Kim Johnson Ulrich (Ivy, PASSIONS; ex-Allyson, NIGHTINGALES; ex-Tracy, HOTEL): "I've worked for [Spelling] four times that I remember distinctly, and auditioned for him many, many times. I did HOTEL, which was my first job when I moved out from New York. And I did NIGHTINGALES, which actually was a big hit, it just got pulled. And right after I did the 13 episodes of NIGHTINGALES, I did LOVE BOAT for him; it was a special movie of the week. The last Spelling show I did was 7TH HEAVEN. There were several others that I auditioned for throughout the years. I remember going to his offices and they were always so beautiful and classy. He had a butler who asked if you wanted anything to drink. I was like, 'How nice would it be if all auditions were like this?' He was always so kind.

"My husband, Robert [Ulrich] has worked for him as a casting director on several occasions and Robert said the same thing, that the only thing you can say about him is that he was a lovely man and he treated actors with a great deal of respect, which is kind of rare. To work with, he was just a gentleman. You cannot be in the business as long as he was in it and not have an enemy or two, but I would not be surprised if he didn't because he was a nice man. He was a remarkable man when you think about all that he accomplished. I think people would be surprised with all the other shows that he did that they may not be as familiar with. He produced really important television, too. He did one of the first movies about AIDS. It really is the end of a dynasty. So many people in this town have worked for him through the years in some capacity."

Lynn Marie Latham (head writer, Y&R; ex-writer, PACIFIC PALISADES, SAVANNAH): "Working with Aaron Spelling was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my career. It was just whopping, great fun. He was an incredibly witty, charming, brilliant man. I eagerly looked forward to story conferences with Mr. Spelling (we all called him that) and [producer] E. Duke Vincent because once we finished spinning tales, the two men would tell riotous, often ribald stories about their Hollywood experiences. And these guys ran around with big-name stars — Marilyn Monroe, Angie Dickinson, Frank Sinatra. I enjoyed Mr. Spelling's real-life tales as much as, if not more than, the ones he put on television. The man was a master storyteller.

"For one writers' meeting on SAVANNAH, Mr. Spelling rented the lawn of the Bel-Air Hotel for the day. Wow. We worked on a silver-bedecked table underneath a canopy on the beautiful grounds. A waiter stood by with goblets of juice, water—possibly champagne, although I believe that is my imagination. Writers are not used to being treated this way. Ever. It was Spelling's gift to us. This was my single biggest 'Hollywood moment' ever. Thank you, Mr. Spelling. It was an honor to work for you.

"I wanted to send Mr. Spelling and Duke a present on the night SAVANNAH premiered on The WB. It's fairly typical to send flowers or champagne as a congratulatory gift in the entertainment business, but I wanted something more specific to the show. I pondered, hmmmm, what's Southern? A good bourbon. I didn't know anything about bourbons, so I went to a liquor store and bought something that looked cute. I found a bottle in an oak case which had a unique number. It cost 80 bucks a pop, which seemed like something I should fork over to thank the man for giving me such a fantastic job. Well, you could not have imagined the response. Mr. Spelling loved it. (Maybe he had gotten enough flowers that day.) Anyway, for years afterward, he said, "That woman sure knows her bourbon." This man could have bought a chain of islands in the Caribbean, and he was impressed with a good bottle of bourbon. I thought that was the best 80 dollars I had ever spent. Years later, when I was hired on PACIFIC PALISADES, I imagined the conversation he had with his business affairs office went something like this: "Hire Lynn Latham? Fine by me. That woman sure knows her bourbon." In truth, Mr. Spelling was a perfect Southern gentleman, and that's why he was always gracious and kind about remembering the gift."

Kam Heskin (Sheridan, PASSIONS; ex-Caitlin, BEACH): "I had the honor of knowing Mr. Spelling both personally and professionally. To work for Mr. Spelling was to work for a legend. He was a great man to provide employment for so many people in this industry for so many years. He would tell Randy [Spelling, ex-Sean] and I stories about the Rat Pack days with Sammy Davis, Jr. and Frank Sinatra.

"It's amazing how multigenerational his life was and how much history he has written. As innovative and courageous as he was, however, one of the other great things he did was raise two wonderful children. He was such a gracious and welcoming dad. You always felt that all of Randy and Tori's [Spelling; ex-Donna, 90210] friends were welcome in his home. He always seemed so excited to see you and would always hang out and tell funny stories. He was very proud of his kids, and I think he'd like to also be remembered as a great father."

Priscilla Garita (ex-Gabi, BEACH; ex-Samantha, TITANS): "I got to work with Mr. Spelling on SUNSET BEACH and briefly on TITANS, and I'm honored that I got the chance to do so. You'd think that a man in his position would be intimidating, but he was always very warm and open and willing to talk to people. I remember when he played that homeless man [on BEACH] and did those scenes with Randy and Kathleen Noone. He was so funny in them! I remember also that his office was such a friendly place — there was a pinball machine; one of the actresses was sitting up there with her shoes off ... He was just this gracious, good-hearted man. I can't imagine what his family is going through during this time and my prayers go out to Randy and them. He will be missed."

Leigh Taylor-Young (Katherine, PASSIONS; ex-Elaine, BEACH; ex-Blythe; 90210) "He [was] a total professional and kind person, and I'm a very big appreciator of that human quality. He was always high on my list."

Lesley-Anne Down (Jackie, BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL; ex-Olivia, BEACH et al): "His kindness will be a loss to his family and his legend will be a loss to the rest of us. I had many dealings with Aaron and his company over the years. He was old school and had his own style that others tried to emulate, which they didn't and couldn't. He was really one of a kind. I mean, how many generations did his talent span? I remember being so young and watching his shows. With an Aaron Spelling Production, you knew you were going to get high-quality entertainment and that's what he delivered to the world. I think the fact that he had been an actor at one point helped him understand the different layers of the industry and that's what gave him tremendous humanity."

Lisa de Cazotte (executive producer, PASSIONS; ex-supervising producer, BEACH ): "Aaron Spelling was a true gentleman — charming, gracious and unassuming. He welcomed all of us at SUNSET BEACH into the Spelling family with open arms. I was most impressed by how hands-on he was in every aspect of production, and how much he clearly loved television."