Tiffani-Amber Thiessen Bio

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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.

Tiffani Thiessen: Early life

Thiessen was born in Long Beach, California, the daughter of Robyn, a homemaker, and Frank Thiessen, a park designer and landscape architect. 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." She credits her brother, Todd, as one of her most important sources of inspiration, and her mother and grandmother as role models. 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.

Tiffani Thiessen: Career

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. 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 seasons. 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 gone well so far, as most of her movies have been critical successes. 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.

Tiffani Thiessen: 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.

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