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Peter Krause (Jay)
Fred Lum/The Globe and Mail
Krause is known these days for his serious roles on the acclaimed "Six Feet Under" and "Parenthood". But he got one of his first TV breaks with a short "90210" bit in season three. Krause played Jay Thurman, the boyfriend of Andrea during her summer working at a beach club. Andrea never got a lot of attention on the show, so neither did Krause. His appearance was limited to just three episodes.
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Hilary Swank (Carly Reynolds)
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The two-time Oscar winner spent her "90210" time working at the Peach Pit. It was season eight, and single mom Carly (Swank) had just lost her job because of that jerk, Steve. So Steve got her a job at the Pit, and proceeded to ask her out at every turn. They would date, though Carly would eventually leave with her kid for Montana.
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Melissa Rivers (Mackenzie)
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She's known now for her E! fashion critiques with her late mom, Joan. But long before that, Rivers worked briefly as an actress. In her one appearance on "90210", she played a conniving actress who made life miserable for Brandon and his budding romance with the star of a teen soap. Funny how when "90210" portrays the TV industry, it comes off as phony.
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Matthew Perry (Roger Azarian)
Richard Gardner/REX/Rex Feature Ltd.
Tennis-playing actor Perry got to play to his strength in this season one episode. In it, he played Roger, a tennis-playing rich kid who seemed to have everything. Teen reporter Brandon suspected Roger was actually depressed. That certainly explained the murderous screenplay he wrote, and Roger's penchant for pointing guns at himself. It would be three more years before "Friends" and the big time arrived.
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Maroon 5 (Band In Club)
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This band was still a decade away from big-time fame and fortune when they made a 1997 appearance as a very young, pop-oriented band (then called Kara's Flowers) playing at a local club. The "90210" gig didn't seem to help the band's career. They would break up shortly after this appearance, before reforming in 2001 with their new name, Maroon 5.
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Dean Cain (Rick)
Michael Desmond/Everett Collection
"Lois And Clark"'s future Superman was cast in the fun role of Rick, a guy who pursued Brenda while she was vacationing in Paris. Brenda pretended to have a French accent and Rick fell for it despite it being pretty unconvincing. Eventually, Rick would pursue Brenda all the way to Beverly Hills where she admitted to still being hung up on Dylan. Damn you, Dylan! In all, Cain appeared in four season three episodes. The role no doubt helped him secure the lead as Superman on "Lois And Clark" the next year.
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Vivica A. Fox (Sherice)
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Before hitting it big with "Independence Day" and "Kill Bill", Fox taught Brandon a serious lesson about race in a 1991 episode. She played Sherice, whom Brandon befriended after a car accident. But when her ex-boyfriend was racially profiled by some local cops, Brandon had to step up. A very special episode of "90210" (You know - one that teaches you a lesson).
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Eva Longoria (Flight Attendant #3)
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Her 2000 appearance marked Longoria's first TV credit. It was a blink-and-you-miss-it bit in which she played a harried flight attendant who exchanged a few words with Dylan (Luke Perry). Four years later, Longoria would find fame on Wisteria Lane as one of those "Desperate Housewives".
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David Arquette ('Diesel' Stone)
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Long before the "Scream" movies and his marriage and divorce from Courteney Cox, Arquette was a struggling actor happy for a showy role on a hit show. In his one "90210" appearance in 1992, he played a conceited rocker who fronted a mopey band called Diesel Stone and The Waste Management. Catchy name. Trouble brewed when it turned out Diesel once dated Brandon's new girlfriend.
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Aaron Paul (Chad)
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"Breaking Bad"'s Jesse Pinkman was just a gawky teen when he was cast on "90210" as a....er...gawky teen. The brief scene featured the actor as Chad, a teen rehearsing a school production of "Romeo And Juliet". He got to kiss the girl but little else. When he hit it big with "Breaking Bad", the Emmy-winning actor had to endure Jay Leno running this awkward "90210" clip on "The Tonight Show".
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Seth Green (Wayne)
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He's known these days for "Buffy The Vampire Slayer", "Austin Powers", and as the voice of Chris on "Family Guy", but Green had already been acting for years when he appeared on "90210" in 1993. Green played Wayne, one of Kelly and Brenda's blind dates. Wayne supposedly went to Princeton, though Princeton turned out to be a school for boys and Wayne turned out to be 15. Whoops. Green's short stature and boyish looks had him playing teens well into his 30s.
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Richard Gardner/REX/Rex Feature Ltd.
Picture Perfect/REX/Rex Feature Ltd.
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Broadimage/REX/Rex Feature Ltd.
REX/Broadimage/Rex Feature Ltd.
Broadimage/REX/Rex Feature Ltd.
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