If you were one of the people who just couldn’t commit to the new generation of 90210 in the way you did the first, let Matt Lanter serve as exhibit A for why you should start setting your TiVo. The Ohio-born, Atlanta-raised 26-year-old hunk has helped breathe new life into the country’s most scandalous high school with his Dylan McKay-esque bad boy character, Liam. “I didn’t grow up hanging out on yachts, partying, driving Lamborghinis,” says Lanter. “It’s a dramatized version of that lifestyle, and it’s fun to play.”
The show about the privileged zip code has experienced a much-lauded resurrection in its second season. “The stories are a lot more gripping,” he says. “And the look is much different.” As for on-screen love, Lanter’s main interest has been AnnaLynne McCord’s character, Naomi Clark, but if you’re hoping for a blissful ending—well then, maybe you’ve never watched the show. “Is anything really ever happily ever after on 90210?” asks Lanter with a laugh. “At some point you’ll probably see me make out with all the girls.”
In addition to 90210 Lanter also serves as the voice to Anakin Skywalker on the Cartoon Network’s Star Wars: The Clone Wars and admits the role has made him a full-fledged “Star Wars geek.” Also look for Lanter’s handsome mug this year in the big-screen thriller The Roommate, alongside Leighton Meester. Lanter describes the film as being about when obsession goes too far. Not so hard to imagine where Lanter is concerned.
