diff --git a/python/ray/serve/backend_state.py b/python/ray/serve/backend_state.py
index 9d3fb6e4f..a72d24979 100644
--- a/python/ray/serve/backend_state.py
+++ b/python/ray/serve/backend_state.py
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ class ActorReplicaWrapper:
         except ValueError:
             logger.debug("Starting replica '{}' for backend '{}'.".format(
                 self._replica_tag, self._backend_tag))
-            self._actor_handle = ray.remote(backend_info.worker_class).options(
+            self._actor_handle = backend_info.actor_def.options(
                 name=self._actor_name,
                 lifetime="detached" if self._detached else None,
                 placement_group=self._placement_group,
diff --git a/python/ray/serve/common.py b/python/ray/serve/common.py
index dafdf7a05..b73466b93 100644
--- a/python/ray/serve/common.py
+++ b/python/ray/serve/common.py
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 from dataclasses import dataclass, field
 from pydantic import BaseModel
-from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional
+from typing import Dict, List, Optional
 from uuid import UUID
 
 import numpy as np
 
+from ray.actor import ActorClass
 from ray.serve.config import BackendConfig, ReplicaConfig
 
 BackendTag = str
@@ -24,9 +25,7 @@ class EndpointInfo:
 
 
 class BackendInfo(BaseModel):
-    # TODO(architkulkarni): Add type hint for worker_class after upgrading
-    # cloudpickle and adding types to RayServeWrappedReplica
-    worker_class: Any
+    actor_def: Optional[ActorClass]
     version: Optional[str]
     backend_config: BackendConfig
     replica_config: ReplicaConfig
diff --git a/python/ray/serve/controller.py b/python/ray/serve/controller.py
index e1b52a720..4fed74e01 100644
--- a/python/ray/serve/controller.py
+++ b/python/ray/serve/controller.py
@@ -212,8 +212,9 @@ class ServeController:
         """Register a new backend under the specified tag."""
         async with self.write_lock:
             backend_info = BackendInfo(
-                worker_class=create_backend_replica(
-                    backend_tag, replica_config.serialized_backend_def),
+                actor_def=ray.remote(
+                    create_backend_replica(
+                        backend_tag, replica_config.serialized_backend_def)),
                 version=RESERVED_VERSION_TAG,
                 backend_config=backend_config,
                 replica_config=replica_config)
@@ -244,7 +245,7 @@ class ServeController:
                 raise ValueError(f"Backend {backend_tag} is not registered.")
 
             backend_info = BackendInfo(
-                worker_class=existing_info.worker_class,
+                actor_def=existing_info.actor_def,
                 version=existing_info.version,
                 backend_config=existing_info.backend_config.copy(
                     update=config_options.dict(exclude_unset=True)),
@@ -279,8 +280,9 @@ class ServeController:
 
         async with self.write_lock:
             backend_info = BackendInfo(
-                worker_class=create_backend_replica(
-                    name, replica_config.serialized_backend_def),
+                actor_def=ray.remote(
+                    create_backend_replica(
+                        name, replica_config.serialized_backend_def)),
                 version=version,
                 backend_config=backend_config,
                 replica_config=replica_config)
diff --git a/python/ray/serve/tests/test_backend_state.py b/python/ray/serve/tests/test_backend_state.py
index 8447aaaae..fe35793e0 100644
--- a/python/ray/serve/tests/test_backend_state.py
+++ b/python/ray/serve/tests/test_backend_state.py
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ def backend_info(version: Optional[str] = None,
                  num_replicas: Optional[int] = 1,
                  **config_opts) -> BackendInfo:
     return BackendInfo(
-        worker_class=None,
+        actor_def=None,
         version=version,
         backend_config=BackendConfig(num_replicas=num_replicas, **config_opts),
         replica_config=ReplicaConfig(lambda x: x))