Ryan Matthews (90210)

This is a list of the characters that have appeared on 90210, an American teen drama. The series introduces Annie Wilson (Shenae Grimes) and her adopted brother Dixon (Tristan Wilds), who move from Kansas to Beverly Hills with their father Harry (Rob Estes) and mother Debbie (Lori Loughlin). The family relocated in order to care for Harry's mother Tabitha (Jessica Walter).

The first actor to be cast for the TV series was Dustin Milligan on April 1, 2008, followed by AnnaLynne McCord on April 14. Sachs found Milligan to be "really funny", and changed Ethan to better represent his personality. McCord was cast because, according to Sachs, "she's someone who is worldly, and there's a sophistication to her that's interesting." The role of Annie was given to Shenae Grimes, who said she grew up watching the original series. Sachs and Judah had seen Grimes' work before and knew "she had the acting chops", and she was cast after acting a dramatic scene which she "just killed". Sachs stated, "she can act, she's beautiful, and she can give this sweet cuteness [that lets us see] through her eyes into this world."

Lori Loughlin auditioned for the role of Debbie and was given the part immediately. Sachs thought that Loughlin was too established to read for the part, but realized that she understood the role at once. The producers were fans of Jessica Walter after watching her film Play Misty for Me. Sachs found that Walter knew pieces of scenes and suggested "stuff that works". Sachs described Ryan Eggold, who portrayed Matthews, as "a sophisticated actor, and he's also very funny." Sachs believed that every time Eggold would be on screen, "people are going to go, 'Wow!'". The producers were looking for an actor who could portray Silver as a "quirky kid who moves to her own beat". Sachs explained that Jessica Stroup "came in dressed for the part, artsy and quirky, and she had her hair up and she had a bandana. She nailed it." The producers were fans of Tristan Wilds for his acting on The Wire, and hoped to hire him as Dixon from the start of casting. When asked about Michael Steger, who portrays Navid, Sachs said that "he's just great".Rob Estes, the last actor to join the series, was a previous cast member of the first Beverly Hills, 90210 spin-off, Melrose Place. Estes was sought by The CW to play Harry, but was contracted on the drama Women's Murder Club. When the series was cancelled, Sachs called Estes and explained the spin-off and motivated him to participate. Sachs promised that although he was playing a parent, he would not "be furniture...as in the seldom seen or heard parents who populate many youth-centric series, like the Walsh parents on the original 90210."

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Wikipedia