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"You wanna live in the zip, you've gotta live by the code," and boy did the cast of 90210 do just that. Love the show or loathe it, you couldn’t help but be sucked in to the superficial lifestyle the characters in the show led. It was basically a TV institution for every teen across America – the world in fact – who would watch, sometime in awe, sometimes in utter contempt, but they’d be watching all the same.
Chances are you would’ve at least heard about the show. But if it doesn’t ring any bells, here’s a quick synopsis so you can remember: It’s basically about the lives, trials, and tribulations of hot promiscuous teens living the LA lifestyle, embarking on romantic escapades with – well, pretty much anyone and everyone. The teen show’s based around the glamorous world of the privileged and is centred around a group of so-called friends doing what teenagers do in Beverly Hills.
The most recent show was kind of a facelift of the hit American drama series that did so well in the 1990s – Beverley Hills, 90210. The show ran for ten seasons and was a rip-roaring success, but it was time for CW to bring an edgier drama to our screens. The cast listed below were entrusted with the task of making it happen, and boy did they deliver. Airing from 2008-2013, a lot of the cast members grew with the show and became famous because of it. So, did they make the make the most of their opportunities post-90210? What are the stars of 90210 up to now? Read on to find out.
15. Jennie Garth
Jennie’s one of a select few that were such household names in the 90s series that they were invited back to play a part in the 2008 teen drama.
Her role in the initial Beverly Hills, 90210 show subsequently opened up plenty of doors for Jennie and essentially contributed to her acting career taking off and reaching new heights. Fast forward around 15 years, and she was back in Beverly Hills as the character, Kelly Taylor, a guidance counsellor at the school where all the shenanigans were taking place, and half-sister to Erin Silver, one of the show’s most popular characters throughout the new series. Jennie was only around for 20 episodes, but it was enough to propel her into the limelight again and reach a new fan base.
Since the show, Jennie’s been keeping busy. She’s taken part in in Candace Bushnell's web series The Boardroom, an iVillage web series, and has managed to nab herself her own reality series - The Jennie Garth Project. That’s a mighty accomplishment – not everyone’s managed to get their own TV series.
Aside from her professional work and acting projects, Jennie’s been going through an up and down time in her personal life. In 2012, she divorced her husband of 11 years, but subsequently began dating actor David Abrams. Things happened pretty quickly and they became engaged and were married within a year. That’s the fast-paced celebrity lifestyle for you!
14. Shannen Doherty
The veteran actress, Shannen Doherty, is another cast member of 90210 who was an integral part of the original series in the 90s. She reprised her role as Brenda Walsh, all be it very briefly, and made a couple of guest appearances.
Shannen’s last appearance on the show was in 2009, and since then she’s continued doing what she does best, churning out TV appearances. She’s even begun working on a number of movie projects, most of which are currently in the post-production phase.
What’s remarkable is that her acting career has showed no sign of slowing down, despite all the health concerns she’s had to contend. As if suffering from Crohn's disease wasn’t debilitating enough, in 2015 she got the news no one wants to hear: she was diagnosed with breast cancer, which a year later, spread to her lymphatic system. In the time that followed the diagnosis, Shannen went under the knife and had a mastectomy, then chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments. While all this was taking place, she still found the strength to be on set and meet her movie and TV commitments. The woman must be superwoman! We wish her all the best and hopefully a speedy recovery.
13. Lori Loughlin
Lori’s character was around from episode one when she moved to Beverly Hills with her hubby and two kids. Her character, like the kids, had to grow accustomed to life in the 90210 zip code, but she certainly didn’t find living the LA lifestyle all that easy. Fans of the show began to love her – she was one of the good characters with a heart of gold, who only wanted to do best by her two kids. As the seasons continued and the kids grew up and flew the nest, Lori’s character started getting phased out of the show, but she’ll always be remembered for being the doting mom in the series.
Lori’s more of a TV actress than major film star. Since her 90210 days she’s played the lead in the horror flick, Crawlspace, but has also gone on to star in five TV movies, plus numerous TV appearances, including reprising her role as Becky in the Full House revival, Fuller House.
12. Tristan Wilds
Tristan Wilds rose to fame with the hit 90210 series. He essentially grew up with the show, and his was pretty much a recurring character from the first scene to the last.
As the black step kid to Lori’s and Rob Estes’ characters, Tristin had his own issues to contend with when he moved to Beverly Hills. But he quickly settled in and found his feet at Beverly Hills High and became the cool kid around town. His was a character a lot of people looked up to, could relate to in the show.
Tristin’s love for music in real life came across in the show. His character was thinking about what path to take after High School, and he chose to pursue his passion and try and make it in the music industry. That was pretty much what was happening in Tristan’s real life; he signed with an independent record label while he was acting on the show, and began releasing singles, one of which was actually featured on 90210. Since the show, Tristan’s ploughed all his efforts into his music. He released his first album which received a Grammy nomination, and subsequently signed with a new record label, Roc Nation, which means he’s now essentially working under Jay Z.
11. Jessica Stroup
Jessica was certainly one of the show’s leading ladies. As a teen in Beverly Hills, her character, Erin Silver, wasn’t your conventional LA bratty rich kid. She was wacky and wonderful and followed her own desires, which at times made her a bit of an outcast. Erin also had plenty of her own problems to contend with, including being bipolar, in addition to all the male attention that came her way.
Jessica was 21 when she became a main cast member of the show, but her performances gave her a massive fan following and propelled her into stardom. She’d been getting acting gigs before 90210, but since then her career’s reached new heights. Her next big series was The Following, and she’s currently working on the upcoming web series for Netflix, Marvel's Iron Fist.
Of course, she’s now known for her role in 90210, but she’s also renowned for being a scream queen due to her appearances in a few horror flicks.
10. Michael Steger
Michael Steger’s portrayal of Navid Shirazi brought him plenty of plaudits. He was in his late twenties when the show started, and let’s be frank, not doing too well with his acting career. He had gotten a few roles in some TV films here and there, appeared on the odd episode of some TV series or other, but the main role I’m sure he was crying out for just wasn’t coming. Then he was cast as a main cast member in 90210, and he was around pretty much for the entirety of the series. You’d have thought that with the success of the show and Michael’s performances, that he’d have been getting calls left right and centre, once the teen drama had run its course. But judging by his filmography since the show disbanded, that certainly wasn’t the case. He’s appeared in a couple of TV films, but aside from that, there hasn’t really been anything noteworthy to rave about.
9. Dustin Milligan
It might interest a lot of you to know, that despite all the star names and main characters in the show, Dustin was actually the first actor to be cast in a role. He was the show’s original heartthrob, dating the hottest girls at West Beverly and getting plenty of attention from the rest. He was, however, only a main cast member for the first season, before being written out of the show.
Not that he needed it because he had been pretty successful with his acting endeavors before 90210, but post his sole season with the teen drama series, he continued to build on his impressive filmography. Dustin doesn’t just get the odd role here and there; he’s been churning out films and TV roles pretty much nonstop since he got into the profession, and this continued after 90210. He's currently starring on Schitt's Creek, and appeared on the shows Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and X Company.
Dustin certainly has acting blood in his blood. He’s the grandson of the late, great, British comedian, writer, musician, poet, playwright and actor, Spike Milligan, and so far, he’s doing a sterling job following in his grandad’s footsteps.
8. Ryan Eggold
Ryan Eggold’s a bit of a Jack of all trades kind of guy. He has many skills and has been successful at utilizing his many talents – not many can claim that. He writes music, plays guitar, and piano, and lends his vocals to the band Eleanor Avenue – and of course not forgetting that he’s a successful actor.
His role as Ryan Matthews, the English lit teacher at West Bev High, was his first big break on TV. It drew adulation and also demonstrated his versatility as an actor. He was in his early twenties when he got the role as the teacher, despite being pretty much the same age as those playing his students.
Post-90210, Ryan’s appeared in a few films, but his career’s reached further heights due to his role on The Blacklist, a series that’s currently ongoing. He’s also been pencilled in to star in the spin-off series, The Blacklist: Redemption, which is scheduled to air in a couple of months.
7. Jessica Lowndes
Jessica was actually a teen when she first appeared on the show in season one. Her portrayal of the troubled teen, Adrianna Tate-Duncan, was so good – she made Adriana such an integral part of the show – that she was upgraded to a series regular, much to the delight of her fans.
Like Tristan, Jessica’s talents lie in singing as well as acting, and her singing talents shone through in the show, as did her piano playing. Her mom was a piano teacher so Jessica learned the art of piano at a young age, began singing, and eventually started producing her own music.
Her music résumé is as, if not more, impressive than her acting career. At times, like in 90210, she combined the two – it’s just something that comes naturally to her. She’s continued to release singles and the odd album since the show, but her acting career has slowed down a bit. Jessica’s still in her twenties and is a rising star in both industries; give her a few more years and there’s no reason to doubt the fact she’ll be at the top of her game and be earning megabucks pursuing both her passions!
6. Rob Estes
Rob was a main cast member in the first two seasons of the show. Portraying Harry Wilson, the dad of the two main kids of the show, he moved back to Beverly Hills to take care of his mom and to take up the position of principal at his old school and his kid’s current school, West Beverly High. But as the seasons wore on, new scandals involving Harry came to light which added to his personal problems. Eventually everything came to a head and he ended up doing a runner, leaving his family in the lurch and disappearing from the show for good. He was the good guy turned bad when he left at the end of season two. His reason for leaving was because he wanted to spend more time with his kids and explore other opportunities.
What were those other opportunities? He continued doing the usual things, making appearances in TV shows, but one big change in his life since 90210 is that he got married. He got hitched to teacher and surfer Erin Bolte, and around a year later their son was born, so that’s what’s been keeping Rob busy – he’s been enjoying family life.
5. Matt Lanter
Matt Lanter’s one of those guys who gets women weak at the knees and all puppy dog eyed. He was brought into 90210 specifically for that purpose midway through season one, but ended up growing with the show and becoming a main character until the end, developing into far more than just the good looking, rebellious, troubled teen.
Matt’s acting career began at the age of 20. He began getting small time roles before his big break on 90210. He became a heartthrob, people wanted to see more of him, and luckily for them, they have. After 90210, he dedicated his time to working on the Ultimate Spider-Man TV series, on which he was a main cast member. He’s also had numerous other roles, including in the epic space opera film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens and the TV show Timeless. But the big news in Matt’s life is that he’s gotten married. He began dating Angela Stacy when he was still on 90210. It couldn’t have been easy with him being constantly surround by beautiful young women, but their relationship remained strong and they finally tied the knot once the show was over.
4. Trevor Donovan
Trevor Donovan had a couple of minor TV roles before landing his big break and being casted in 90210. His was a different role, and after initially hating his guts, fans grew to love their lovable teddy bear, Teddy Montgomery. Teddy was a character with huge commitment issues. He kept flitting from one relationship to another, with the underlying cause of these problems being the fact that he was gay. After coming out, his character became an extremely popular cast member.
After 90210, Trevor’s begun to find his feet in the acting world. He hasn’t landed anything major, but he’s gradually building up his portfolio of work, and has starred in five TV movies.
He’s also continued doing what first brought him into the limelight – modelling. Before his 90210 days, Trevor was a prominent model for Abercrombie and Fitch, and he still loves getting his kit off and exposing his hunk of a body for different modelling shoots. If you’ve got it, which Trevor evidently has, flaunt it!
3. AnnaLynne McCord
Catty, bratty, selfish and incredibly beautiful, AnnaLynne McCord’s character was the lady about town. Naomi Clark personified the stereotypical image and personality traits of a rich Beverly Hills girl, and during the series, she encountered many ups and downs but ended up being one of the show’s leading ladies. She consequently received plenty of accolades, including a nomination for a Teen Choice Award and the Hollywood Life Young Hollywood Superstar of Tomorrow in 2009. And she was young too, starting out in season one at the age of 20, although still with plenty of acting experience under her belt. Since 90210, because of her performances, her career has come on leaps and bounds. She started getting more prominent roles in films and has continued adding to her TV appearances.
But she’s now heavily involved in charitable causes. The world came to know of her own experiences when she revealed that she’d been sexually assaulted when she was younger, and she now dedicates much of her time to helping people out who’ve been in a similar predicament. She’s a speaker, activist, and engages various audiences up and down the country with her candor on the sensitive issues.
2. Shenae Grimes
Shenae Grimes was arguably the main character of 90210. She was an ever-present cast member from the first scene of the first show right to the end, and the fans became enamored by her Kansas ways, and how she eventually morphed into one of the Beverly Hills cool crew.
Her portrayal of simple girl, Annie Wilson, with a heart of gold, drew plenty of plaudits. What made her performances in 90210 even more special was the fact that she was one of only a few actors in the show that was actually a teenager. She was 18 when she started, and over the years we saw her blossom into a beautiful, talented, and successful young woman.
After the conclusion of the teen drama, Shenae began getting roles as herself in numerous TV appearances, before getting major roles in TV films. A major change in her life – a shame for all the guys out there – is that she’s now married. After nine months of dating English model and musician Josh Beech they took the plunge and got hitched out in England. Judging by their Instagram pics, they’re a pretty wacky couple, but seem to be doing well living life to the fullest out in LA.
1. Jessica Walter
The matriarch of the main family of the show, Tabitha Wilson, was portrayed by Jessica Walter for the first 13 episodes of series one. She was basically the reason the Wilsons left their idyllic life in Kansas to come to Beverly Hills, and she took to the role as the confrontational, bitter grandmother brilliantly. Initially critics claimed her performances stood out, particularly her bickering with her daughter-in-law and disregard for rules – the rebel grandmom. Unfortunately, she was only around for 13 episodes, because she had a ton of other acting commitments that she just couldn’t put on hold.
But Jessica’s role in 90210 is eclipsed by her other work, of which there’s a list as long as your arm. She’s a veteran actress who’s been around for absolute yonks, accumulating a vast and varied filmography. She already had 20 movies under her belt and 38 TV roles before appearing on 90210, and has continued adding to her filmography since.
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