You may recognize Tiffani Thiessen from her iconic roles in Saved By the Bell, Beverly Hills, 90210 and White Collar. She also had a hand in bringing all of the memorable fashion and trends of the ‘90s to life, and now, Thiessen is going back in time by partnering with Chili’s to promote May’s newest margarita, nostalgically named the Radical Rita.
First for Women had the opportunity to chat with Thiessen and discuss her sweet partnership and connection to Chili’s, ‘90s nostalgia and what it was like to portray her most memorable characters.
First for Women: Tell us about your partnership with Chili’s and what drew you to wanting to promote the Radical Rita.
Christopher Polk / Contributor
Tiffani Thiessen: I have a nostalgic sort of connection to Chili’s. The story is kind of sweet and fun from literally the beginning of dating my husband. We used to meet up at Chili’s all the time with our friends. We used to train a lot for marathons and triathlons and so it was always our fun Sunday after training that we would all meet at the local Chili’s, and we would eat and drink and literally have a blast.
FFW: And the name Radical Rita is so fun.
Thiessen: We had a couple of different names, and I’m actually really excited that they chose this one. I think it was my favorite.
FFW: The name and campaign are also a reference to the ‘90s. If you think back to that era, what was your go-to drink then?
Thiessen: I do love a good margarita, but I’m trying to think of what I used to order in the ‘90s. I feel like back then I wasn’t drinking wine. I don’t even think I was drinking margaritas. I feel like I was drinking the stupid fad stuff like Zima or Red Bull and Vodka. I feel like that was really popular back in the ‘90s. I would say probably later in my twenties is when I started going to Europe and really learning about wine. In the early ‘90s, I was trying all those drinks, like Smirnoff Ice. I remember those being really popular.
FFW: Of course, the ‘90s were such a moment in time and the trends are making their comeback. Are there any specific trends that you would like to see come back or ones that you hope to never see again?
MediaPunch / Contributor
Thiessen: I feel like the ones that are meant to be are here. The baggy jeans are really big. I loved the choker. I thought that was such a cool look, and I kind of wished it would come back a little bit heavier than it did… I’m very happy that the big bangs and all that kind of stuff is not back. I do not need to use that amount of hairspray ever again. But I love some of the fashion and stuff that I’m seeing my daughter wear right now.
FFW: You starred on two of the most popular shows of the eighties and nineties, Saved by the Bell and Beverly Hills, 90210. What was it like being a part of such culturally significant shows?
NBC / Courtesy: Everett Collection.
Thiessen: It definitely felt normal to me, but looking back on it, definitely, it can be pretty crazy to think those shows had such impact for people. But for me, it was a job that I enjoyed. I got to travel and experience some things that I never would’ve experienced if I wasn’t on those shows.
Traveling all through Europe when I was on Saved by the Bell, and we were getting to do autograph signings and mall meet and greets and things like that—if I wasn’t on the show, I probably wouldn’t have been able to do it. I look back at those things and I’m super grateful that I got to do all that at such a young age. I’m still very close to a lot of my past cast members and those relationships I hold very near to me.
Jeff Kravitz / Contributor
FFW: The characters on each show, Kelly and Valerie, are totally different — Kelly is this All-American girl while Valerie is more of the rebellious, bad girl. Do you prefer playing a character more like Kelly or taking on a darker role?
Thiessen: I think most actors would tell you playing a role different than yourself is more entertaining. The evil, bad [characters] are always more fun because you’re getting to play something totally different. So yeah, she [Valerie] was super fun to do.
FFW: Was it strange portraying two completely different characters back-to-back?
Courtesy of Everett Collection
Thiessen: Oh, I think I was so up for it. I couldn’t wait. I was excited to join a show that was already really popular, and I was excited to be a part of something that was big like that, but also very different for me. I was very excited to actually get the opportunity to do that.
FFW: If you could go back to any of your past roles, is there one that sticks out that you would like to take on again?
David Giesbrecht / © USA NETWORK / courtesy everett collection
Thiessen: That’s hard. I think they were all very different periods in my life, and I enjoyed every single one of them, truly for different reasons. There’s been a lot of talk with, of course, White Collar and the script, and hopefully having that show come back. It would be super fun to go back to New York and work with that cast, but it’s hard to pick just one out of so many that I’ve been very fortunate to have.
FFW: You and your husband are both actors and you have two children. Have either of them shown interest in acting? What advice would you give them if they do?
Thiessen: They haven’t shown any interest. They’re very into their sports and school and friends and all that kind of stuff, so we are not pushing at all. I would be very open and supportive in anything they’d want to do. So, I think we’ll cross that bridge if we get to it, but it’s not really a part of our world right now.
FFW: Are there any other projects that you’re working on right now that you’d like to share with our audience?
Thiessen: I think to be able to be in this business for a long time, I love that I get to say that I’m still getting to do this. I definitely have a couple projects in development right now, so hopefully they’ll see the light of day. And super excited to be a part of a really fun little campaign with Chili’s, because it’s very nostalgic for me as well, and I hope everybody enjoys it, so it’ll be fun.