It’s been 35 years since Beverly Hills, 90210 hit the small screen. The teen drama, named after the glamorous Hollywood postcode, ran for 10 years. By the time the show ended in 2000, the cast was still playing teenagers, despite many being in their late twenties! Some of 90210’s memorable stars have gone on to big things, while others have had tragic endings.
Ian Ziering
After his decade playing immature ladies’ man Steve Sanders, Ian, 61, starred as Fin in the Sharknado film series, and made it to the semi-finals of season four of the US’ Dancing with the Stars. His appearance on The Apprentice raised over $570,000 for medical research and inspired him to become an entrepreneur. Now a successful voiceover artist and TV host, Ian revealed in 2023 that soon after 90210 ended, he was asked if he’d consider hosting a reality show. However, he refused, saying, “No, I’m an actor.” The show he turned down was American Idol.
Jennie Garth
As 90210’s resident princess, Jennie ruled the show. “We had the opportunity to really delve into so many great issues that teens were actually going through. Things that nobody was talking about yet,” says the actor, who was 18 when she first played Kelly Taylor. After the series wrapped, Jennie starred in What I Like About You and showed off her fancy footwork on Dancing with the Stars in 2007. The mum-of-three, 53, divorced Twilight star Peter Facinelli, 51, in 2013 and two years later married actor Dave Abrams, 43, after meeting on a blind date.
Tori Spelling
The daughter of 90210 creator and director Aaron Spelling, at 17, Tori stepped into the role of virginal Donna Martin and rarely strayed from her good-girl persona. Ever since, she’s carved out a niche in reality TV, including So Notorious, Tori & Dean: Inn Love and Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood – in which her chaotic family life with her now ex-husband, actor Dean McDermott, 58, and their five kids was well documented. She’s now 51 and has her own podcast, MisSPELLING.
Brian Austin Green
Brian, 51, played lovably nerdy David Silver. When the pair briefly dated, his romance with Tori’s character Donna was mirrored in real life. They remained on good terms during the show but afterwards didn’t stay in contact. Brian blamed Tori, saying she never returned his calls. After 18 years of not speaking, they’re now back in touch. Brian went on to appear in several hit TV series, including Desperate Housewives and Anger Management. He has a son with ex Vanessa Marcil, 56, three sons with ex-wife Megan Fox, 38, and another with fiancé Sharna Burgess, 39.
Gabrielle Carteris
Gabrielle, 64, played neurotic school newspaper editor Andrea Zuckerman. She was partially paralysed for months after being injured on the set of a TV movie in 2006. The injury came after she was repeatedly pulled up by her chin in a scene that was “not properly rehearsed”. After a long recovery that included acupuncture and physical therapy, Gabrielle returned to acting. She has had recurring roles in TV shows, including Code Black. In 2012, she was elected executive vice president of media trade union Sag-Aftra. She has been married to stockbroker Charles Isaacs since 1992.
Jason Priestley
Canadian actor Jason played high school good guy Brandon Walsh. He left the show early in the ninth season. “I felt the character had kind of run his course,” he explained, but “in retrospect, I do regret leaving. It was so anticlimactic, it just left a bad taste in my mouth. I did the first scene of the morning – literally with this actor who was brought in to replace me – and that was it.” Jason, 55, went on to appear in a string of TV movies. He also indulged his passion for motor racing and has directed a long list of TV shows. He’s married to make-up artist Naomi Lowde, 48, with whom he shares two children.
Shannen Doherty
Shannen played Brandon’s fierce twin sister Brenda, but it was the trouble the young actor caused behind the scenes that created headlines. She was written out of 90210 after four seasons due to “on-set tensions”. A child star on Little House on the Prairie, she went on to star in the hit show Charmed but left after three years due to a rumoured feud with her co-star Alyssa Milano, 52. She married and divorced three times and died in July 2024, aged 53, after a long battle with breast cancer.
Luke Perry
Luke made a lasting impression as bad-boy heartthrob Dylan McKay. After 90210, he appeared in a London West End theatre production of When Harry Met Sally, and guest starred as a gay birdwatcher in Will & Grace. His second big break came in 2017 when he joined the cast of the smash TV hit Riverdale, also starring New Zealand actor KJ Apa, 27. The dad of two, with his ex-wife, model Rachel Sharp, 55, died in 2019 after suffering a devastating stroke aged 52.
Stream Beverly Hills 90210 in New Zealand on Prime Video.
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