Answering the ‘Bell,’ but in a mom role
Tiffani Thiessen admits that her work life has been “pretty surreal” these days.
That’s because the actress — who first made a splash as cheerleader Kelly Kapowski on the beloved ’90s teen sitcom “Saved By the Bell” — is now playing the mother of a teenager in the Netflix sitcom “Alexa & Katie,” working on the very same sound stage where she shot “Bell” for four seasons some 30 years ago.
The stakes run a little higher in “A&K,” which follows two high school besties, rebellious Alexa (Paris Berelc) and rulefollowing Katie (Isabel May), as they run the standard gauntlet of teen angst, but with one extra hitch — Alexa has cancer. Thiessen plays Alexa’s clingy but well-meaning mom, Lori. Season 3 premiered Dec. 30.
At 45, Thiessen hasn’t lost that cheerleader charm. Married and a mother of two, she recently spoke with Newsday contributor Joseph V. Amodio. What I like about the show is the way it deals with cancer, but not CAAAANCER. It’s an element in this family’s life but isn’t all-consuming.
Alexa wants to have a normal high school experience as much as possible. We’re also showcasing this friendship between girls who’ve been friends since they were little. That’s huge for girls.
This show is like coming full circle for you.
I’m playing the mom to kids the same age as I was when I started out — and on the same (sound) stage. It’s kind of cool to watch these two young girls at work — to see the innocence about it. The eagerness. The excitement. I’m almost reliving it through their eyes, which is really fun. Have they asked for your advice?
Very much. Paris (Berelc, who plays her daughter on the show) comes to me still ... and we’re not even shooting right now. She texts me for advice. She’s a hard-working, very smart girl. And she’s seen that I am still working. She’s seen my work ethic. So she’s asked for my opinion often, which is sweet.