Navid of “90210″ is one of those characters who makes me want to scream at the TV like my grandma when she’s watching “The Price Is Right.” I just want struggling Navid to win.

After all, he had one of the toughest storylines to deal with on the show last season: His lingering virginity. And of course there’s the whole thing with Adrianna’s pregnancy by another baby-daddy. But … virginity? With all the body-smacking going on around West Beverly, it’s no wonder that he has gone a little koo-koo this season. A certain All-American hunk named Teddy isn’t helping matters, either.

“Navid is not happy, because he’s insanely jealous,” said Michael Steger, who plays the driven-yet-naïve Navid Sharazi. “The thing that drives him crazy is that nothing bothers him. He’s like this ultra-passive-aggressive dude, but Teddy just gets under his skin.”

Judging by these spoilery pictures, Navid has reason to worry. Since telling Adrianna to stay away from Teddy hasn’t worked, Steger says that his character is resorting to other methods.

“In the next episode, Teddy has a huge party on his yacht, which really impresses Adrianna,” Steger disclosed. “So for Navid, next episode is Operation: Overcompensate.”

But what about the problem with Dixon – as in, Navid has been taking way too much of Dixon’s horrible dating advice. Steger says he understands why Navid worships at the “Church of Dixon.” “He is in a vulnerable position, because he’s a virgin, and he’s kind of self-conscious, and has a hard time around the ladies,” Steger said. “So, he listens to Dixon, because he’s a little more experienced. He’s better with social conventions than Navid.”

Unlike his character, Steger wants you to know he does OK with the ladies. One in particular. He’s engaged to actress Brandee Tucker, whom he has known since junior high.And Dixon won’t be coasting for much longer, he revealed. “Dixon gets kidnapped in the next episode,” Steger says. “I’m not going to say by who, but it’s pretty hilarious and he gets kidnapped driving Navid’s Lamborghini.”

Before landing “90210,” Steger had nearly given up on acting for good. “I was a bio major and I was going to take over my aunt’s dental practice and be a dentist,” he said. “Then I was in this play at Cal Poly [Pomona] and had such an amazing, profound experience that I changed my major, and I’ve pursued acting full-time ever since.”

His mother supported him, but Steger’s father was a bit wary of his son’s new career path. “Even when I was doing well in acting, my dad would say, ‘You can still go back to dental school,’” he said. “But since I’ve been on ‘90210,’ I haven’t heard that. For them, acting is like winning the lotto — so very few people get to do it.” Prior to “90210,” Steger had guest roles in several Disney Channel shows and the “Cheetah Girls” movies.

Steger, 29, sees some similarities between him and Navid, but points out one big difference. “We’re both first-generation Americans; our parents were born overseas. We’re both minorities – I’m Ecuadorian, he’s Persian,” Steger says. “But then I came from a middle-class family. My first car was a 1986 Toyota pickup. Navid got an Escalade with 30-inch rims.”

Source: latimesblog