Interview; Michael Steger Talks '90210'

Interview: Michael Steger Talks '90210,' Written by: Karen Benardello Young adults are known for making questionable and self-destructive choices in their lives that unfortunately have negative effects on their personal and professional lives. That's certainly the case with Navid Shirazi, played by Michael Steger, who has been one of the main characters on the hit CW series '90210' since its launch in 2008. Even as he watches his relationships with his ex-girlfriends and friends unravel, Navid stays hesitant to improve with connections with those around him. The current fifth season of '90210' follows Navid and his friends as they contend with the events that occurred in the season four finale in May. Navid, notably, struggles with the revelation that his ex-girlfriend, Silver (Jessica Stroup), has asked Teddy (Trevor Donovan) to be the father of her baby, so he begins lashing out to gain her attention. To forget his pain, he becomes a club promoter with Liam (Matt Lanter). The two begin a partnership with Taylor (Wes Brown), who coincidentally has a fling with another one of Navid's ex-girlfriends, Adrianna (Jessica Lowndes), while she's on her national tour. Steger generously took the time to speak about the character of Navid, and the fifth season of the teen drama series, over the phone recently. Among other things, the actor discussed what attracted him to the role, how he relates to his character and the upcoming films he'll be appearing in. Question (Q): You have reprised your role as Navid Shirazi in the current fifth season of '90210.' What was it about Navid that initially convinced you to take on the role when the show first started in 2008, and why do you continue to enjoy playing the character? Michael Steger (MS): I think what interested me in the beginning was that Gabe Sachs and Jeff Judah were coming on board to re-launch the show. I liked the fact that they did something completely different, and thought the camp from 'Freaks and Geeks' was completely intriguing. I thought it could make for a really great show. Gabe and Jeff come from a really strong comedy background, and they switched to a one-hour drama. So I thought the show was going to be very well rounded. Q: Were you a fan of the original 'Beverly Hills, 90210' that aired in the 1990s? MS: I watched it every once in a while. I can't say that I was a fan, but I was aware of it. Q: You have a believable, genuine working relationship with many of your castmates, including Jessica Stroup, Tristan Wilds, Matt Lanter and Trevor Donovan. What are your working relationships with everyone like? MS: We're all friends. We hang out on set, and work together nine months out of the year. Q: The fourth season finale of the show featured Navid deciding that he wants to be the one to have a baby with Silver, but she ultimately decides to ask Teddy to have a child with her. Do you think Navid and Silver have a chance to rekindle their relationship? MS: Navid doesn't think so. He doesn't react well to the whole situation. He starts acting out to grab Silver's attention. He starts acting like a jerk. To continue reading this interview, please visit Yahoo! Voices.