LOS ANGELES – Tiffani Thiessen has been a household name since she was a teenager, first as Kelly Kapowski on Saved by the Bell and later as Valerie Malone on Beverly Hills, 90210. But for the past two decades, the actress has shared her life with a man who, hilariously, had never seen the show that made her famous.
That man is Brady Smith, an actor, artist, and author who has been married to Thiessen since 2005. The couple has built a quiet but enduring Hollywood marriage, one that thrives on teamwork, shared creativity, and a mutual commitment to family.
Who Is Brady Smith?
Brady Smith is a Houston, Texas native who started his career in business, running his own illustration and design company called Brady Smith Creative. He eventually moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting, landing guest roles on shows like CSI: Vegas, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Parks and Recreation.
He and Thiessen even acted together in an episode of White Collar in 2011. But Smith’s creative pursuits extend well beyond the screen. He’s also a painter and a children’s book author and illustrator.
How They Met
The couple’s origin story is a classic Hollywood setup. In 2004, Smith made a guest appearance on What I Like About You, and Thiessen’s former 90210 co-star Jennie Garth introduced them. They hit it off immediately.
Smith proposed within the same year, and he did it in a way that was deeply personal. He created a handmade book titled The Tiffani & Brady Chronicles, filled with memories from their time together. On the last page, he drew himself on one knee. When she turned to that page, he got down on one knee for real.
They married on July 9, 2005.
The Funny Detail About Their First Meeting
For a woman who became a cultural icon through Saved by the Bell, Smith had a surprising gap in his pop culture knowledge. He had never watched a single episode of the show before they met.
“He had heard of the show, but he had never watched it,” Thiessen told People. “Not in the least. Not one episode.” She added that he had “no idea” she played Kelly Kapowski. It’s the kind of detail that makes their relationship feel refreshingly normal, untouched by the trappings of her early fame.
Their Two Children
Brady and Tiffani share two children: daughter Harper Renn, born in 2010, and son Holt Fisher, born in 2015. Harper, now a teenager, has shown interest in following her mother into acting, appearing in front of a camera in what looked like a commercial.
Thiessen has spoken about the importance of raising Harper with a healthy self-image. “When I feel good, my daughter sees that,” she told the Los Angeles Times. “I want to teach her that eating right and exercising and being healthy is what’s important, not what size jeans you wear.”
A Creative Partnership
The Smiths have collaborated on several projects beyond their acting careers. They co-authored a children’s book called You’re Missing It!, which Smith illustrated. The book focuses on a father who’s distracted by his phone while his son tries to get his attention, a gentle lesson about being present.
Smith has also written and illustrated other children’s titles, including I’m Getting a Shark! and Bug Sandwich. He appeared alongside Thiessen on her Cooking Channel series Dinner at Tiffani’s, which ran for three seasons from 2015 to 2017.
What Keeps Their Marriage Strong
In a 2025 appearance on the Dad Edge Podcast, Smith opened up about how he and Thiessen navigate their busy lives as parents and professionals. He emphasized that their relationship is built on respect and teamwork, with both of them supporting each other’s goals and staying aligned on family values.
He also shared that they prioritize quality time over quantity and work to model emotional resilience for their children. It’s a philosophy that seems to have served them well through more than two decades of marriage in an industry where longevity is rare.
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