MANILA, Philippines - Shenae Grimes, 19, from Canada, is on the brink of superstardom. That is, if her new CW network series ?90210?? the reincarnation of the iconic ?90s teen drama ?Beverly Hills 90210??gets anywhere near the original?s success.

Landing the plum role of Annie Wilson, who, like her ?90s counterpart Brenda Walsh (Shannen Doherty) moves with her family from the American Midwest to the swanky suburbs of Beverly Hills, Shenae has big shoes to fill. So do the rest of the cast members.

Star World and Channel [V] premiered ?90210? on Nov. 4. While the new version has parallels with the original, it?s more current and with less angst.

Older viewers who followed ?Beverly Hills? are not left out, though, as the adult characters are given equal exposure. There?s the duo of Shannen Doherty and Jennie Garth, whose presence could give nostalgia-trippers a rush.

Inquirer Entertainment interviewed Grimes via phone patch arranged by Star World.

How is ?90210? different from the original?
It?s a lot more contemporary. The lessons aren?t so in-your-face as those in the original. It wouldn?t hurt parents to learn from this. My favorite [aspect] is that the parents here have a life of their own.

Tell us about Annie Wilson and her family.
The Wilson clan is very tight; that?s refreshing to see on TV. I feel teenagers get so disconnected from their mums and dads because they are too concerned with their high school lives. Jessica Walter, who plays my grandmother, is the most hilarious woman on the planet!

How much is Shenae Grimes like Annie Wilson?
Annie and I are different in terms of interests and style. But we both come from a grounded point of view.

Your character is the Brenda Walsh of this series. Has Shannen offered you advice?
The only advice she?s given me is about dealing with the media and all the external stresses that come with this job. She told me to focus on the work.

Who is your favorite character from the original series?
Dylan McKay ? every girl?s dreamboat! As for the girls, I was a Brenda lover.

Is it true you beat Hilary Duff to the role?
Oh no, I didn?t! Wouldn?t that be cool, though? (Laughs). I had been auditioning for the role of Annie for about three weeks when I found out that Hilary had been offered the part. But she decided that it wasn?t the best for her career, so she passed. I was the runner-up.

How different is Canadian show biz from Hollywood?
There is no crazy press in Canada. A huge part of ?90210? has been the hype?billboards, commercials, promo shoots. At home I?m so not used to seeing my face everywhere when I?m driving [around]. But we work the same number of hours.

How are you dealing with intense media scrutiny?
It sucks!