN — Actress Jennie Garth’s life as a young mother wasn’t typical.
At a recent speaking event in Austin, Garth revealed to a room full of mothers that she was running to take care of her daughter in between filming “Beverly Hills, 90210.” While Garth was navigating parenthood, her character, Kelly Taylor, was navigating a love triangle, family trauma, and drug addiction.
“One moment, I was this young woman playing this young woman, and we were all young and having so much fun and hanging out, and then I got pregnant, and my world changed,” she said.
Garth said she gave birth to her first child when she was 25 and eight years into filming the TV show. She returned to work and appeared on camera four weeks after giving birth.
“As you can imagine, it was really tough,” Garth said, adding that most mothers take much longer than four weeks to recover after giving birth. “You’re in a fog. There’s a situation going on around breastfeeding that no one understands.”
When she heard the word “cut” on set, she ran back to her trailer to be with her baby.
“I packed her up at 5 a.m. every morning, got her on set by 6 a.m., and then I did makeup for an hour or two and she stayed with the nanny,” Garth said.
Garth said her daughters’ nanny contributed to her ability to be a “hands-on mother.”
“I didn’t want to have to raise my daughters. I wanted to be there for them,” she said.
Jennie Garth says she found her purpose by slowing down and looking outside.
Twenty years after the “Beverly Hills, 90210” finale, and after his daughters were grown, Garth said he hit a wall. “What am I doing?” she asked herself at age 50. As the height of the COVID-19 pandemic winds down, we can’t help but wonder, “What is life all about?”
In exploring herself, she realized that her purpose was to inspire others to look within themselves as well. She’s written it all down in her new book, “I Choose: Chasing Joy, Finding Purpose, and Embracing Reinvention,” which she describes as “a self-help book disguised as a memoir.”
“It’s so important to take a slow look at yourself every once in a while and ask, ‘How am I choosing to be myself right now? How am I putting my own dreams, my own aspirations, my own needs on the table and not just meeting the needs of others?'” she said.
She says saying “I choose me” may sound selfish. But what’s really important is to do your best and develop the ability to be considerate of others. The mothers in the crowd understood her point and nodded in understanding.
“Because we all know what it’s like when you’re running empty. It’s a disaster,” Garth said. “And everyone in your circle is affected by that.”
Madeline Mitchell’s role covering women and the care economy for USA TODAY is supported by a partnership with Pivotal and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input.
Contact Madeline at: memitchell@usatoday.com and @maddiemitch_ With X.
