Cast » Ryan Matthews

Ryan Matthews is played by Ryan Eggold. An English literature teacher at West Beverly High in his mid 20's whose unorthodox teaching style puts him at odds with his fellow teachers and sometimes too close with his students. He was suspended for a brief time when it was discovered that he was having an affair with one of his students, who was actually an undercover cop trying to bring down a drug dealer who was dealing at West Beverly. Once he came back from his suspension, his attitude changed from positive influence to strict enforcer, going as far as kicking Silver out of his class as revenge for what she said about him on her blog. However he soon takes her back in her class and goes back to his more supportive ways. He has served as a love interest of Kelly Taylor, Kimberly Macintyre, Jen Clark and Laurel Cooper. He also had a one-night stand with Brenda while Kelly was away visiting Dylan. However, he and Kelly later hook up the night of her friend Donna Martin's store opening. Near the end of season 1, he starts dating Naomi's sister Jen Clark but he breaks it up when he finds out she had sex with one of his students and that she is married. He develops a drinking problem after that. At the end of Season 2 Jen comes back revealing that she is pregnant to her sister Naomi. Naomi finds a paternity test in Jen's bag, first you don't see anything but then it's revealed that Ryan is the father when Naomi sent balloons where it says "Congratulations daddy" and the test is there. He goes to see Jen and tells her that he wants to help out but she says that she doesn't want a school teacher to take care of her child. He gets so upset that he drinks and drives by the school where he sees Naomi and a teacher in the school (it's later revealed that the teacher rapes Naomi) and hits a large sign by the school. Ryan and Jen's son Jacque/Jack was born in episode 5. He was suspended from West Beverly High in episode 7.

Ryan Eggold is a graduate of the University of Southern California's esteemed theater department. Eggold quickly landed recurring roles on "The Young and the Restless," "Entourage," "Out of Jimmy's Head," "Brothers & Sisters" and "Veronica Mars" before obtaining his first series regular gig on "Dirt."

In addition to his work in television, Eggold made his professional stage debut in the acclaimed 2006 Ahmanson Theatre/Center Theatre Group production "Dead End," and has since appeared in "Leipzig" and "Marat/Sade." He also enjoys writing plays and screenplays.