90210: Ryan Eggold Interview

For two years Ryan Eggold has portrayed the gold-hearted teacher Ryan Matthews on The CW’s 90210 series, and in preparation for the premiere of season three I got the chance to talk to the multi-talented Eggold about career aspirations, the upcoming season of his hit show and the new and improved Mr. Matthews.

Keshaunta Moton: So your character, Ryan Matthews, has been through a lot of challenges over the past couple of seasons, you have romantic entanglements and the alcoholism, where will season three find Ryan?
Ryan Eggold: [Ryan] spent the whole summer trying to process this having a baby thing, so he’s really trying to clean up his act and put things into perspective. He’s really ready to be a father.

KM: Do you think your character has changed any over the past two seasons with the obstacles that he has had? He’s been suspended from the school and his troubles with Jen, do you think he’s been fundamentally changed as a person?
RE: Yeah, he’s been through so much. I think he’s very different now than he was. With the baby due, he’s not thinking about himself, he’s thinking about the baby. He’s growing up and trying to figure out how to be a dad; trying to figure it out, how to make it work with Jen, as hard and as awful as it may be.

KM: Your character Ryan Matthews, he’s not that much older than the students that he teaches, do you think that that has any effect on him?
RE: I think being a young teacher would actually be an advantage because you’re close in age to the kids so you’ll relate to them more than someone who is older could. You know how they operate so you can better teach them. When I got the role, I hung out with my friend from grade school who was a teacher, he was my age…I just hung out and watched him [interact with the students]. It was cool because you can kind of joke with the students and you didn’t have to be so stern. You can relate to them more. It was easier.

KM: So, you think that’s the same for your character.
RE: I think so. He’s a good confidant, they can tell him things and he’s not going to be as judgmental as their parent or the principal. He’s sort of on the [same] level.

KM: You have several other projects, you’re a writer and a musician, how do you find time to do all of that and be on a successful tv show?
RE: It’s tough, I often don’t find time for all of it but I try. I only work on the show 2-3 days a week. But I have other days to do other things. I like to stay busy.

And what other things are on the horizon for Eggold? Aside from 90210 Ryan is focused on the upcoming production of his play Amy and Elliot at the Adler Theater in Los Angeles. Serving not only as writer, Ryan plans to be fully involved in every step of the production from casting to set design. But don’t camp out for tickets just yet, the production is still in the early stages.

If you’re in LA, you can catch Amy and Elliot at the Adler Theater in January. For a local fix, you can catch Ryan on 90210, Monday nights on The CW. There will be tons of drama this season: Diane is single, Naomi deals with rape, and Teddy’s sexuality is explored. And I have it on good authority that the first episode is going to be HUGE! Tons of drama: “everything that can happen, does.” You don’t want to miss it. Tune in for the season premiere Monday, Sept 13 at 8/7c.

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Images courtesy of The CW and Patrick Ecclesine.