It’s the most buzzed-about show of the season and it comes with a built-in pedigree. A new version of ‘90s sensation Beverly Hills, 90210, the CW’s west coast counterpart to Gossip Girl will settle into its ritzy zip code Sept. 2 with lots of fresh new faces and several familiar ones—Jennie Garth, Tori Spelling and Shannen Doherty from the original series will have recurring roles. Here’s a guide to who’s who in the new crew.
Shenae Grimes
Previously known as: Darcy on DeGrassi: The Next Generation
Character: Annie Wilson
Occupation: New girl in school
Quote: “Annie Wilson is the good Kansas City girl who’s coming over to West Bev, and it’s a big culture shock for her. We’re going to go on this journey with Annie and see how she makes the transition. It’s going to be a bumpy road, I’m sure, with all the influences of her peers, but she’s got a good heart and a good head.”
Check out photos from the 90210 Premiere Party!
Next: AnnaLynne McCord
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AnnaLynne McCord
Previously known as: Eden on Nip/Tuck
Character: Naomi Clark
Occupation: Queen bee
Quote: “She’s a spoiled little rich girl. She’s kind of a chameleon. She feels that she has to manipulate…everything needs to be Naomi’s way in order for her to survive. Her parents are very blasé. They throw money at her. They don’t give her the love and attention that she needs so she acts out. She’s very intelligent, but she plays a little dumb sometimes because she tries to fit in somewhere.”
Next: Dustin Milligan
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Dustin Milligan
Previously known as: Henry on Runaway
Character: Ethan Ward
Occupation: Star athlete, Naomi’s boyfriend
Quote: “Ethan has got so many different moral issues. He’s definitely got some lady problems. I like the fact that he’s a jock, but it’s because of his family that he does the sports. He’s also a musician. I play guitar and I’m teaching myself how to sing for the show.”
Next: Tristan Wilds
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Tristan Wilds
Previously known as: Michael on The Wire
Character: Dixon Wilson
Occupation: Fresh Prince of West Beverly, Annie’s adopted brother
Quote: “Dixon didn’t have any parental influence around at all and went from group home to group home to group home. He got into a little trouble, and was adopted by Harry Wilson before they sent him to a juvenile detention center. Now he’s coming from Kansas and moving to Beverly Hills, so he’s brand-new to everything. He’s a really nice guy. He’s trying to be a smooth guy, a ladies’ man.”
Next: Jessica Stroup
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Jessica Stroup
Previously known as: Cady on Reaper
Character: Silver
Occupation: Artsy rebel with a connection to original 90210erDavid Silver
Quote: “She has no filter—she says exactly what’s on her mind. She has an Internet blog and writes what she’s thinking. She is from money, but doesn’t necessarily have access to it right now.”
Next: Ryan Eggold
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Ryan Eggold
Previously known as: Faber on Dirt
Character: Ryan Matthews
Occupation: Hot teacher
Quote: “He’s just out of college and comes from a very moneyed background himself, a similar kind of town on the east coast. He got completely into drugs and was kind of a wild child and now he’s turned around and wants to show these kids that there’s a bigger world out there outside of Beverly Hills. I know he’ll be involved with a student—she comes to me for support because she thinks I’m the only one who understands her. I try and keep it professional at first. I don’t know where it goes from there.”
Next: Michael Steger
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Michael Steger
Previously known as: Vikram in The Cheetah Girls: One World
Character: Navid Shirazi
Occupation: Student videographer
Quote: “I produce the Blaze News–my character is a journalist; he wants to be in the entertainment industry but he wants to produce. People have been calling me Gossip Guy.”
Next: Rob Estes
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Rob Estes
Previously known as: Kyle McBride on Melrose Place
Character: Harry Wilson
Occupation: West Beverly High’s new principal, dad to Annie and Dixon
Quote: “With so many shows it’s about the kids. The relationship we have is an adult, hot, sexy, good marriage. The parents are an integral piece.”
Next: Lori Loughlin
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Lori Loughlin
Previously known as: Ava on Summerland, Rebecca on Full House
Character: Debbie Wilson
Occupation: Photographer’s assistant, mom to Annie and Dixon
Quote: “Moving to Beverly Hills for the first time is an adjustment for her because she’s never lived outside of Kansas. She’s a contemporary mom. She’s got a career. She’s grounded. She has a good relationship with her husband.”
Next: Jessica Walter
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Jessica Walter
Previously known as: Lucille Bluth on Arrested Development
Character: Tabitha Wilson
Occupation: Faded, alcoholic former TV star
Quote: “The reason Harry and Debbie come back to my Beverly Hills mansion is to take care of me because I have been drinking. I’m now on the wagon.”
