Teen Drama Stars Who Have Written Books

Oct 18, 2021

Recent works by Andrew McCarthy and Elisa Donovan got me thinking: How many teen drama stars have written books?

McCarthy, who appeared in one episode of “Gossip Girl” and directed six episodes of it, came out with Brat: An ‘80s Story in May. Donovan, who played Ginger in four episodes of “Beverly Hills, 90210” and whom I interviewed for the original TDW back in 2009, had her book, Wake Me When You Leave: Love and Encouragement via Dreams from the Other Side, published in June.

To find out which teen drama series regulars — that is, main cast members on the six core teen dramas; not recurring stars or guest stars — have written books, keep reading.

Updated 1-2-25

Beverly Hills, 90210

Jason Priestley (Brandon)

Jason Priestley: A Memoir (2014)

Priestley writes extensively about “Beverly Hills, 90210” — both joining and leaving the show — but I admit I never finished this book. I started it on a vacation and then… I don’t even know. It just sat on my nightstand for ages and is now in a storage container amidst 823748563018 other books.

Shannen Doherty (Brenda)

Badass: A Hard-Earned Guide to Living Life with Style and (the Right) Attitude (2010)

This one I admittedly consciously chose to stop reading. Certain parts angered me early on, namely Doherty writing that she wouldn’t make excuses for her misbehavior from her “Beverly Hills, 90210” years and then going on to do exactly that. She even puts blame on her co-stars for having no idea what she was dealing with at home with her family… but whose fault was it that they didn’t know? But I digress.

Jennie Garth (Kelly)

Deep Thoughts from a Hollywood Blonde (2014)

I powered through this one at a Barnes & Noble, flipping through every page for mentions of “Beverly Hills, 90210.” I recall being disappointed (and am pretty sure I tweeted about it) over the amount of mistakes and even wishing I could’ve fact-checked the book. Kind of how I feel about “9021OMG” today…

Tori Spelling (Donna)

sTORI TELLING (2008)
Mommywood (2009)
uncharted terriTORI (2010)
Presenting… Tallulah (2010)
celebraTORI (2012)
Spelling it Like It Is (2013)

I more or less devoured Spelling’s first three books. I even wrote a “Cliffnotes” post for the original TDW about uncharted terriTORI and shared my experience going to Spelling’s book signing. Spelling’s tweet about my review will always mean a lot to me.

Tiffani Thiessen (Valerie)

Pull Up a Chair: Recipes from My Family to Yours (2018)
You’re Missing It! (2019)
Here We Go Again: Recipes and Inspiration to Level Up Your Leftovers (2023)

That second offering is a collaboration with Thiessen’s husband, Brady Smith. I’m holding out hope she’ll do a traditional memoir someday.

Carol Potter (Cindy)

When Your Child Has a Chronic Medical Illness: A Guide for the Parenting Journey (2021)

Not everyone knows Potter studied at Harvard and went into professional counseling after she left “Beverly Hills, 90210.” I haven’t read this, but I did recommend it to a close friend whose son is medically fragile.

Dawson’s Creek

Busy Philipps (Audrey)

This Will Only Hurt a Little (2018)

It feels like this one came out much more recently than 2018, though I have still yet to read it. I don’t think they’ll ever do it because they’re way too private, but I’d love to eventually get memoirs from Katie Holmes (Joey) and Philipps’ BFF Michelle Williams (Jen).

One Tree Hill

Hilarie Burton (Peyton)

The Rural Diaries: Love, Livestock, and Big Life Lessons Down on Mischief Farm (2020)
Grimoire Girl: Creating an Inheritance of Magic and Mischief (2023)

I’ve seen fans express disappointment that Burton didn’t talk more about “One Tree Hill” in her first book, and there isn’t much more in the follow-up, either. But if Burton’s vibes resonate with you, so will her writings.

Bethany Joy Lenz (Haley)

Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show (While also in an Actual Cult!) (2024)

Lenz shocked “Drama Queens” listeners in 2023 when she casually mentioned she was in a cult. In 2024, she gave the full story in this fascinating memoir.

Jana Kramer (Alex)

The Good Fight: Wanting to Leave, Choosing to Stay, and the Powerful Practice for Loving Faithfully (2020)
The Next Chapter: Making Peace with Hard Memories, Finding Hope All Around Me, and Clearing Space for Good Things to Come (2023)

After Kramer and Michael Caussin officially split, I predicted the actress-singer would write another book about her post-divorce life. I was right.

Gossip Girl

Kristen Bell (Gossip Girl)

The World Needs More Purple People (2020)

While this is a children’s book, I predict that — given how open she is — Bell will release something more memoir-ish down the road.

Are you surprised more of the main teen drama stars haven’t written books? Or was this list longer than you expected? I think it makes sense that most of the offerings to date have come from the “Beverly Hills, 90210” cast. Typically, the older a star gets, the more likely they are to do a memoir looking back on their life and career.

We’ve yet to receive anything from series regulars of “The O.C.” or “90210,” but I fully expect we’ll be treated to books by at least one or two of them sooner or later. Have you read any of the above books? Share in the comments below!