AnnaLynne McCord
In 2008, she was the eighteenth actress to be cast in The CW series "90210", portraying antiheroine Naomi Clark. Initially, the part of Clark was conceived as a supporting role. However, by the end of the first season, media outlets had begun referring to McCord as the series' lead. For the role of Naomi Clark, she was nominated for a Teen Choice Award and received the "Hollywood Life" Young Hollywood Superstar of Tomorrow award in 2009. In 2010, she won a Breakthrough of the Year Award in the category of "Breakthrough Standout Performance".
Kelly Taylor (90210)
The evolution of Kelly's character led to developments both on-screen and off. In a 1995 article on Garth, "TV Guide" reported that the show's creators made a conscious decision to place her character at center stage. An anonymous producer cites "faith in Jennie as an actress," further stating that he and producer Aaron Spelling "knew she had the chops to do it." This development would gradually lead to Kelly supplanting Brenda as the prominent female lead, as the former received what the producer called "better story lines." Reportedly, these matters became a source of tension between Garth and Shannen Doherty, who played Brenda. Following Doherty's final appearance on the show in 1994, however, Garth stated, "We were friends at work, and I miss her most of the time."
Ultimately, throughout the first five seasons, Kelly gained an increasing degree of screen presence and growth. Amidst her continuing development, her role in launching the spin-off, her prominent triangle with Brenda and Dylan, her later affections with male lead Brandon, and the launch of a second triangle with Brandon and Dylan, Kelly became the character that several major events or changes were based around. Additionally, she was given varying involvement in noted story lines not surrounding her—including Dylan's family trauma, Brenda's acting pursuits, and David's recovery from drug use. Her status would become standardized throughout the course of the series' run.