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Jessica Stroup: 90210’s Rising Silver Star
By Amanda (Age 22, USA)
Jessica Stroup
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Jessica Stroup has a lot to be happy about these days. She’s had parts in a string of successful horror films, snagged the part of Silver on the CW’s “90210,” and is quickly becoming one of the leading ladies of Hollywood’s teen scene. All of this, and the twenty-two-year-old has only been in California for five years now.
Jessica Stroup (pronounced Str-OW-p) was born in South Carolina in October of 1986, but grew up in North Carolina when her father relocated there for work. Even though the newest tabloid darling has been on her own since she made the move to California at 17, she is extremely close with her family, saying that frequent phone calls from both of her
At the CW Upfronts Presentations
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parents and her brother help to keep her grounded. She is proud of her Southern heritage, saying that she loves the sense of community that exists in the southern United States. Jessica also cites her upbringing as being responsible for her drive. Stroup thinks that growing up in the south helped to instill a bit of a competitive edge. She was so determined to break into the world of acting that she when she graduated from high school in 2004, she gave up a scholarship to the University of Georgia to make the move to the west coast. She first got work as a model when a friend’s mother, a former Miss North Carolina pageant winner, offered to get Jessica in touch with a few people in the business if she was interested, and she made a slow, but steady climb to the top of the teen radar.
A promo still from '90210' Season 2
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The majority of actors that head out to Hollywood from around the U. S. don’t usually land their big break right away, and Jessica was no exception. When she made her way to California, she worked first on learning the ropes and getting an agent before she got any kind of “big” acting deal. Stroup landed a few commercials, including a memorable one for Dentyne (a gum), the campaign for which lasted two years, introducing the world to her bright smile. Along with the commercials, she booked a few small roles in television series like Nickelodeon’s “Unfabulous” and “Zoey 101,” as well as spots in independent and made for TV movies. What really provided her with a platform to launch her career was Hollywood’s scare zone.
A promo still from Prom Night
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For the southern girl who was just beginning to make a name for herself, horror movies and thrillers provided a great pay check. Jessica explained in interviews that, “for actresses that are just starting out, horror movies usually have a lower budget and are willing to take on new talent, so I just jumped on.” It was a good career move for her. Almost half of her resume can be classified as horror or thriller. What probably helped her in making the decision to become a “scream queen” as the actresses were called in the 1970s, is her love of horror movies. She loves to be scared and says that “Pet Cemetery” is one of her favorites. Stroup has been quoted saying, “anything that’s going to scare me, anything that’s going to take me out of my own little world that I live in is just something I’m excited about.” It’s a good thing too, since two of her most successful movies, both out before her foray into the CW’s “90210,” are horror films: “The Hills Have Eyes Two” and the remake of “Prom Night.”
In The Hills Have Eyes 2 with Daniella Lonso
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“The Hills Have Eyes Two” is a gritty and bloody sequel to “The Hills Have Eyes” which starred Emilie DeRavin, a horror film that left even some of the biggest fans squirming in their seats, including Jessica Stroup. Upon her first viewing of the film, she actually had to walk out during certain scenes, so what could have possessed her to take part in the sequel? She saw it as a challenge. The role was a very physical one, involving going through military-like training in the heat of the Moroccan desert. Stroup has always been an athletic girl, playing volleyball growing up, and enjoying working out, so she saw the film as an opportunity to do her own stunts and stretch her acting chops. She may have received a little more than she bargained for though, admitting that she had to allow a stunt double to film some scenes where her character was getting thrown across the room. She also had to constantly remind herself on set that she was filming a movie, and that some of the set pieces were not real, revealing that certain set pieces definitely scared her. “Prom Night” was a much more tame undertaking in comparison. Those two projects might have served to get her a little bit of notice in the industry, but it was as a student in Beverly Hills that she was noticed by the rest of the world.
A promo shoot from 90210 Season 1
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Despite having more than fifteen film and television appearances to her credit, Jessica Stroup did not get her “big break” until the CW’s reinvention of the 90s series “90210” in 2008. Ironic, since her parents did not allow her to watch the original series growing up. Jessica was originally not even interested in doing television. She maintains that it was not part of her plan when she got to Los Angeles. Fortunately for her, she booked a guest starring role on the CW series “Reaper” that turned out to be a multiple episode story arc. It was the first time she was on a television series for any extended length of time, and she really got a feel for the way television worked. She made the decision as soon as her part wrapped to audition for a main role on a new show during “pilot season.” (Pilot season refers to the time period when show creators pitch their ideas to network executives and film the first episode for a project that gets the green light.)
Jessica on the cover of 'Nylon' with Annalynne McCord and Shenae Grimes
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Stroup originally auditioned for the role of Annie, the Midwestern girl who finds herself in the world of Beverly Hills when her family is uprooted by her father. The role eventually went to another actress, who decided to pass on the role, before it was given to Shenae Grimes. Jessica had made the decision not to audition for the role of Silver because the role was first written very differently than the way the character ended up in the final version of the pilot. The original character she said “was not the type of character [she] usually auditioned for.“ When producers asked her to come back in and audition for the role of “Daphne” Silver, she did, but she decided to put her own spin on the character, asking the representatives of the show to let her know if she was doing something wrong, and she wound up getting the part. All through the original press releases for the series, the character was referred to as Daphne, with the reveal of her actually being Erin Silver, the younger sister of two characters in the original series, not occurring until the actual filming of the pilot.
The cast of 90210 Season 1
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The newly signed television star was so excited about getting the role, that she actually went up to Brian Austin Green (David Silver in the original series) to talk to him about playing his younger sister when she ran into him at a coffee place in Los Angeles. She maintains that he probably had no idea who she was or what she was talking about at first and probably thought that she was just some crazed fan. (She is still crossing her fingers that he will come on board for a few episodes, saying that she would be incredibly excited to work with him, but for now, no plans for that are in place.) Less than a week after booking the role, Jessica found herself in photo shoots with the rest of the cast, and the whirlwind began.
Jessica at the 2009 People's Choice Awards
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When the new series launched in 2008, Jessica and her costars were thrown into the spotlight in a way they had never experienced before. Her portrayal of Silver has quickly made her a fan favorite. Even Jessica loves her character. Stroup has revealed in interviews that she loves that Silver is brutally honest and that she uses her creativity to express herself. Silver is a sarcastic former popular girl who doesn’t care about climbing the social ladder. She vents her frustrations on her blog and in videos she posts online. Silver’s blog on the series, theviciouscircle.com even has its own website now. Jessica Stroup has input in to what actually goes into the blog, and what music is selected for Silver to be interested in. She has also revealed that the video blogs they originally worked on for her character were more improv and less scripted than she thought they would be, really allowing her to have fun with the character.
Jessica and Shenae's weight controversy covered US Weekly
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Although the fans have flocked to show their support for Jessica Stroup, some of the media outlets have not been quite as kind. A bit of controversy sparked just after the show’s launch in September of 2008 when the female stars of the show, including Jessica, were accused of promoting an unhealthy body image because they were all too skinny. Rumors abounded that the leads of the show were surviving on diets of coffee and cigarettes and that an intervention of sorts was planned, which male cast members were forced to refute. Media attention amped up when the super thin 90210ers were compared to the “curvier” Gossip Girls Leighton Meester and Blake Lively. Whether any of the girls were actually participating in unhealthy behavior or their thin frames were simply the result of hectic shooting schedules and stress is anyone’s guess. When Jessica was interviewed shortly after the attention began, she admitted that she had lost too much weight, and was trying to put some back on.
90210 cast members working with Habitat for Humanity in 2009
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In spite of the negative media attention, Stroup has continued to make public appearances, many for good causes. She and other “90210” cast members participated in Habitat for Humanity, assisting in building houses for families in need in March of this year. The organization has built houses, and even whole neighborhoods, all over the U. S. They always welcome celebrity participation in their programs because it serves to get the cause more attention. Jessica also attended the press conference for the “return to origins” recycling program started by Origins, a store specializing in organic cosmetics. The company developed a program in which customers can return empty cosmetic containers, like lip stick tubes, to one of their stores, no matter what the brand or manufacturer of the product, something no other company had done. In exchange for their commitment to the environment, customers get a free sample of one of the skin care products in the Origins line.
At the Origins Press Conference
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Stroup also lent her help to a public service announcement about bipolar disorder. The announcement followed an episode of “90210” in which Silver discovers she is afflicted with the disorder. Jessica found this particular part of the characterization to be a challenge, but she was wholeheartedly willing to embrace it. Describing herself as a “visual learner,” she did something that was very Silver-like to help her prepare for the role: she took to the internet video sharing site Youtube and watched videos posted by people who were affected by the condition. She wanted her portrayal to be as honest and as accurate as possible. Her depiction of Silver in the episodes of the series surrounding this event has earned her the respect of many of the show’s fans, as well as people in Hollywood.
The 90210 girls shed their make-up for a Photo Shoot for People's 50 Most Beautiful
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The series that she has become most famous for is providing a great boost to her career. Because of “90210,” Jessica Stroup has landed in several magazines, most notably the covers of “Nylon” and “Six Degrees.” Several photo spreads have featured her with other members of the cast as well. Her place in recent pop culture was cemented with her earning a spot in the “most beautiful” issue of People Magazine in 2009. She, as well as the other four females in the cast, showed off their natural beauty, posing for photos without wearing any makeup. Of course, with all of the magazine spreads and popularity comes more paparazzi attention. Stroup describes the set for the show as a “bubble” where the cast doesn’t have to pay attention to the outside world, but location shoots usually find photographers on street corners trying to snap pictures of the young stars. Jennie Garth, who plays Stroup’s TV sister, gave Jessica a piece of advice when the attention started, and Jessica has taken it to heart. “It means people are watching your work, and hopefully, it’s good work.”
The Homecoming Poster
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So, where can you next see the rising star? Jessica’s latest film “Homecoming” was released to a limited number of theaters in July. The movie is another thriller, this time costarring another teen drama veteran, Mischa Barton. Jessica plays the girlfriend of a man who decides to return to his hometown, only to find that his last girlfriend is not quite over him. And of course, this month, Jessica will be returning to television screens in the role she is most famous for when “90210” begins it’s second season on CW.
The 90210 Season 2 Cast
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