Beverly Hills, 90210 stars Tori Spelling and Jennie Garth have paid tribute to their former castmate Denise Dowse, who passed away on August 13 after contracting meningitis. She was 64.
Speaking about Dowse’s death on their 90210MG podcast, Garth said, “It’s unbelievable to me, and I can’t imagine how devastated her family is, her sister, everyone that knew her. It’s just shocking — these kind of deaths are the hardest, I think.”
“She was so easy to work with and so encouraging,” Spelling recalled. “She knew I was super nervous, and that was the day I was like, ‘Thank goodness that big scene was with her.’ She always gave the best hugs on set.”
Dowse played Yvonne Teasley in the hit Fox series, a Vice Principal of West Beverly Hills High School. While her character could be strict, she was also compassionate and became a respected administrator among the students who often interacted with her.
“There was just something about Denise that was so easy,” Garth added. “She was like your oldest friend, and she would show up on set and then she’d be in a scene… it was just so natural being around her and working with her. She was such a warm, kind woman [and] a really respected and prolific actress.”
In addition to her role on Beverly Hills, 90210, Dowse was also known for playing Judge Rebecca Damsen on the CBS drama The Guardian and, more recently, Dr. Rhonda Pine on the HBO comedy-drama Insecure. She also appeared in series such as All of Us, Criminal Minds, Secrets and Lies, Imposters, and many more.
On August 7, Dowse’s sister Tracey revealed on Instagram that the 90210 actress had been hospitalized and was in a coma due to contracting meningitis. By August 13, Tracey sadly announced that her sister had died.
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