He may always be known on first reference for his role as Brandon Walsh on the hit television series of the past century, "Beverly Hills, 90210," but Jason Priestly has forged a world beyond that zip code. The actor and director and race-car driver is now a husband, father and part owner of an Indy Car Series racing team. The only speed bump in his 23-year career was a serious crash in 2002 at the Kentucky Speedway, from which he made a full recovery.

Priestly, 39, stars in the Hallmark Channel original movie "Expecting a Miracle," a romantic comedy about fertility, adoption and unexpected options airing Saturday at 9 p.m.

Q: So, do you believe in miracles?

A: Do I believe in miracles? [laughing]. Wow, do I believe in miracles? Yes, I do, as a matter of fact. How about that. I do believe in miracles.

Q: Have you ever had anything like a miracle happen in your life?

A: [Long pause] No. I had to think about that. But I got nothing, nothing for you.

Q: What about adoption -- is that something you would have ever considered?

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A: Thankfully that's not a bridge my wife and I had to cross. But you know I have a colleague and she and her husband have adopted three children. They've given these children a fantastic life. I look at that and I think that adoption is a wonderful thing. If my wife and I hadn't been able to have a child then adoption would have been something that we probably would have done.

Q: How has being a father altered your perspective, if it has?

A: Yes, of course it has. It has to alter your perspective. It just does. I try to pick jobs that keep me in town now as opposed to taking jobs that take me away for months on end. It can be as simple as that, but it changes the way you view things. It changes the way you do things. There is no way around it.

Q: Does it determine what roles you take?

A: No, it doesn't do that. I would like to start to work on some projects that she might be able to see before she is 18 [laughing]. You know what I mean? It would be nice.

Q: What got you into cars, especially the racing part?

A: I always loved racing cars from the time I was kid. Like every little boy, you love cars. So, when I was 21 I bought a race car. It was a rally car. You do it on dirt roads out in the woods day and night. I think it cost me $3,500, my first race car. Lo and behold I started winning races in my $3,500 race car. All of a sudden the phone rang and it was Toyota, and they said, "Hey we see you are winning races. How would you like to race for us in the national series?" I said, "Great."

Q: Did you ever consider giving up acting for racing?

A: No, I was already too deep into it with the acting. So I started racing for Toyota and raced for three years and then Ford called and I raced for Ford for six years.

Q: Do you remember what it was like the first time you went over 100 miles an hour?

A: No, not over 100. I don't know. I remember race tracks more than speed. I remember the first time I went over 200 miles an hour. One hundred miles an hour is no big deal. I remember the first time I went over 150 miles an hour on a motorcycle [laughing]. It's the competing, it's not the speed. Anybody can go fast, literally.

Q: Because you are a director as well as an actor do you find yourself reworking scenes in your head or do you just concentrate on one task at a time?

A: When I'm acting, I'm just acting, and when I'm directing, I'm directing. I'm really happy just doing what I'm doing. As a director your focus is very broad and it has to be.

Q: So was being a movie star your ambition after high school?

A: I just wanted to be a working actor. I'm a Canadian, so I'm very humble. We are very nice, humble people. I did all the things you are supposed to do. I went to theater school, and I learned my craft. When I graduated I came here to Los Angeles. I did all the work I could in Canada before I came here and got representation and started beating the pavement, because that's what you are supposed to do. So here I am having a 23-year career down here, which is pretty good.

Q: Did you feel disloyal to Canada becoming a naturalized citizen?

A: I'm a dual citizen now. No, not at all because I still have my Canadian citizenship as well.

Q: You own an Indy car team. How frustrating is it not to be racing?

A: Hmmm. Ahh. Sort of yes and no. Would I love to get in that car? Yes, I would. It would be really fun. Really fun. But it's a young man's game driving those cars and I'm not so young anymore. I'm going to leave that up to the other guys. I would love to get in that car though and throw it around.

Q: Do you get an opportunity to drive it around the track just once?

A: I think I may this year. I think I may just have to make it happen [laughing].