List of 90210 characters
This is a list of the characters that have appeared on 90210, an American teen drama. The series introduces Annie Wilson and her adopted brother Dixon, who move from Kansas to Beverly Hills with their father Harry and mother Debbie. The family relocated in order to care for Harry's mother Tabitha.
Casting
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 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."
The CW confirmed that Jennie Garth, Shannen Doherty, Tori Spelling and Joe E. Tata would be returning in recurring roles as their original characters. Sachs was familiar with Garth, and talked to her about a possible role in the series. Garth agreed to star on the series without reading a script after conceptualizing ideas with Sachs. The producers offered Garth a role as a series regular, but she opted to sign on as a recurring character. Doherty decided to appear after talking with Sachs, but her appearance was moved to the second episode. Sachs described Tata's casting as an accident; a friend told Sachs that he had seen Tata in a store, which led to the offer of a recurring role in the series. Sachs said that Tata was ecstatic about the idea and agreed. After reading the script, Spelling expressed interest in returning, and the writers decided to give her character her own fashion line. Spelling was scheduled to appear in the premiere of the series, but for personal reasons including the birth of her daughter, she opted to appear later in the season.
Cast timeline
;Notes:Major characters
Annie Wilson
Played by Shenae Grimes, Annie is introduced as an aspiring actress who moves from Wichita, Kansas, to Beverly Hills with her family. She is based in part on Brenda Walsh from the original series. She lives with her parents, Harry and Debbie, her adopted brother Dixon and her grandmother Tabitha. She becomes friends with Silver over a Division Day sticker in the episode "We're Not In Kansas Anymore". She struggles to find her place in California and to maintain her sweet nature. She and Ethan had dated after he broke up with Naomi, but concealed it so that Naomi would not find out until they were ready to tell her. She does, however, find out when she sees their intimacy in an empty classroom. Jealous, Naomi uses this in favor to get back at her by kissing Annie's ex-boyfriend from Kansas at Annie's sixteenth birthday party. She also finds out that she shares a half-brother with Naomi from a previous high school relationship between her father Harry and Naomi's mother. She and Ethan later part ways and she gets back in Naomi's good books. In the season finale after prom, Annie is framed when Naomi's sister Jen ends up in bed with Liam. Jen had taken Annie's wrap earlier, to which Naomi finds the wrap and a half-naked Liam in her room, automatically believing Annie had slept with Liam, as she confronts her in front of the entire class. This leads to everyone turning on Annie and abusively shouting at her, resulting in Annie storming out and calling the police on Naomi, and then taking a bottle of vodka when she drives off. In the morning Annie is seen driving with the now half-empty bottle of vodka. She takes her eyes off the road and ends up running someone over and driving away out of fear.In the second season, Annie breaks away from the group and becomes somewhat of a loner due to the secret she is hiding and the resentment Naomi has for her. At the beginning of Season 2, they are all at a beach party when she meets up with Mark, a senior. He gets her drunk and finds a way to get a cabana. Annie is not aware, however, that he had taken a naked photo of her topless. When that photo is sent throughout her school by Naomi, Annie has a resentment against Mark, but then forgives him. She later agrees to a date with him where there is a confrontation between her and Mark. Just as Mark is about to date-rape her, Jasper swoops in to save her from him, who she had previously turned down to hang out with earlier. She falls in love with Jasper, a drug dealer and the nephew of the man she killed. After her estranged friends confront her with news that her boyfriend is a drug dealer, she confronts him about it. He informs her he knows that she killed his uncle, and then blackmails her so they can continue dating. Annie later decides she does not care about Jasper blackmailing her and forgets about it. He continues to threaten her with pictures of the damaged vehicles, but she informs him that if he still wants a chance to be with her, he won't go to the police. As Annie starts to move on, Jasper watches from afar. Jasper calls Annie to tell her that if he can't be with her there is not a reason to live. Annie frantically goes to Jasper's house attempting to find him. She figures out he is at the Hollywood sign and goes to stop him. The two have a brief encounter before Jasper jumps off the sign. Annie visits Jasper in the hospital, where she tells him that their relationship was just based on lies. He tells her that he will always love her, and because of this, he won't tell anyone her secret that she ran over his uncle. Annie leaves the hospital smiling with relief, as she feels a huge weight has just been lifted off her shoulders and she does not need to worry about Jasper any more.
Annie's parents start having marital problems and Annie has no one to talk to because Dixon won't listen to her. She goes to Liam for advice. Annie and Liam become close, hinting at a potential relationship. Jasper shows up at school and forgives Annie. Annie says she forgives him too, but they can't be friends because of what has happened in the past. Annie becomes closer to Liam and they share their family problems. Liam takes Annie out on his boat and she tells him about the hit and run. He encourages her to confess, they hug, and he takes her home. Unaware that Jasper was watching, Liam is attacked by Jasper by him setting fire to his boat, which he has spent a year working on. In the season finale, Annie tells her parents she needs to tell them something, hinting about the hit and run although this isn't shown.
In the third season, it is revealed that she has been sentenced to 2–3 months of house arrest, has her license suspended and is on probation until she turns 25. She is offered an interview for an internship by her Senior Adviser, Mr. Matthews. He advises her to put the accident behind her because she has already paid her dues. However, she decides she can't lie and confesses to the interviewer that she was on house arrest during the summer. She thinks that she won't get the internship but is shocked when the interviewer calls her and offers her the spot. It is then revealed that she has a secret motive and believes that Annie is desperate enough to do it. After she confesses to the interviewer, Liam and she finally kiss but she refuses to pursue a relationship because of Naomi and they end their friendship. She and Liam begin to date with Naomi's approval but soon break up after Liam almost gets her arrested after being caught on a boat that Liam claimed he was attending to for. She then pursues a relationship with Liam's half-brother Charlie whom she met in a coffee shop. She is not aware at the time that he is Liam's half-brother. Liam then moves into the Wilson Household to get closer to Annie. Although she does like him back, she finds out that Charlie and Liam are related after she introduces the two. Furthermore, when Annie tells Liam that she is going to break up with Charlie and take his side, he dismisses her and tells her she was right. Liam then walks off with the girl who paid in the bachelor auction. Annie stays with Charlie but when Liam is injured and moves in with her family, Annie admits that she still has feelings for Liam and they sleep together. The next day Annie feels guilty and asks Liam to let her think. After talking to her cousin Emily about the situation, she tells Liam that she wants to be with him but he turns her down because he and Charlie talked it out. He also tells her to stay with Charlie. Later, after Charlie discovers that something is going on between Annie and Liam, Charlie texts Annie with Liam's phone, saying, "Come see me tomorrow. We belong together". Annie goes to Liam's house where they realize that it was Charlie who sent the text and finally become a couple. Yet, the drama is not over with Annie since her cousin, Emily, is causing havoc for her. Then, Annie and Liam work together to expose Emily for who she really is and she leaves town. Annie later starts to work as an assistant for Marla, a washed-up old actress who suffers from an early stage of alzheimer's disease. Annie quickly bonds with Marla, and the two form a close friendship, which doesn't last long as Marla dies by suicide, and leaves her entire estate to Annie. Annie's happiness doesn't last for long as she finds out that Liam doesn't want to go to college and live near her. Liam tells her that he wants to work on a boat for the summer to clear out his mind. Annie who first opposes to Liam's decision, later makes-up with him and tells him to come to her after he finds what he's looking for.
In season 4, when Liam comes back, he walks up to her and puts an engagement ring on the hood of her car. She says no, but Liam is persistent. He proposes again, traditionally, but she still says no. She tells him the reason she said no is because something must have happened while he was away to make him decide to do this. She later finds out that Liam has had a one-night stand with a widowed woman named Jane. In the meantime, Annie also discovers that she told a man, who turns out to be Marla's grandson, about how Annie knew about the suicide before the incident happened, which creates problems for her in the process to get the inheritance. Annie also meets an Escort named Bree, who tricks her into helping her escort a few foreign men. When Annie discovers that she can get a lot of money from being an escort, she continues on which eventually leads to her relationship with a famous businessman named Patrick. When she finds out that Dixon is addicted to ADHD meds, she decides to sleep with Patrick to get money for Dixon's rehab. In the season 5 finale, Annie and Liam become engaged.