In 2008, The CW premiered 90210, the fourth series in a franchise begun by Darren Star in 1990 with Beverly Hills, 90210. Like its predecessor, the show followed the seemingly fabulous lives of the wealthy students of West Beverly Hills High School, and later their post-graduate trajectories. Despite a rough first season, it would go on to earn moderate critical reception and last for four additional seasons before being cancelled in 2013.
Recently I'd been wandering what became of the cast, a result of having binge-watched Schitt's Creek and fallen in love with Dustin Milligan all over again. I may very well be the only one... but I'm sharing my findings with you anyway.
Shenae Grimes-Beech ('Annie Wilson,' Seasons 1-5)
Grimes was a teen soap veteran when she left her native Canada to take the role of Annie Wilson, 90120's original central character. Since the series ended, she's appeared in assortment of made-for-TV movies; in 2018, she played an adult character for the first time (at 28) on CTV's short-lived police procedural The Detail. These days, she semi-regularly posts mommy vlogs to her YouTube channel, with guest appearances by husband Josh Beech and their daughter.
Tristan Wilds ('Dixon Wilson,' Seasons 1-5)
Post-90210, Wilds' made a career in music his primary focus (co-starring in Adele's Xavier Dolan-directed music video for "Hello" along the way). As Mack Wilds, he's released two albums—his debut, 2013's New York: A Love Story, was executive produced by Salaam Remi and earned a GRAMMY nomination for Best Urban Contemporary Album.
Dustin Milligan ('Ethan Ward,' Season 1)
Fans were shocked when it was announced that West Beverly Hills High's big man on campus would not be returning for 90210's second season, having been written out in favor of making newcomer Matt Lanter a series regular. Milligan worked steadily on various indie projects before landing the role of hunky, punny veterinarian Ted Mullins in the sleeper hit CBC series Schitt's Creek in 2015.
Annalynne McCord ('Naomi Clark,' Seasons 1-5)
Arguably the runaway star of 90210, McCord brought humor and nuance to the role of spoiled socialite Naomi. In 2012, she gave a critically acclaimed performance in Richard Bates, Jr.'s body-horror flick Excision, but her subsequent film and television projects have left much to be desired. These days, her efforts are primarily focused on philanthropy, with a special interest in human rights causes.
Jessica Stroup ('Erin Silver,' Seasons 1-5)
Stroup starred in a string of critically maligned horror movies—remember the Prom Night remake?—while portraying David Silver and Kelly Taylor's half sister. She would follow her stint on 90210 with roles in Fox's The Following and Netflix's short-lived adaption of Marvel's Iron Fist comics.
Michael Steger ('Navid Shirazi,' Seasons 1-5)
Of all the 90120 alums, the least information is available online about Steger's post-series career. He appeared in a few TV movies in 2015, and the following year welcomed a daughter with wife and fellow actor Brandee Tucker.
Jessica Lowndes ('Adrianna Tate-Duncan,' Seasons 1-5)
From the moment wild child Adrianna performed a rendition of "Mama Who Bore Me" in the 90210 pilot, it seemed to be only a matter of time before Lowndes began pursuing her own career in music. And she did, releasing a pair of EPs and numerous singles during the show's run, but it never really came together. On the bright side, she's worked in television steadily since, lending her talents to multiple Hallmark Channel and Lifetime original movies.
Matt Lanter ('Liam Court,' Seasons 1-5)
After launching his career as 90210's resident bad boy, Lanter was cast as the male lead in the CW's sci-fi romance Starcrossed, which lasted for one season. He'd return to television in 2016 in another sci fi series, this time Timeless on NBC for two seasons. Lanter continues to lend his voice to such iconic characters as Star Wars' Anakin Skywalker and DC's Aquaman in various animated productions; later this year, he can be seen in Netflix's adaptation of comic series Jupiter's Legacy alongside Josh Duhamel and Ben Daniels, among others.
Trevor Donovan ('Teddy Montgomery,' Seasons 2-5)
Joining the cast at 28 years old, Donovan has also worked steadily since graduating from 90210. He played a supporting role in Oliver Stone's Savages in 2012, and like Lowndes has made his fair share of Hallmark Channel originals. Unfortunately, an extremely thirsty (and slightly embarrassing) campaign for the role of Aquaman in DC's big screen introduction of the hero did not yield the desired results.
Gillian Zinser ('Ivy Sullivan,' Seasons 2-4)
After leaving 90210 in Season 4, Zinser also appeared in Savages... as 'Beach Girl.' Her projects in the remainder of the decade were sparse, and she now self-identifies as a "photographer".
Images via Google
Info via IMDB
