Matt Lanter Photography credit: Josh Hailey

You recently started shooting season two of ‘90210’ as a series regular. How is filming going?
It’s going great! We’re into episode 4 and we’ve already shot on the beach, a huge yacht and some other fantastic locations. I think fans are really going to love the look of the show this year.

Can you give us any sneak peek info into the new season?
There is going to be some really great story lines between Liam and Naomi and I think fans will be rooting for them as a couple. We left them last season in a very tough position, with Naomi’s sister Jen having purposefully slept with Liam, so there is definitely some explaining to be done. Unfortunately, Naomi’s sister Jen is there to manipulate the situation even more this year.

Your character on ‘90210’ is a bit of a bad boy. Where there aspects of the character you could personally relate to when you began the role?
Sure! I like cars, I like girls and I don’t know much about the Beverly Hills lifestyle!

If you could take over writing duties for an episode of “90210” – what would you write for your character?
That wouldn’t be good [laughs]. I would probably do something stupid. Maybe I would have the entire group of kids take a vacation to Tahiti or something. And that’s not what Matt wants; it’s what’s best for the characters. I promise.

Tell us about your new films, ‘Sorority Row’ and ‘The Roommate’
‘Sorority Row’ is a horror film based on the 80’s flick, ‘House on Sorority Row.’ It’s about a group of sorority girls that start getting picked off in AMAZING ways. It’s a little tongue-in-cheek and kind of reminds me of the Scream movies in the way that they are funny on purpose, yet scary and fun.

The Roommate is a fantastic psychological thriller that takes place in a college setting. It has to do with taking true obsession to the point of being harmful. It’s also one of those movies that makes you think, “what if this was me,” “could this really happen?”

‘The Roommate’ is a familiar story about a girl obsessing over someone else but this movie changes the norm by having her obsess over another girl (and in a non-sexual way). What was it like working on a movie with such a unique dynamic?
I don’t know, I think it’s actually a little ambiguous in that department. But that’s what’s so great; I think you can take the motives how you want to. The script was well written and I think the studio assembled a really talented team for this one, so I’m excited to see how it turns out.

You voiced Anakin Skywalker in ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’. Were you a big ‘Star Wars’ fan growing up?
I had seen clips from the films here and there but never really understood the stories or the characters and how they are all connected. Obviously, after getting the job, I have gone back several times over and watched the saga. I’m a big Star Wars nerd now.

If you were able to be in a remake of any movie, which one would it be and which role would you have?
Tough question. I love old 80’s movies. I would love to be a part of them, but at the same time, don’t think they should be touched. Any role in Ghostbusters would be pretty cool!

What has been your best career related experience so far?
One of the things I am most proud of is a theater production that I did with Laurence Fishburne. It played for about seven weeks at the Mark Taper Forum here in LA, which seats about 700 people, so it was a pretty big deal. I learned a lot from that experience and am proud of the work that I put into it.

If you weren’t pursuing a career in acting, what other careers could you see yourself in?
Most likely I would have found some type of job in major league baseball. I used to work for the Atlanta Braves organization while I was still in Atlanta, so I probably would have tried to find something in corporate with them. Baseball is a passion of mine and I really love being around the game in any capacity.

PortraitMagazine.Net is an online magazine. What are some of your favorite websites?
I’m a bit of a tech nerd so I frequent gadget sites like Gizmodo.com, Engadget.com, Uncrate.com and a few others. Oh yea, and since I voice Anakin Skywalker for the Clone Wars, I try to keep up on my Star Wars news at TheForce.net.

Matt Lanter Photography credit: DimitryL.com

What are the best and worst things about working in the entertainment industry in your opinion?
The highs are really high and the lows can be really low. It’s an odd business. One month you may be struggling to pay rent and eat and the next you may be on a TV show making thousands and in magazines. You may also have to face a lot of rejection before you even land a gig, but once you get it, you may be filming in some exotic location having the time of your life!

What are your hopes – both professionally and personally – for the rest of the 2009?
I’ll be busy with 90210 for the rest of 2009, so all I can wish for is just to do good work. I feel like if I do good work then the rest is out of my hands. Personally? I want to take more pictures and more video. Just pictures of life happening. I always tell myself I’m going to do that and never do.

How would you describe yourself in three words?
Weird, strange, odd ?

What would be your most memorable moment on set so far?
All the drag racing stuff in episode 17 is pretty memorable to me. Annalynne and I were up all night filming in Long Beach. Being dragged around by a pull truck at high speeds at 4am is pretty exhilarating!

What are your passions/concerns for the world?
Realistically and short term, I would like to see this recession show some solid signs of letting up. There are so may people being affected. From the housing market to job loss and the inability to support a family, hopefully we’ll start to see a good economic increase soon.

Do you have a Myspace, Twitter, Official Website etc. Where fans can contact you?
As of right now, it’s www.myspace.com/mattlanter

What's your reaction when you find fansites, fan videos, graphics, etc. about you?
I’m flattered!

What is the most embarrassing song on your iPod?
Barbiegirl by Aqua, maybe? Oh come on, it’s got a great beat!

Do you have any tattoos? If not, would you ever get one and what would it be?
I don’t, but I might at some point. I’m thinking it might be something that correlates to my faith, if I were to get one.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
I’ve always wanted to fly. You would be limitless!

Thanks for your time Matt. Do you have anything you’d like to say to your fans in closing?
Thanks for the support and stay tuned!