Jennie Garth warns the newly famous: 'Don't believe the hype'

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Jennie Garth warns young stars

Jennie Garth credits 'moral backbone' and good family for saving her from Hollywood's dark side

NEW YORK – Jennie Garth has played many roles, but her most important is being a mom. She joined us to talk about the importance of eye exams for kids, what it was like to grow up in Hollywood, and to give some advice to young stars dealing with newfound fame.

FOX411: You grew up on TV. How were you able to avoid the pitfalls of fame that hurt so many others?

Jennie Garth:  My upbringing…my moral backbone. I come from good stock, I always used to say. I’m very close with my family. I have a very tight knit family of my own now. My three girls and I spend a lot of time together. I just make that my priority, and everything else just takes its position after that.

FOX411: What advice do you have for up-and-coming Hollywood stars?

Garth:  Don’t believe the hype. Don’t buy into it. The minute you start believing that you are special or more important than the next person is when things start to go wacky.

FOX411: Would you let your daughters get into the entertainment business?

Garth:  Yeah. It’s going to run in their genes naturally. Both their parents are actors. Some sort of artistic expression is going to be where they all sort of go to.

FOX411: You and Tori Spelling have re-teamed for a new TV show, “Mystery Girls.” What has it been like working with her again?

Garth:  It’s been great. She’s like a sister to me so we love to laugh. We love to make fun of each other. I kind of take care of her. I’m like the big sister. I really enjoy being with someone that I have that history with.

FOX411: You have always been very private with your personal life, do you think shows like “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” make actors feel like they have to overshare?

Garth: It’s a choice if you want to do reality. I’ve done reality, and I have a show coming out on HGTV that’s based on building a house. It’s not salacious reality. It’s more of a docu-reality. It’s focused on the house. It’s not focused on my life. I’ve done one of those earlier and I didn’t love that experience. I’m an actress. I need someone to give me my lines. There are people that feel very comfortable having a camera follow them around with their every move but that is a dangerous, slippery slope.

FOX411: And tell us about this new eye campaign.

Garth: I have worked for a couple of years now with a great company Alcon, and we do a program every year that benefits Kids Vision for Life, and this year we’re making it so easy for people out there to be a part of this. All you have to do is go on to the Facebook page, The eyeSOLUTION, and press ‘like.’ By doing that, Alcon will donate a dollar to generate funds for Kids Vision for Life, which is a great organization that gives kids glasses that need them.