Shannen Doherty didn't want to be remembered only as 'the actress who had cancer,' Holly Marie Combs says

Combs said her late "Charmed" costar wished to be known for her animal activism as well as her illness and screen career.

When Shannen Doherty died earlier this month at 53, after a long battle with cancer, she knew exactly what she wanted her legacy to be.

On the latest episode of the Charmed rewatch podcast The House of Halliwell, Doherty's costar and confidante Holly Marie Combs explained that her late friend did not want to be known for the disease that took her life, though it's undeniable that she raised awareness.

"One of the things she said to me in Tennessee is, 'I just don't want to be, you know, remembered as the actress who had cancer,'" Combs said. "What was really important to her was the animal activism. And you know, she was trying to establish a sanctuary for wild horses, and she was trying to establish a foundation with me where — you know, we always fundraise for these other organizations — but we wanted to do more, and we wanted it to be more direct action."

Related: Listen to Shannen Doherty discuss Charmed just before her death with Holly Marie Combs on rewatch podcast

Doherty, who in addition to Charmed was known for starring on the hit TV series Beverly Hills, 90210 and in the cult-classic dark comedy Heathers, had several passion projects in her life besides acting.

"And that was the stuff that was really important to her," Combs said of animal charities. "It was that and environmental causes and her family and friends."

Doherty was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 and underwent chemotherapy and a mastectomy. In 2017 she disclosed that her cancer was in remission, but in 2020 she revealed that the disease had returned. She continued working and hosted the podcast Let's Be Clear With Shannen Doherty, on which she discussed her career and spoke frankly about how breast cancer affected her life.

Combs is one of the many of Doherty's costars who have paid tribute since her death on July 13.

Related: Shannen Doherty's costars Rose McGowan, Jason Priestley, Brian Austin Green, and more pay tribute

In a heartfelt Instagram post earlier this month, Combs called Doherty "My better half of 31 years."

She continued, "There is a hollow in my chest and I can't seem to catch my breath. A part of me is missing even though I know exactly what you would say to me right now. I know exactly what you would tell me to do right now."

Doherty also recorded a guest appearance on The House of Halliwell before her death.

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.