Aaron Spelling - Early life, Hollywood career and life, Notable productions, Illness, lawsuit, and death

Television producer, born in Dallas, Texas, USA. He studied journalism at the Southern Methodist University in Dallas, then moved to Hollywood in the 1950s where he began as a bit-part television actor. His early work as a producer included Zane Grey Theatre (1956–61), Johnny Ringo (1959–60), and The Mod Squad (1968–73). With actor Danny Thomas (1914–91) he set up Thomas–Spelling Productions in the 1970s, and after a number of further ventures he formed Spelling Entertainment, Inc in 1986. He became one of the most successful producers in American television history, turning out a string of international hit shows including Starsky and Hutch (1975–9), Charlie's Angels (1976–81), The Love Boat (1977–86), Hart to Hart (1979–84), and Dynasty (1981–9). Later series included the soap opera set in a US high school Beverly Hills 90210 (1990–2000), in which he cast his teenage daughter Tori Spelling (1973– ), Melrose Place (1992–9), and Charmed (1998–2006).

Aaron Spelling

Born:	April 22, 1923 Dallas, Texas
Died:	June 23, 2006 Los Angeles, California
Occupation:	Actor, singer, dancer, television producer

Aaron F. Spelling currently holds the world record as the world's most prolific television producer.

Early life

Spelling was born in Dallas, Texas, to Polish Jewish immigrant parents, and attended Forest Avenue High School.

Hollywood career and life

Spelling sold his first script to Jane Wyman Theater in 1954. During the 1950s, Spelling joined Powell's Four Star Productions. He also began a collaboration at this time with associate producer Shelley Hull, who, aside from "The Mod Squad", had worked with Spelling on "The Rookies" and "Charlie's Angels." Spelling directed only once, on "The Conchita Vasquez Story", a 1959 TV Episode of "Wagon Train".

Spelling divorced Jones in 1965 and in 1968 he married Carol Jean Marer, who took his name as Candy Spelling. He was father of Victoria Davey Spelling and Randall Gene Spelling, both of whom became actors as teenagers, as Tori Spelling and Randy Spelling. The family's 123-room home in Los Angeles, built by Spelling for the cost of USD $47,000,000, and named "The Manor", occupies 46,500 square feet (slightly over one acre) and is the largest single-family dwelling in Hollywood.

In 1972, he created Aaron Spelling Productions, and another co-production company with Leonard Goldberg. Spelling also produced the NBC daytime soap opera Sunset Beach from 1997 to 1999, and in one of his few acting roles since the 1960s, played one of Bette's (Kathleen Noone) ex-husbands for one day in 1997. After 2000, Spelling rarely gave serious interviews, and control of the Spelling Television company has been directed by his business partner E.

In 2004, Spelling was portrayed by Dan Castellaneta in the NBC film Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Charlie's Angels.

Notable productions

Spelling worked in some capacity on almost 200 productions beginning with the Zane Grey Theatre in 1956.

Illness, lawsuit, and death

In 2001, Spelling was diagnosed with oral cancer. On January 28, 2006, Spelling was sued by his former nurse who seeks unspecified damages for ten claims, including sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation, sexual battery, assault, wrongful termination and intentional infliction of emotional distress. On June 18, 2006, Spelling suffered a severe stroke at his estate in Holmby Hills, Los Angeles, California. The public was not allowed to attend Spelling's funeral held several days after his death. Aaron Spelling was interred in a mausoleum crypt in Hillside Memorial Park in Culver City, California.