• Tiffani Thiessen Is Torn Between Work and Motherhood

  People - Found May. 15, 2009 With a TV career heating up again and a biological clock ticking, Tiffani Thiessen is debating whether she wants to have kids or stay busy working. ...

• TV Guide Network Announces "Hollywood Summer Movies" Line-up for ...

  Reuters - Found Jun. 29, 2009 LOVE STINKS stars Jason Bateman, Tiffani Thiessen, Tyra Banks, French Stewart, Bridgette Wilson and Bill Bellamy. TV Guide Network Announces ?Hollywood Summer Movies? Line-up for ... - PR inside TV Guide Network Announces "Hollywood Summer Movies" Line-up for ... - Forbes.com TV Guide Network Announces ?Hollywood Summer Movies? Line-up for ... - Earthtimes.org Explore All

• Kelly Kapowski Thwarts Fallons Saved by the Bell Reunion

  New York Magazine - Found Jun. 20, 2009 Tiffani Thiessen ? who played the show's Kelly Kapowski ? is reportedly the only principal cast member unwilling to participate in Jimmy Fallon's ...

• Thiessen holds up 'Saved by the Bell' reunion

  Fox 23 New York - Found Jun. 18, 2009 Actress Tiffani Thiessen poses for a picture at the Disney/ABC Television Group All Star Party held at the Ritz Carlton Hotel on January 14, 2007 in

• Stars shine with wine

  Penticton Herald - Found Jun. 16, 2009 ?It was a wonderful invitation from my old friend, Jason Priestley,? said Tiffani Thiessen, an actress from TV shows Saved by the Bell and...

• Blab Blab Blab: Segel and Rudd?H'wood's Cutest Couple?

  EOnline.com - Found Jun. 15, 2009 Terry O'Quinn','Thandie Newton','Thomas Calabro','Thomas Haden Church','Thora Birch','Tiffani Thiessen','Tiffany','Tilda Swinton','Tim Allen...

• Broadway Bares all

  Examiner.com - Found Jun. 18, 2009 Q-Tip, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Johnny Galecki, Rachel Dratch, Carla Gugino, Gloria Steinem, Tiffani Thiessen, Patti LuPone, Marc Anthony...

• Thiessen holds up 'Saved by the Bell' reunion

  ABC Action News - Found Jun. 18, 2009 Tiffani Thiessen is unsure about participating in a full-cast reunion of TV show Saved by the Bell, according to reports.

• Thiessen holds up 'Saved by the Bell' reunion

  Kentucky Post - Found Jun. 18, 2009 Actress Tiffani Thiessen poses for a picture at the Disney/ABC Television Group All Star Party held at the Ritz Carlton Hotel on January 14, 2007 in

• A 'Saved by the Bell' reunion?

  CNN - Found Jun. 9, 2009 ... yesterday?s strong showing by Voorhies at number 14 and Tiffani Thiessen (Kelly) -­- formerly known as Tiffani Amber Thiessen ­? at... WATCH: Mark-Paul Gosselaar’s Hair-Raising Experience â€" ... - People Jimmy Fallon 'Bell' reunion: Zack in! - Entertainment Weekly Online VIDEO: Mark-Paul Gosselaar Dishes on His Blond Bell Locks - People Zack Attacks Late Night With Jimmy Fallon - EOnline.com Explore All

Tiffani Thiessen
Tiffani Thiessen (2007).
Born	Tiffani-Amber Thiessen January 23, 1974 (1974-01-23) (age 35) Long Beach, California, United States
Occupation	Actress, producer
Years active	1989–present
Spouse(s)	Brady Smith (2005-Present)

Tiffani Thiessen (born Tiffani-Amber Thiessen; January 23, 1974) is an American actress known for her roles as Kelly Kapowski in Saved by the Bell and as Valerie Malone in Beverly Hills, 90210. After many years of going by her full name, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, she is now credited as simply Tiffani Thiessen.¹

Early life

Thiessen was born in Long Beach, California, the daughter of Robyn, a homemaker, and Frank Thiessen, a park designer and landscape architect.² Her father is of German descent and her mother is of Greek, Turkish and Welsh descent. Thiessen told InStyle magazine: "I'm a mutt. I have so much of everything in me, and half of it I don't even know. German on one side, Greek and Welsh on the other. My mom is very olive-skinned; I get my blue eyes from my dad."³ She credits her brother, Todd, as one of her most important sources of inspiration, and her mother and grandmother as role models.⁴ Her uncle, Roger Ernest, attended college with Steven Spielberg and co-wrote one of his student films called Slipstream. Her uncle also appeared in Close Encounters of the Third Kind and The Sugarland Express, playing a police officer in both films. Ernest was the first person to suggest that Thiessen enter show business.

Career

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After a childhood of beauty pageants, Thiessen was crowned Miss Junior America in 1987 and won Teen magazine's "Great Model Search" in 1988, gracing the cover of that issue. At the age of fifteen, she auditioned for the role of Kelly Kapowski on the television program Saved by the Bell, which was publicized and given a great deal of fanfare by the same magazine.⁵ In the end, Thiessen got the role. Her character was popular on the show and within the industry and in 1989 she was nominated for the Young Artist Award for Outstanding Young Ensemble Cast, also being nominated in 1991 and 1992, but did not win. The show was so successful that the six main cast members were immortalized in toy form when a 12 inch doll was made of each character. She continued to play Kelly Kapowski, in the short-lived Saved by the Bell: The College Years. Thiessen began to appear in guest roles on several television film, including Hawaiian Style, A Killer Among Friends, Son in Law, and Wedding in Las Vegas. During the years of Saved by the Bell, Thiessen was seen in guest roles on shows like Charles in Charge (1990), Married... with Children episode What Goes Around Came Around as Heather McCoy (1990), The Hogan Family (1990), Step by Step (1992), and The Powers That Be (1992).

After Saved by the Bell, Thiessen went through many television movies, and also a small role alongside Pauly Shore in the comedy Son in Law in 1993. Thiessen then went on to appear in films including The Stranger Beside Me (1995), She Fought Alone (1995), Sweet Dreams (1996), and Buried Secrets (1996). In 1994, Thiessen was cast in the hit teen-drama Beverly Hills, 90210 playing Valerie Malone. Her role was very different from her previous roles, playing a naive, and a fun young woman but also a trouble maker at times. She portrayed her role as Valerie Malone for five season. She created lots of love triangles and was in the middle of them most of the time. She played the role of Valerie Malone for four and a half years (seasons 5-8 and seven episodes in the 9th season).

Thiessen later guest-starred in the sitcom Two Guys and a Girl and starred in the short-lived action show Fastlane, as well as guest-starring on Just Shoot Me! playing Amy Watson. Her transition to film has not gone well so far, as most of her movies have been critically panned. In 2002, she appeared in the film Hollywood Ending, directed by Woody Allen.

In 2005, Thiessen directed a 21-minute film called Just Pray. It placed at several film festivals and was the first major effort from her new production company, Tit 4 Tat Productions.

In January 2007, Thiessen joined the cast of ABC's drama What About Brian, playing the boss of Brian, and potential love interest for Adam. However, in May 2007, ABC officially canceled the series.

On December 2. 2008, TV Guide reported that Thiessen has been cast in White Collar, a new USA Networks pilot.⁶

Personal life

From October 2001 to March 2003, she was engaged to actor Richard Ruccolo, whom she had met during the Two Guys and a Girl run.⁷

She is married to actor Brady Smith (July 9, 2005-present)

Filmography

Award nominations

Teen Choice Awards

• 2003 - Choice TV Actress: Drama, "Fastlane"

Young Artist Awards

• 1989 - Outstanding Young Ensemble Cast, "Saved by the Bell"
• 1991 - Best Young Actress Starring in an Off-Prime Time or Cable Series, "Saved by the Bell"
• 1992 - Best Young Actress in an Off-Prime Time Series, "Saved by the Bell"

Radio

• Recorded a public service announcement for Deejay Ra's 'Hip-Hop Literacy' campaign
• She was featured in the following music videos:
  • "You're a God" by Vertical Horizon
  • "American Television" by Australian artist Ben Lee.

References

External links

• Official website
• Tiffani Thiessen at the Internet Movie Database
• tit 4 tat Productions - Thiessen's production company. Includes her profile.
• Biography at TV.com
• Fansite