The Real Story Behind Hilary Swank Leaving 90210, According to Tori Spelling

Tori Spelling has opened up about why she thinks Hilary Swank was let go from Beverly Hills, 90210. Swank, 51, played Carly Reynolds during the show’s eighth season but was written out after just 16 episodes.

Speaking with Jennie Garth on their 90210MG podcast on November 21, Spelling, 52, said Swank had originally been signed as a full-time cast member.

She added that it wasn’t Swank’s acting that caused her departure, but the way the show wrote her character. “I didn’t think the writing was great in this episode,” Spelling said, referring to the first episode of season eight. Garth agreed, saying, “No, no, I didn’t, either.”

Podcast producer Amy also discussed the situation. She admitted she had once thought Swank wasn’t performing well, but after rewatching the episodes, she changed her mind. “It’s not that she wasn’t good. She actually is good. It’s that they wrote her so ridiculously. Like, she comes in hot. She’s kind of awful from the start,” Amy explained.

Amy noted that leaving the show early turned out to benefit Swank. Her departure freed her to audition for other projects, including her Oscar-winning role in Boys Don’t Cry. “Because she gets let go from this show early, that’s why she got Boys Don’t Cry, because she was free to audition,” she said.

Swank herself reflected on her exit in a 2024 interview with Guy Raz. She admitted it was discouraging at the time.

“I thought, ‘Wow, I’m not good enough to be on this show that’s way past the heyday with Luke Perry and all the hype,’” she said. Swank added that the experience turned out to be a blessing. “If you trust — really trust — what’s happening when one door closes… I got Boys Don’t Cry two months later.”

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