“90210” Alum Shenae Grimes Praises Late Shannen Doherty for Making Her the 'Woman That I Am Today'

“She is the type of woman that I have always aspired to be," Grimes said of Doherty

Shenae Grimes is expressing her gratitude for the late Shannen Doherty.

On a special tribute episode of Doherty’s podcast, Let’s Be Clear, Grimes opened up about the impact the actress, who died at 53 on July 13 after a decade-long battle with cancer, had on her life and career.

Having played the modern-day version of Doherty’s Beverly Hills, 90210 character in the 2008 reboot, Grimes honored Doherty’s legacy.

"I had the incredible fortune of stepping into a tiny version of her shoes and hopefully [will] follow in her footsteps in a way that made Shannen proud because Shannen was so warm and so lovely and so fiercely strong and unapologetic,” Grimes said. “She is the type of woman that I have always aspired to be.”

Related: Shannen Doherty's Beverly Hills, 90210 Costars Pay Tribute After Her Death: 'I Know Luke Is There with Open Arms'

Although her time with Doherty during guest appearances on the reboot was brief, Grimes, 34, explained that the Charmed star had a presence she has never forgotten.

“I think a lot of our experiences, or the experiences I had, mirrored a lot of the experiences that she had,” the Degrassi alum said. “And I was so nervous meeting her, and she literally just welcomed me into her trailer with the biggest smile and the warmest hug.”

She continued: “I don't even know if she meant to communicate this with her hug, but it made me feel so seen and like I was not alone in everything that I was experiencing at that time because it was a lot. It was a lot for an 18, 19 year old girl to go through.”

At the time, Grimes had been on Degrassi since she was 13 and was struggling with navigating fame. When 90210 began, she was the same age as Doherty was when she took on the role of Brenda Walsh in the 90s.

“Getting that hug from her knowing that she experienced so much times a million when she was my age was everything to me,” Grimes shared. “Because all I saw with this was this beautiful, strong woman who was so resilient, who had made it out of that experience still with her chin held high, fire in her belly, and being true to who she was. And to me, that was Shannen Doherty."

Related: In Her Own Words: Shannen Doherty's Powerful Revelations About Her Cancer Journey

Being able to have a “blueprint” example of what an “unapologetically strong woman” looked like was important to Grimes, she said. Without seeing that, even as a fan of Doherty, Grimes said she would not be the same person today.

“It's women like Shannen Doherty that gives the rest of us permission and confidence to demand what we deserve, stand up for ourselves, and not take any s---,” she explained before later adding, “I owe more to Shannen than I'm sure she ever knew, than most people know. If it weren't for Shannen, I would not be who I am in so many more ways than one.”

Related: Shannen Doherty's Life in Pictures

At the end of her segment of the podcast episode, Grimes spoke directly to the beloved Heathers star. “Thank you, Shannen Doherty, for genuinely, on so many levels, making me the woman that I am today,” she concluded.

In addition to Grimes, the episode for Doherty also featured tributes from Holly Marie Combs, Kevin Smith, James Eckhouse, Brian Krause, Drew Fuller, Dorian Gregory, Dean Butler, Randy Spelling, Mark Damon Espinoza and David Lascher.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

After Doherty died, Grimes took to Instagram to share a lengthy video recalling the moment she first met the late actress. In it, she described her as her role model who knew how to "gracefully command a room," which "made me so proud to be sharing space with her."

Related: The Sweetest Photos of Shannen Doherty and the Cast of Beverly Hills, 90210

"To the icon, the legend, the take-no-s--- WARRIOR of a woman, Shannen Doherty… thank you for inspiring me in more ways than I can bring myself to put into words right now," Grimes captioned the post. "You paved the way and it was an absolute privilege and honor to follow in your footsteps. I’ve done it to the best of my ability with my chin held high and fire in my belly because of YOU. Thank you for impacting who I am so deeply. My condolences and love to all of her family, friends and lifelong fans that are grieving her loss. RIP ?? the Brenda to my Annie forever"

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.