‘Saved by the Bell’ star Tiffani Thiessen says she needs a hip replacement at 52 after painful diagnosis

Tiffani Thiessen’s active lifestyle has hit a painful roadblock after the “Saved by the Bell” star learned she was dealing with more than just the usual aches and pains. The 52-year-old actress shared her diagnosis and revealed she has to have a hip replacement during an appearance on the podcast “Breaking Bread with Tom Papa.”

“I was a dancer when I was younger, which was a good thing,” Thiessen explained. “I have a torn labrum. That’s one issue I have.” She jokingly warned, “This is what happens. Just wait. You guys just wait.” She added: “And then I found out going to my second opinion that I’m basically a German shepherd. I have hip dysplasia.”

Thiessen suggested her flexibility as a child, which helped her to dance, might have caused her hip issues. “I hear that hip replacements aren’t as bad as knee and shoulder,” she added.

Her painful condition eventually forced her to put one of her favorite pastimes on hold. “My doctor didn’t say it was pickleball, but it probably hasn’t helped,” she admitted. “I have not been able to play in the last couple weeks because my hip’s been so bad.” She often plays alongside her son, who started playing less than a year ago and is now starting to beat her.

While her hip problems forced her to slow down physically, Thiessen showed no signs of wanting to step away from Hollywood. She began modeling and appearing in commercials as a child, winning the Miss Junior America title in 1987. Her big break came in 1989 when she landed the role of Kelly Kapowski on “Saved by the Bell,” which established her as a teen idol.

In 1994, she joined the cast of “Beverly Hills, 90210” as Valerie Malone. She now stars as Miss Graves, the head of a supernatural boarding school, in “Coven Academy,” and voiced She-Hulk in the 2024 animated special “LEGO Marvel Avengers: Mission Demolition.”

Decades after becoming a household name, Thiessen said her biggest career goal has little to do with fame or recognition. “It’s more just wanting to continue to have the opportunity to do it,” she said. “As we get older, that starts to get smaller. And so the fact that I get to still do what I love is really what is most important to me.” She credited working with the younger generation of actors with keeping her outlook youthful.