Tiffani Thiessen rose to fame as Kelly Kapowski on Saved by the Bell in the ’90s, but she’s barely changed since her teen idol days.
The brunette beauty, who played the iconic Bayside High cheerleader on the beloved teen sitcom from 1989 to 1993, continued her role as Kapowski on the short-lived series Saved by the Bell: The College Years. She finally married Zack Morris in Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas in 1994. (Yes, over 30 years ago!) Of course, her post-Saved by the Bell years led Thiessen not too far away from Bayside High. She landed on Beverly Hills, 90210 as the troublemaker Valerie Malone, where she caused chaos for 5 seasons before departing. These days, Thiessen is thriving as a social media influencer and actress known for sharing her delicious recipes online.
On Friday, Thiessen celebrated another milestone: Her 52nd birthday.
“On set birthday,” Thiessen captioned an Instagram video, which showed her bundled up in warm clothing and stomping it out in front of a storage locker while “Birthday” by The Beatles plays. She still has the same moves she had while dancing it out at Bayside High!
While that video is a bit far away, a closer one shows how little Thiessen has changed in recent years. It’s hard to believe it’s been over 35 years since Saved by the Bell first premiered!
The Potential For Another Saved by the Bell Reboot
Saved by the Bell was back in action… for a short amount of time, at least. A reboot of the series aired on Peacock for two seasons from November 2020 to December 2021, and starred Thiessen as her beloved character, who was still married to her longtime love, Zack Morris. However, the reboot didn’t stick. When asked if she thought another one was possible, Thiessen spoke candidly.
“I don’t think so. I think they tried it,” she told PEOPLE last year. Even though it didn’t last, Thiessen made it clear she “loved the reboot.”
“It only lasted two seasons, sadly,” she added. “[But] who knows? There are other shows that are in my sort of realm that are further along in possibly getting a reboot.”
This story was originally published by Parade on Jan 23, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.