Actress Denise Dowse of “Insecure” and “Beverly Hills” died at age 64
Sadly, veteran TV actress Denise Dowse has passed away following a battle with viral meningitis. Her appearances ranged from Beverly Hills, 90210 to Insecure. She was 64 years old.
Tracey Dowse, Dowse’s sister, made the announcement on Saturday via an Instagram post.
“I want to take this moment to thank our friends and family for all of the love and prayers,” she said. “It is with a very heavy heart that I inform everyone that my sister, Denise Dowse, has gone forward to meet our family in eternal life.”
She explained, “Denise Yvonne Dowse was the most amazing sister, a consummate, illustrious actress, mentor and director. She was my very best friend and final family member. Denise loved all of you. I know that she is watching over us with all the love she has.”
Earlier this month, after suffering meningitis, Dowse was hospitalised in a coma. In a Facebook post on August 6, Tracey urged her followers “I am requesting support and prayers be offered me and my sister, and my only immediate family Denise Dowse. She is currently in the hospital in a coma brought on by a virulent form of meningitis. Her doctors do not know when she will come out of the coma as it was not medically induced.”
Dowse played West Beverly Hills High vice principal Yvonne Teasley in twenty episodes of the Fox primetime serial Beverly Hills, 90210. She also appeared in Seinfeld, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and ER during the ’90s. (She also had a role in the NBC adolescent sitcom California Dreams, where she portrayed the vice principal on Saturday mornings.) Later, she reprised her role as Judge Rebecca Damsen on Simon Baker’s The Guardian, a CBS legal drama.
Dowse’s colleague on 90210, Ian Ziering, paid tribute to her on Instagram:
Dowse has also recently appeared on HBO’s Insecure as Dr. Rhonda Pine, Molly’s therapist, where she has a recurring role since Season 2. Ray, Starship Troopers, and Pleasantville are just a few of the movies in which she appeared.