Kathleen Robertson is looking back at her time on Beverly Hills, 90210 — and it wasn’t all glitz and glamour behind the scenes.
The Canadian actress, who joined the hit Fox teen drama in 1993 during season 4, recently revealed that stepping onto what was then “the biggest show in the world” felt overwhelming and intimidating.
“It was horribly difficult,” Robertson said on the Slice of Life podcast, describing her early days on set. “It was the biggest show in the world. For me — I can’t speak to anyone else — it was not a warm and fuzzy environment to land into.”
At the time, the cast included major stars like Jason Priestley, Shannen Doherty, Jennie Garth, Luke Perry and Tori Spelling. Robertson admitted she was “very nervous and very anxious” from the start, walking into an already tight-knit — and reportedly tense — cast dynamic.
One moment, in particular, stuck with her.
Back in the days before digital photography, production used Polaroids for continuity shots. Robertson said she discovered that some of her own photos in the makeup trailer had been cut in half.
“I’d see my Polaroids in the makeup trailer cut in half. I don’t know who did it,” she recalled.
When she asked the makeup artists about it, she said they seemed embarrassed and tried to protect her from the situation. While she insisted she “could take it” and didn’t let it break her spirit, she acknowledged the tension had a lasting impact on her.
“It certainly had an effect on me in terms of how I worked moving forward,” she explained, noting that the experience made her more aware of how difficult it can be for someone new to join an established cast.
Robertson eventually became a main cast member during seasons 6 and 7. She did say that not everyone made her feel unwelcome. Tori Spelling, in particular, stood out.
“She was amazing, day one, warm, amazing, welcoming,” Robertson said.
Still, she admitted that the overall atmosphere could feel rough — and at one point, she realized it might be time to move on.
“I’ve got to get out of here,” she remembered thinking. “If I don’t, I’m f—ed.”
Stories of behind-the-scenes tension have followed Beverly Hills, 90210 for decades. Earlier this year, Jason Priestley reflected on his relationship with Shannen Doherty, who passed away in 2024 after a long battle with cancer. Priestley said he made sure to say everything he needed to say to her before she died, which gave him a sense of closure.