When most of us think of Dean Cain, we probably think of his role as Superman on Lois & Clark. As it turns out, however, he had a pretty memorable role right before he tackled the part of the Man of Steel. Cain guest-starred on the hugely popular teen sitcom Beverly Hills 90210 for a handful of episodes in 1992, playing lovesick college student Rick, who fell for Brenda in Paris. Their romance was hindered by the fact that Shannen Doherty as Brenda adopted a pretty terrible French accent and pretended to be French. Now, 25 years after his appearance as Rick, Dean Cain has shared a story about his time on 90210:
Here's the weird thing about the show. I was supposed to break up with her character when I found out that she was sort of a fraud and she was lying to me. But Shannen didn't want that to happen. She didn't want a guest star to come on and break up with her, and so instead they turned me into a dork. You're an actor, you're just a gun for hire. You can't go, 'Oh, I don't want to say that.' You say what you're told to say, you sing when you're told to sing. Some of his lines were... oof. You just get the cheesy lines but you gotta say 'em.
Beverly Hills 90210 was never exactly known for its highbrow entertainment, but the whole Rick/Brenda storyline has to be one of the lower points of the first three seasons, if only for Shannen Doherty's dreadful French accent and how lame Rick became by the end of his guest stint. Apparently, the real reason for Rick's dorky transformation came due to Doherty's desire not to have her character dumped by a temp, which... doesn't sound all that wild, actually. Shannen Doherty was known for being difficult to work with back in the 90s. All things considered, I'd say Rick would have been pretty justified in splitting from Brenda after the French fake-out.
Dean Cain reflected on his time on 90210 during a blast from the past for Today, and it's nice to see that he can laugh about his experiences on the show today. Considering that he left 90210 in 1992 and debuted as Superman on Lois & Clark in 1993, I'm guessing that he doesn't have many regrets about the fact that Rick only appeared in four episodes. In case you doubt Dean Cain's words about Rick turning into a dork and singing, see for yourself:
"Oof" indeed. I can see why he wasn't exactly thrilled that he had to sing on 90210. This wasn't exactly the most dignified or dreamy scene, and it ended with his love interest declaring that he was just like her dorky dad. I'm embarrassed by this scene, and I wasn't anywhere near it! At least all's well that ended well. Dean Cain has done well for himself and doesn't seem to begrudge Shannen Doherty or anybody else for what he was called upon to do as Rick. Good thing that other actor didn't land the starring role on Lois & Clark!
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