“Beverly Hills, 90210” alums Jennie Garth and Tori Spelling have paid tribute to their late co-star Denise Dowse, who played Mrs. Yvonne Teasley on the beloved Fox show.
Dowse died at 64, and news of her death was announced over the weekend, so to honor their late co-star, Garth and Spelling dedicated the latest episode of their “90210MG” podcast to the actress and filmmaker, with Garth calling Dowse “such a warm, kind woman” during the show.
Garth and Spelling shared fond memories of working with the actress, who played Vice Principal Mrs. Teasley across the show’s lengthy run in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s.
“[She was] at our wedding – Donna and David’s wedding. Mrs. Teasley was there,” Spelling recounted. “it’s so interesting, because when I thought back, I’d forgotten she was in the wedding episode. And in my mind, I was like, ‘Gosh, we were so close with her and she loved us so much. And we loved her so much that she just came back to visit except that’s what my memory was. And I was like, no, she kept being in episodes along the 10 seasons, even after we weren’t in high school anymore.”
Garth said Dowse “was like your oldest friend and she just would show up on set and then she’d be in a scene and then it would be – like it was just so natural being around her and working with her was so easy.”
Spelling said her very first important dramatic scene on “90210” was with Dowse, and she was grateful to have had the actress for support in those moments.
“My first big scheme with her was when Donna had a learning disability. And I was so nervous. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I have to do drama.’ I hadn’t done much, aside from being like the sidekick on the show,” Spelling said. “And she was so easy to work with and so encouraging. She knew I was super nervous. And that was the day that was just like, ‘Oh my gosh, thank goodness my big scene was with her.’ Yeah, and she always gave the best hugs on set.”