Tiffani Thiessen

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Tiffani Thiessen
Tiffani Thiessen at the Las Vegas Grand Prix Charity Gala.
Born	Tiffany Amber Thiessen January 23, 1974 (1974-01-23) (age 34) Long Beach, California, United States
Other name(s)	Tiff
Occupation	Actress
Spouse(s)	Brady Smith (2005-Present)

Tiffani Thiessen (born Tiffany-Amber Thiessen on January 23, 1974 in Long Beach, California) is an American television and film actress. After many years of going by her birth name, she is now credited as simply Tiffani Thiessen.^[1]

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

She was born in Long Beach, California; her father, Frank, was a park designer and her mother, Robyn, was a homemaker. She is of German, Greek, Turkish and Welsh descent. She told InStyle: "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."^[2] She credits her brother, Todd, as one of her most important sources of inspiration, and her mother and grandmother as her role models.^[3] Her uncle, Roger Ernest, who attended college with Steven Spielberg and co-wrote one of his student films called Slipstream, and who appeared in Close Encounters of the Third Kind and The Sugarland Express playing a cop in both films, was the person who had first suggested that his niece enter show business.

[edit] Career

Her first big break in show business was her role on the television program Saved By The Bell, as nice girl Kelly Kapowski, a role she continued playing in the short lived Saved by the Bell: The College Years. This was very different from her next major role, as a duplicitous vixen, Valerie Malone, on Beverly Hills, 90210.

She later guest-starred in the sitcom Two Guys and a Girl and the short-lived action show Fastlane, as well as guest-starring on Just Shoot Me!. 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, she released a short (21 minute) film she had directed 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 relationship drama What About Brian, playing the boss of Brian, and a potential love interest for Adam. However, in May 2007 ABC officially canceled the series.

[edit] Personal life

During her Saved By The Bell and Beverly Hills, 90210 career she dated actor Brian Austin Green for about 7 years.

In March of 1999, her then-boyfriend, actor David Strickland, committed suicide. From October 2001 to April 2003, she was engaged to actor Richard Ruccolo, whom she had met during the Two Guys and a Girl run. On July 9, 2005, she married actor Brady Smith in Montecito, California.

Thiessen is a part of the Make-a-Wish Foundation. In February 2006, she accepted an invitation to serve on the National Advisory Council for the organization.

[edit] Filmography

[edit] Award nominations

Teen Choice Awards

• 2003 - Choice TV Actress: Drama, "Fastlane" - (Nominated)

Young Artist Awards

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

[edit] 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.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official Home Page
• Tiffani Thiessen at the Internet Movie Database
• tit 4 tat Productions - Tiffani Thiessen's own production company. Includes profile of Thiessen.
• Tiffani Thiessen biography
• Rave - Tiffani Thiessen fansite