Aaron Spelling: Movies & Filmography

Aaron Spelling was born on April 22, 1923, in Dallas, Texas, to Russian Jewish immigrant parents Pearl and David Spelling. His early life was marked by significant trauma; at the age of eight, he psychosomatically lost the use of his legs for an entire year due to relentless anti-Semitic bullying from schoolmates, though he eventually made a full recovery. He attended Forest Avenue High School and later served his country during World War II in the United States Army Air Corps as both an entertainer on troop ships and a correspondent for Stars and Stripes. In 1949, he graduated from Southern Methodist University, where he had been a cheerleader, before embarking on a career that would redefine American television. Initially working as an actor, Spelling appeared in numerous film and television roles throughout the early 1950s, including appearances in Vicki, Dragnet, I Love Lucy, Gunsmoke, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents, giving him crucial insight into the entertainment industry from the ground up.

Transitioning behind the camera, Spelling found his true calling as a producer and writer, selling his first script in 1956 and eventually founding Spelling Television, which would make him the most prolific television producer in American history with 218 producer and executive producer credits. His golden touch created some of television's most iconic series spanning multiple decades, including The Mod Squad, Charlie's Angels, The Love Boat, Dynasty, Beverly Hills, 90210 (which starred his daughter Tori), Melrose Place, 7th Heaven, and Charmed. His productions were known for their glamorous settings, ensemble casts, and popular appeal, earning him a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1978 and induction into the Television Hall of Fame in 1996. In his personal life, Spelling married actress Carolyn Jones in 1953, divorcing in 1964, before marrying Candy Marer in 1968, with whom he had two children, Tori and Randy. The family lived in The Manor, a 123-room mansion in Holmby Hills that stood as the largest single-family home in Los Angeles. Spelling passed away on June 23, 2006, at the age of 83 from complications following a stroke, leaving behind a television empire that continues to influence pop culture today.