Tiffani-Amber
Thiessen doesn't have a whole lot of time to talk. It's Monday afternoon, and on
Wednesday the movers are coming to take all her belongings to a new suburban L.A. house
that she bought with her own money. She's 19 years old, and you could say she's definitely
made it. In fact, by the time she landed the part of Kelly Kapowski in the Saturday
morning TV hit "Saved by the Bell" in 1989, she was already a total 'TEEN
success story!
Her career has its roots in dance classes. Tiffani-Amber's mom enrolled her at 5 "for
fun," and the girl stuck with it for 10 years. She might have made professional
dancer status, except for some serious knee problems that finally turned her in a
different direction--modeling.
Good thing for 'TEEN too! After entering many pageants and doing a lot of catalog
modeling, Tiffani-Amber took a chance and signed up for 'TEEN's GREAT MODEL SEARCH|R~ in
1987. She was 13 at the time, and though she didn't win that year, she did make the top 12
finalists.
Determined to try again, Tiffani-Amber entered again the next year. "'TEEN Magazine,
of course, was like my favorite magazine in the whole world," she remembers. "I
was definitely surprised when I won, 'cause that year those girls were absolutely
gorgeous." From there, she became a 'TEEN cover girl and quickly moved into TV roles,
including a series regular on "Saved by the Bell."
Animal House
A call comes in for her. It's a good friend on the other line--namely Brian Austin Green
of "Beverly Hills, 90210"--who's rung up to tell her he just got off work, and
he'll be over shortly. When she comes back to talk to 'TEEN, the conversation veers in
other directions--like about the Vietnamese potbellied pig Brian bought her, a black
female named Betty. He also gave Luke Perry his pig Violet from the same litter.
"Brian and I have been friends for a long time, and he knew I lived by myself. He was
always like, 'You need a pet around here,' and I'd say, 'I know,'" Tiffani-Amber
explains. "So I was on my way to go get a dog when he drops by with this pig. I've
collected pigs since I was really little, miniature pigs and stuff like that, so it was
pretty funny.
"Brian has a white male named Morrison," Tiffani-Amber continues. "And my
Betty is just the sweetest thing. She's really, really cute. They're actually very smart
animals. They're a lot like dogs; they really are."
She should know. In addition to Betty, Tiffani-Amber also owns two golden retriever
puppies named Bonnie and Clyde! Totally '90s Girl
As she speaks, it becomes clear that here's a girl of the '90s, no doubt about it.
Tiffani-Amber Thiessen is strong, thoughtful and totally independent. And that's a big
part of what makes her appealing--and what's made her a success, both personally and
professionally.
"I'm a very spiritual person," she confesses, "and to know that now women
are able to do just as much as men is really great...Working for myself and being young
and being a woman, I can finally get respect from people...I mean, here I'm 19 years old,
I've got my own house, I've got my career set--nobody can tell me I can't do it."
So where did Tiffani-Amber get her drive to succeed? "In this business, you've got to
take a lot of rejection--and you can't take it personally," she says. "If you're
not chosen, you're either not ready or not right for it. My mom used to tell me that a
quitter never wins, and a winner never quits. And that's something I've always gone
by."
What's Up Next
In Son-in-Law, a comedy/romance to be released in July and also starring funny guy Pauly
Shore, Tiffani-Amber plays Tracy, "the town flirt. She knows she can turn men's
heads. She's having a secret relationship with the main character's boyfriend, but a lot
happens at the end, and I don't want to say 'cause it'll give it away. It's actually a
very cute movie.
Just the Facts
Birthday: January 23, 1974
Native of: Modesto, Calif.
Siblings: Two brothers--Todd, 24; Schyler, 16
Best friend: Candace. "I've known her since 8th grade, and she was the only one who
didn't care who I was. It didn't matter. We had a lot in common, and she liked me for me.
She's a sweetheart."
If she wasn't acting, she'd be: "In college studying psychology. Someday I'm
definitely going to go to school and become a child psychologist. I really love
children."
Personal inspirations: "My brother Todd's been a really big inspiration to me. He's
had a lot of problems, and how he's come out of it is just amazing. Knowing someone who's
been at the bottom and completely restructured themselves...makes me think I could do
anything. I have total respect for him."
Important lessons: "Since I'm into modeling, I know young girls always try to watch
their weight and what they look like. And it is important to some extent but...I've known
girls who've gone through a lot of problems with dieting, and it's not worth it. It's
terrible to think that our society has to be tall, skinny and beautiful. It's really
horrible that we have to look like that--and it's not worth it. It really isn't. I've met
a lot of beautiful people who don't have anything inside."
School days: Since success found Tiffani-Amber so early, she's never actually been a high
school student in the usual sense. Throughout her high school years, she was tutored. From
that experience, she says, "I've gotten to meet and work with a lot of wonderful
people, and I've traveled to a lot of different places. I don't think I would've been able
to do that if I'd gone to normal school. But also I didn't get to go to the prom or be in
the high school clubs and hang around with my friends a lot either, so there are negatives
and positives."
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