Fox’s “Beverly Hills, 90210” made household names of many of its cast members in the early 1990s despite the fact that few of the original gang stuck with show for its entire 10-year run.
But unlike, say, the cast from “Friends,” the mostly teenage stars of this iconic TV show didn’t accelerate to greater heights, which begs the question recently debated by myself and colleagues at lunch: “What’s the best movie to have a star from the original 90210 gang in it?”
We’re not necessarily looking for a movie they starred in or their biggest role, just the best movie that had one of them in it.
While the pickings may be slim, there are at least a few surprisingly good titles in the mix.

Douglas Emerson – played Scott Scanlon, the forgotten kid. He’s not even in the credits. But you remember David’s nerdy friend in the first season and a regular through season two, right? Unfortunately, that’s where the character accidentally shot himself and died. Sadly, the actor’s movie career is equally as tragic, marked at its height before 90210 even started with the 1988 remake of The Blob, in which he, as a teenager, played a crying Eddie Beckner and was comforted by his mother.

The Blob. Not pictured: Douglas Emerson.

Brian Austin Green – speaking of the geeky David Silver, Green most recently got attention for the tragically canceled “Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles,” in which he played Derek Reese, a freedom fighter from the future. On the big screen Green’s notable credits include an ironically uncredited role as a party guest in How to Lose Friends and Alienate People and Kickboxer 2: The Road Back, a sequel to a Jean-Claude Van Damme movie that doesn’t even have Van Damme in it. Ouch.

Fox cancels all their good shows. Not pictured: Brian Austin Green.

Gabrielle Carteris – Unlike the rest of the 90210 gang who were, you know, actual teenagers, the actress who played serious student Andrea Zuckerman was only months from turning 30 when the show premiered. So it’s understandable the titles to her name are more recognizable: Spider Man 3, Minority Report and Avatar… except that the first two are video game voice acting credits and the last is one episode of the animated show, not the blockbuster James Cameron flick. Film-wise, the most notable she’s got is Raising Cain, a 1992 crime drama starring an evil John Lithgow (yes, the dude from 3^rd Rock!).

The lovable Dr. Dick Solomon. Not Pictured: Gabrielle Carteris

Ian Ziering – Ziering’s character Steve Sanders was a stud: popular, monied, and in with the ladies. He also drove a cool car. It’s worth wondering if the actor has the same signs of success. Though he can claim the character Wildwing in the The Mighty Ducks the Movie: The First Face Off, an animated feature based on the franchise established by the 1992 Emilio Estevez movie, his most notable credit is probably in No Way Back, a forgettable 1995 thriller starring Russell Crowe as a FBI agent out to avenge his slain partner (aka the most least original plot ever).

Wildwing. Not pictured: Ian Ziering.

Jennie Garth – One of three characters to reprise her role for the 2008 spinoff called simply “90210,” Garth also voiced her character Kelly Taylor in the The Family Guy Presents Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story. If you think that shouldn’t count in this contest, she also had a part in My Brother’s War, about a CIA guy and an IRA guy working together. Yeah, it’s only vaguely familiar to me, too.

This was a different and more recent My Brother's War. Not pictured: Jennie Garth

Tori Spelling – Like Kelly, Spelling’s Donna Martin (Silver?) came back for “90210” and appeared in the Family Guy movie. Spelling, though, can otherwise be remembered for her appearances in the made for TV “Mother, May I Sleep with Danger?” and as herself in Scream 2. Even before growing up to attend West Beverly as Donna, though, Spelling was already in the same ZIP code, having had a part in the 1989 Shelly Long comedy Troop Beverly Hills. She also shows up in Cthulhu, a 2007 drama/thriller based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft.

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Tori Spelling R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn. Not pictured: Cthulhu.

Shannen Doherty – Who wasn’t shocked when Brenda left for London? And she was only supposed to be gone a year. They should have made a show about her hooking back up with Dylan there, because Doherty certainly wasn’t distracted by major movie projects. Her most memorable part? Before 90210 as a Heather in 1988’s Heathers, about a girl who, with her boyfriend, murders members of the “in crowd” clique, all named Heather. During the show (after she left) she also appeared in the Kevin Smith directed Mallrats.

Yep, that's Shannen, Winona (not a Heather) and two other girls. Not pictured: Good fashion sense.

Luke Perry – Speaking of Brenda’s loner boyfriend, it is the actor who played Dylan McKay who makes the first real challenge for the title in question. In addition to showing up in the movie version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (which pales compared to the show), Perry played the starring role of Lane Frost in the 1994 rodeo flick 8 Seconds. But more importantly, he can be seen early on in The Fifth Element.

See, he is in it. He even signed it so you would know it's him. Not pictured: Milla Jovovich almost naked.

But the winner is…

Jason Priestly – Brandon Walsh wasn’t without his problems, but he could always be relied on to be the good guy and give the good advice. Proving that nice guys don’t always finish last (except, he is technically listed last here), he takes the title not for appearing in the Family Guy movie along with the others, but for playing Deputy Billy Breckinridge in the 1993 western Tombstone, which is not only the best movie in this list, it ranks among the best movies of all time in any category. Don’t agree? Wanna fight about it? I have two guns, one for each of ya.

Image courtesy of Mr. Priestly's official site. Nice bowler, Mr. Priestly.