Former child model and pageant winner turned successful TV actor, usually in roles of the prom queen vein. Thiessen began professionally posing at age seven, appearing in both print and TV ads as well as catalogues. After winning the title Miss Junior America in 1987, she moved to series TV, playing the squeaky clean girlfriend of the conniving Zach on the wildly popular Saturday morning teen hit, 'Saved By The Bell' (NBC, 1988-93). The success of that series spawned several 'Saved' TV-movies and a short-lived primetime spin-off, 'Saved By The Bell: The College Years' (NBC, 1993-94). After making her feature debut in the Pauly Shore vehicle 'Son-in-Law' (1993), Thiessen switched from playing wholesome to raising hell as troubled mini-diva Valerie Malone on Fox's 'Beverly Hills, 90210'. Producers hoped that Thiessen's character would do for 'Beverly Hills' what Heather Locklear did for 'Melrose Place', that is, add a bracing dose of bitchiness to spice things up.
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