- Tiffani Thiessen
-
Tiffani Thiessen 
Tiffani Thiessen (2010)Born Tiffani Amber Thiessen
January 23, 1974
Long Beach, California,
USOccupation Actress, producer, director Years active 1989–present Spouse Brady Smith (m. 2005–present) Children 1 Tiffani Thiessen (born Tiffani-Amber Thiessen; January 23, 1974) is an American actress best known for her roles as Kelly Kapowski in Saved by the Bell and as Valerie Malone in Beverly Hills, 90210. She is also known for her role on Fastlane as Wilhelmina 'Billie' Chambers. As of 2009, she is also known for her current role of Elizabeth Burke, in USA Network show White Collar. After many years of going by her full name, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, she is now credited as simply Tiffani Thiessen.[1]
Contents
Early life
Thiessen was born in Long Beach, California, the daughter of Robyn, a homemaker, and Frank Thiessen, a park designer and landscape architect. She has two siblings; an older brother named Todd, an actor and avid professional cyclist, and a younger brother named Schuyler.[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, Turkish 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] She attended Cubberley Elementary and Marshall Junior High School in Long Beach. In 1992, Thiessen graduated as valedictorian at Valley Professional High School in Studio City, Los Angeles, California. 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
After a childhood of beauty pageants, Thiessen was crowned Miss Junior America in 1987 and a year later won Teen magazine's "Great Model Search" in 1988, by gracing the cover of that issue. At the age of 15, she auditioned for the role of Kelly Kapowski on the television show Saved by the Bell, which was highly publicized and received a great deal of fanfare from the same magazine that discovered her.[5] In the end, Thiessen's publicity from that magazine had landed her the role. She was nominated for, but did not win, the Young Artist Award for Outstanding Young Ensemble Cast. She was also nominated in 1989, 1991, and 1992. She continued to play the role of Kelly in the short-lived spin-off Saved by the Bell: The College Years. To broaden her visibility on television, Thiessen began making television appearances with guest starring roles on several television shows and television movies, as well as in film. Including Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style (1992), A Killer Among Friends (1992), Son in Law (1993), and Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas (1994). During her years while on Saved by the Bell, Thiessen was seen in guest roles on Charles in Charge (1990), Married... with Children (1990), The Hogan Family (1990), Step by Step (1992), and The Powers That Be (1992).
After her tenure on Saved by the Bell ended in 1994, producer Aaron Spelling then cast Thiessen in the hit teen-drama Beverly Hills, 90210 playing the bad girl vixen Valerie Malone (1994–98). Thiessen then began to take on dramatic roles in several made-for-television movies, including The Stranger Beside Me (1995), She Fought Alone (1995), Sweet Dreams (1996), and Buried Secrets (1996). Thiessen later guest-starred on NewsRadio (1999) and the sitcom Two Guys and a Girl and starred in the short-lived action drama series Fastlane. She also guest-starred on Just Shoot Me! (2001) playing Amy Watson and the short-lived Good Morning, Miami (2003–2004) playing Victoria Hill.
In 2002, she appeared in the film Hollywood Ending, directed by Woody Allen.
In 2005, Thiessen directed a 21-minute short film entitled, "Just Pray". It placed at several film festivals and was the first major effort from her latest 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 a potential love interest for Adam. In May 2007, ABC canceled the series.
On December 2, 2008, Thiessen was cast in White Collar, a USA Network television series.[6]
Thiessen appeared as a celebrity client for Lonni Paul, one of the final three contestants on the season 4 HGTV interior designing reality series Design Star, on the September 6, 2009 episode. Interior designer Lonni Paul was given the task of redesigning Thiessen's guest bedroom with an eco-friendly theme.Tiffani and her husband Brady Smith also appears in this episode.Tiffani and Lonni now have a nursery furniture line together called Petit Nest, http://www.petitnest.com/
Personal life
During the early and mid-1990s she dated Brian Austin Green.[7]
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.[8]
She married actor Brady Smith on July 9, 2005. On June 15, 2010, Thiessen gave birth to a daughter named Harper Renn Smith, who weighed 8 lbs. 3 oz. at birth.[9]
Thiessen served as maid of honor at 90210 co-star and best friend Jennie Garth's wedding to actor Peter Facinelli, with whom she co-starred on Fastlane.
Filmography
Year Title Role Notes 1989–1993 Saved by the Bell Kelly Kapowski TV series; credited as "Tiffani-Amber Thiessen" 1990 Married... with Children Heather McCoy 1 episode Charles in Charge Jennifer 1 episode 1992 Step by Step Tina Gordon 1 episode Blossom Ricki Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style Kelly Kapowski TV movie; credited as "Tiffani-Amber Thiessen" The Powers That Be Barbara A Killer Among Friends Jenny Monroe TV movie 1993 Son in Law Tracy 1993–1994 Saved by the Bell: The College Years Kelly Kapowski TV series; credited as "Tiffani-Amber Thiessen" 1994 Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas Kelly Kapowski TV movie; credited as "Tiffani-Amber Thiessen" 1994–1998 Beverly Hills, 90210 Valerie Malone TV series; credited as "Tiffani-Amber Thiessen" 1995 The Stranger Beside Me Jennifer Gallagher TV movie She Fought Alone Caitlin Rose TV movie 1996 Sweet Dreams Alison Sullivan TV movie Buried Secrets Annalisse Vellum TV movie (also co-producer) 1999 Speedway Junky Wilma Price From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money Pam Love Stinks Rebecca Melini/Juliette NewsRadio Foxy Jackson TV series 2000 Ivans XTC Marie Stein The Ladies Man Honey DeLune Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the Thirteenth Hagitha Utslay Two Guys and a Girl Marti TV series 2001 Everything But the Girl Denise TV movie A Christmas Adventure from a Book Called Wisely's Tales Vixen (voice) Just Shoot Me! Amy Watson 3 episodes 2002 Hollywood Ending Sharon Bates 2002–2003 Fastlane Wilhelmina 'Billie' Chambers TV series 2005 Just Pray Short film (director) 2006 Stroller Wars Lainey TV series 2007 Pandemic Kayla Martin TV movie What About Brian Natasha Drew TV Series 2008 Cyborg Soldier Lindsey Reardon 2009–present White Collar Elizabeth Burke TV series Award nominations
- 2003 – Choice TV Actress: Drama, "Fastlane"
- 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
- ^ "TV STUFF: Tiffani Drops Amber". Hollywood.com. March 29, 2000. http://www.hollywood.com/news/TV_STUFF_Tiffani_Drops_Amber/312130. Retrieved November 12, 2007.[dead link]
- ^ Tiffani Thiessen Biography (1974–)
- ^ "Tiffani-Amber Thiessen—Star of Beverly Hills 90210". Tiffani Thiessen fansite. November 1998. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20071012183115/http://tiffanithiessen.org/articles/article031.html. Retrieved November 14, 2007.
- ^ "Tiffani Thiessen's interview". Tiffani Thiessen fansite. Archived from the original on November 4, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20071104164035/http://www.tiffanithiessen.org/articles/article003.html. Retrieved November 14, 2007.
- ^ Making the Connection. "Making the Connection"]. Juicee News Daily. August 2005. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/themaxsbtbsite/Show_History.html&date=2009-10-25+23:00:49 Making the Connection.]. Retrieved August 19, 2005.[dead link]
- ^ Mitovich, Matt. "Exclusive: Diahann Carroll joins USA Network pilot". TV Guide. December 2, 2008. Retrieved on December 2, 2008.
- ^ "Interview at people.com". http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20105065,00.html.
- ^ "Richard Ruccolo at Hollywood.com". http://www.hollywood.com/celebrity/Richard_Ruccolo/191142.
- ^ http://celebritybabies.people.com/2010/06/15/tiffani-thiessen-welcomes-daughter-harper-renn/
External links
Categories:- 1974 births
- Actors from California
- American child actors
- American film actors
- American film directors
- American film producers
- American television actors
- American voice actors
- Female film directors
- Living people
- People from Long Beach, California
- American people of German descent
- American people of Greek descent
- American people of Turkish descent
- American people of Welsh descent
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
