Ian Ziering, 62, star of “Beverly Hills, 90210,” the “Sharknado” movies and host of this month’s new reality series “The Great American Road Rally: Celebrity Edition,” got his first taste of performing as a child in West Orange, N.J.
“I had dyslexia in my formative years,” Ziering recalls. “When I was in second grade learning how to read, and we were put into reading groups, I’d always have a lot of anxiety when it came to my turn. So, I would crack jokes. I became the class clown. I got a lot of positive reinforcement by deflecting that way, and it made me want to perform.”
With the help of a teacher who gave him special education for an hour daily, Ziering graduated sixth grade at the same level as his peers — but his love for performance never waned.
“I was able to excel with song, dance, art or athletics,” he says. “That’s where I was able to compete and shine.”
He began taking singing and jazz lessons at age 8, and he received a special present for his 12th birthday: a contract with the William Schuler Agency in New York City.
“My first paid gig was a modeling job for Crayola crayons,” he says — and that was only the beginning.
That Famous Zip Code
Ziering performed on everything from “Guiding Light” to “ABC Afterschool Specials,” but around his 26th birthday, he landed a role he’s still famous for: Steve Sanders on the hit TV series “Beverly Hills, 90210.”
“Steve Sanders was a stereotypical rich kid — spoiled, obnoxious and, as far as I was concerned, initially unlikable,” Ziering admits. “What he got right was finding a social circle of friends that helped mold him into what he became: a responsible adult.
“It wasn’t until he met the twins from Minnesota [Brenda Walsh, played by the late Shannen Doherty, and Brandon Walsh, played by Jason Priestley], who weren’t from the environment he lived in, that he realized that there’s more to life than a flashy smile and a $100 bill,” Ziering continues. “There’s empathy, compassion, appreciation and gratitude. Over the course of the series, Steve really learned the value of those character traits and embraced them. When we left him, Steve was a successful businessman, he was married and had a child. No one could have ever guessed that would have been Steve’s trajectory when we met him in the first episode.”
Ziering with the cast of ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’
Photo courtesy of Paramount+
How Family Responsibilities Led To ‘Sharknado’
Like most actors, Ziering has had his share of feast-or-famine moments.
In 2013, he took a role in the first “Sharknado” movie out of a sense of responsibility. The script, which was sent to prospective actors bearing the title “Dark Skies” so they wouldn’t be put off by the name, came to him as a direct offer. If he took it, he would need to start filming in four days, so he knew someone else had dropped out of the lead role of Fin Shepard, a former surfing champion and bar owner.
“I read a scene where Fin is climbing up a rope, and there’s a shark chomping up it to get to him,” Zierig recalls. “Knowing the production company was notorious for low-budget films, I was like, ‘Oh, hell no! It’ll be the end of my career.’”
His wife at the time, Erin Ludwig, was pregnant with their second daughter, though, and Ziering had not yet made the minimum amount in that year to qualify for health insurance from the SAG-AFTRA union. “It was the first time I realized the sacrifice that parents have to make for their kids,” Ziering says.
His agent told him the film would go straight to DVD, and no one would see it. Then, four days into filming, Ziering says the director announced the real title: It would be called “Sharknado.” Ziering called his agent from a bathroom and said he had to get out of it — but he couldn’t.
Jaason Simmons, Ziering and Cassie Scerbo in ‘Sharknado’
Photo courtesy of Ian Ziering
After shooting the movie over the course of about two weeks, Ziering went to Las Vegas to be a celebrity guest star with the Chippendales. When doing press for the dance show, he made sure not to mention “Sharknado.”
In July, the film aired on TV’s Syfy channel — and Ziering’s phone began blowing up.
“When I finished the show that night in Vegas, I went to my hotel room, and I looked at the comments,” he remembers. “They were saying how it was ‘so great’ and ‘the best show ever.’”
A role he thought would end his career instead led to five more “Sharknado” films. This summer, a prequel, “Sharknado Origins,” is set to release.
“The movies are kitschy and fun,” he says.
Dancing Machine
Ziering and Denitsa Ikonomova in ‘Danse avec les stars’
Photo courtesy of Ian Ziering
Prior to the Chippendales, in 2007, Ziering came in fourth place on “Dancing with the Stars.” This past winter, he appeared on the French version, “Danse avec les stars.”
“I left the experience the first time saying, ‘That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.’ Nineteen years later, it’s still the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” Ziering says with a laugh.
Denitsa Ikonomova, his partner in France, initially worked with him without music. That way, Ziering says, he could learn the counts and movements slowly before putting music to it. He admits that he’s highly competitive, and while he was dancing against contestants who were often 20 years younger, he was proud to have made it to the fifth show before being eliminated.
Kicks On Route 66
Ziering’s latest project is hosting a new reality series, “The Great American Road Rally: Celebrity Edition,” which premieres in the fall. He describes it as a competition celebrating the 100th anniversary of Route 66, the iconic highway that stretches from Chicago to Los Angeles and helped define the American road trip. Ten celebrity-driven vehicles, each aligned with a charitable cause, compete in a race that isn’t about speed as much as a series of challenges — such as barrel racing — at stops along the route.
“There are no losers, because everybody wins — not just by having a great time, but by raising money and awareness for different charities,” Ziering says. “I wish there were more programs like this that adopt a type of giving back.”
That wish may soon become a reality, as Ziering — who also serves as a producer on the show — is already in talks to take the concept global. “That’s because of the magnanimous, philanthropic aspect to this,” he explains. “I would like to believe that everybody wants to do good.”
Official poster for ‘The Great American Road Rally: Celebrity Edition’
Photo courtesy of the CW
A Big Fan Of Boca
Ziering has long loved Boca Raton. In fact, he has many friends who live in the area.
“I used to go down there to hang out with them in the summers or on spring break,” he says. “Boca’s amazing!”
Recently, he was talking with his former high school sweetheart, and she mentioned that she is moving to
West Boca Raton. That got him thinking. “I wouldn’t be surprised,” he says, “if, one day, I was living down there.”
Photo courtesy of Ian Ziering
His Favorite Role: Dad
Although Ziering has taken on various roles over the years, his favorite is Dad to his girls, Mia Loren, 15, and Penna Mae, 13.
His definition of manhood has evolved since he was in his 20s, shaped in large part by his daughters.
“It means being accountable and responsible,” he says.
“It’s about showing up. It’s about doing what I say I’m
going to do, leading with intention and follow-through.
It’s unbridled passion for being a successful father to these girls and providing them with the greatest chance at their own success. I literally cheer for my kids to do their best every day.”
Ziering adds that his daughters have deepened his understanding of himself. “I am more sensitive than I thought I ever was,” he explains. “I would cry when I dropped them off on their mom’s custody days, and I found myself crying when I would pick them up. Some were tears of sadness, and others tears of joy.”
Since losing his parents, Ziering has grown more mindful of time, seeking to create lasting memories with his children through shared experiences and meaningful conversation.
Not only is he proud of them, but he likes their friends.
“There’s no Steve Sanders in their friend groups, which is nice,” he says with a laugh. “Without a doubt, Dad is the best role I’ll ever play.”