Randy Spelling thinks if he’d stayed in Hollywood, he’d be dead.
The 42-year-old son of the late mega-producer Aaron Spelling recently told Page Six of the incredible pressure he felt to succeed in the entertainment business “because my dad was such a legend.”
Aaron was one of television’s most prolific producers with massive hits like “Beverly Hills, 90210,” “Charlie’s Angels,” “Dynasty,” “Melrose Place,” and “The Love Boat.”
“I think I took it as this self-imposed … I have to be something big and [I thought], ‘Well, I guess bigness comes in the way of being famous or as an actor or producer,’ so that’s how I tried to find that. And then I realized I have to forge my own path because if I don’t it’s going to kill me.”
And that path lead him toward a career far different than his famous father and actress sister, Tori Spelling: He’s a life coach.
Happily married with two daughters and living in Oregon, Randy has a life today that is far different from how he was raised, growing up in the largest home in Los Angeles county, a 123-room mansion that sold for $120 million in 2019.
So why did the son of one of the biggest names in Hollywood turn his back on Tinseltown? It all started in rehab following his father’s death in 2006.
“I was just trying to fill myself in any way I could and started filling myself with the wrong things and got caught up in addiction,” he explained. “So I went to rehab and after I thought, ‘Gosh, I have this second chance, who do I want to be? What makes me happy? What am I here for?’ And all these existential questions that I really set out on a path to answer.”
A friend suggested life coaching and Randy was intrigued.
“It was just, ‘Hey this sounds really interesting,’ so I did it and it was suggested I work with people and I started doing that and I realized, ‘I think I’m good at it,’ and it just propelled me to do more,” he said.
That decision has led to a 13-year career in the field working with clients from all walks of life.
“I’ve been on both sides of the coin from having everything to being very concerned, ‘How I am going to make this happen for my family?’ and I can tell you happiness doesn’t come from money,” he continued. “It can bring less stress and afford more choice but I work with people who have very little and CEOs and I can tell you happiness has nothing to do with money.”