# Denise Dowse

Denise Yvonne Dowse (February 21, 1958 – August 13, 2022) was an American actress. She was best known for her roles as Mrs. Yvonne Teasley in the television series Beverly Hills, 90210 (1991–2000), Judge Rebecca Damsen in The Guardian (2001–2004), and Dr. Rhonda Pine in Insecure.
Dowse's film roles included Olivia Biggs in Bio-Dome (1996), Sky Marshal Meru in Starship Troopers (1997), Judge Constance Mullen in A Civil Action (1998), Marlene Andre in Ray, Principal Garrison in Coach Carter (2005), and Flora in The Call (2013).

## Early life

Denise Yvonne Dowse was born on February 21, 1958, in Honolulu, Hawaii, the daughter of a naval officer. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Norfolk State University.

## Career

Dowse started acting in 1989, playing Angela Quartermane in an episode of the television series Almost There.
From 1989, she appeared in numerous TV series, such as ALF, Full House, Murphy Brown, Seinfeld, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, ER, Charmed, Shark, The Mentalist, Monk, and House.
Dowse appeared in the 2005 comedy film Guess Who, featuring Bernie Mac and Ashton Kutcher.
Dowse became best known for her role of Yvonne Teasley on Beverly Hills, 90210, after appearing as Judge Rebecca Damsen on The Guardian from 2001 through 2004. From 1993 to 1994, she appeared as a recurring character known as Vice Principal McBride in the television series California Dreams.
From 2000 to 2004, she provided the voice of Officer Shirley in the Nickelodeon animated series Rocket Power for the last three seasons of the show's run, replacing CCH Pounder, who voiced the character in the first season.
In 2020, she appeared as Valeria in the thriller film Fatale, featuring Hilary Swank, Michael Ealy, and Mike Colter.
Dowse directed the drama film Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story, featuring Ledisi, Corbin Bleu, Keith David, Vanessa Williams, and Columbus Short. The film premiered in April 2022, at the 30th Pan African Film and Arts Festival in Los Angeles.

## Death

Dowse fell into a coma in August 2022, in connection with meningitis. She died on August 13, 2022, at the age of 64.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1990 | Coldfire | Channing | |
| 1992 | Sneakers | Bank Teller | |
| 1992 | Out for Blood | Neighborhood Woman | Credited as Denise Y. Dowse |
| 1993 | Merchant of Evil | Nurse #1 | |
| 1994 | Helicopter | Malik's Mother | Short film |
| 1996 | Bio-Dome | Olivia Biggs | |
| 1997 | Starship Troopers | Sky Marshal Meru | |
| 1998 | Pleasantville | Health Teacher | |
| 1998 | A Civil Action | Judge Constance Mullen | |
| 1999 | K-911 | Dr. Perkins, DVM | |
| 2000 | Requiem for a Dream | Tyrone's Mother | |
| 2001 | Dr. Dolittle 2 | Secretary | |
| 2002 | Book of Love: The Definitive Reason Why Men Are Dogs | Mom | |
| 2003 | Rats | Matilda | |
| 2004 | The Seat Filler | Derrick's Mom | |
| 2004 | Eulogy | Judge | |
| 2004 | Ray | Marlene Andre | |
| 2005 | Coach Carter | Principal Garrison | |
| 2005 | Guess Who | Lisa | |
| 2007 | Reign Over Me | Psychiatric Hospital Therapist | |
| 2007 | Her Best Move | Lisa | |
| 2010 | Anger Has a Secret | Sarah | |
| 2011 | Fly Away | Susan | Credited as Denise Y. Dowse |
| 2012 | The Longer Day of Happiness | Lydia Jones | |
| 2013 | The Call | Flora | |
| 2017 | Please Stand By | Doris the Bus Driver | |
| 2017 | Like Father | Olivia | Short film |
| 2017 | By His Stripes | Ruth | Short film |
| 2018 | A Stone Cold Christmas | Deaconess | |
| 2019 | Loners | Clara Maloy | |
| 2020 | Grey Streets | Aunt Suzanna | |
| 2020 | Fatale | Valeria Tyler | |
| 2020 | Celeste's Dream | Dr. Soji Spark | Short film |
| 2022 | A Cloud So High | Detective Trina McWilliams | Final film role |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1989 | Almost There! | Angela Quartermane | Episode: "Miss Shelley B." |
| 1989 | ALF | FBI #4 | Credited as Denise Y. Dowse Episode: "Wanted Dead or Alive" |
| 1990 | Beverly Hills, 90210 | Professor Harriet Strathmore | Episode: "The 17 Year Itch" |
| 1991 | Jake and the Fatman | Maggie Day | Episode: "Come Along with Me" |
| 1991 | Roc | Dr. Worthy | Credited as Denise Y. Dowse Episode: "Rock-A-Bye Baby" |
| 1991–2000 | Beverly Hills, 90210 | Vice Principal Yvonne Teasley | 23 episodes |
| 1992 | Seinfeld | Marsha | Episode: "The Wallet" |
| 1992 | Bodies of Evidence | Kim's Mother | Episode: "Afternoon Delights" |
| 1992 | Roc | Dr. Russell | Episode: "The Artificial Insemination Story" |
| 1993 | Full House | Mrs. Jacobs | Episode: "Be True to Your Pre-School" |
| 1993 | Thea | Laverne | Episode: "A Christmas Story" |
| 1993–1994 | California Dreams | Vice Principal McBride | Recurring cast |
| 1994 | The Enemy Within | Dr. Jarvis | Television film |
| 1994 | Murphy Brown | Woman #2 | Episode: "Brown vs. the Board of Education" |
| 1994 | Seinfeld | Elenore | Episode: "The Couch" |
| 1995 | See Jane Run | | Television film |
| 1995 | Sketch Artist II: Hands That See | Dispatcher | |
| 1995 | Vanishing Son | Trailer Park Neighbor | Episode: "Sweet Sixteen" |
| 1995 | Kissing Miranda | Cristianne | Television film |
| 1996 | Touched by an Angel | Judge Caldwell | Episode: "Flesh and Blood" |
| 1996 | Men Behaving Badly | Mrs. Carlson | Episode: "Drunken Proposal" |
| 1997 | Killing Mr. Griffin | Detective Pruitt | Television film |
| 1997 | Tracey Takes On... | Arthell | Episode: "Race Relations" |
| 1997 | Ink | Mrs. Punter | Episode: "Logan's Run" |
| 1997 | Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Ms. Miller | Episode: "Out of Mind, Out of Sight" |
| 1997 | Built to Last | Sylvia Watkins | 8 episodes |
| 1997 | Chicago Hope | Doris Harper | Episode: "On Golden Pons" |
| 1998 | NewsRadio | Adoption Agent | Episode: "Look Who's Talking" |
| 1998 | Step by Step | Judge Martin | Episode: "And Justice for Some" |
| 1998 | ER | Mrs. Lysell | Episode: "Day for Knight" |
| 1998 | Any Day Now | Councilwoman Rene Broussard | Episode: "No Comment" |
| 1998 | Sister, Sister | Alease | Episode: "The Domino Effect" |
| 1998 | Party of Five | Nora | Episode: "Gifts" |
| 1999 | Promised Land | Mrs. Groves | Episode: "What's in a Word" |
| 1999 | Recess | Additional Voice | Episode: "The Candidate" |
| 1999 | Rugrats | Sheila Swann | Voice, episode: "Tommy for Mayor" |
| 2000 | Moesha | Hattie | Episode: "Secrets & Lies" |
| 2000 | The West Wing | Nurse #1 | Uncredited Episode: "In the Shadow of Two Gunmen: Part 1" |
| 2000 | Grown Ups | Gloria | Episode: "New Job" |
| 2000–2004 | Rocket Power | Officer Shirley | Voice, 7 episodes |
| 2001 | Becker | Janet Katz | Episode: "The Trouble with Harry" |
| 2001 | The Practice | Caroline | Episode: "The Thin Line" |
| 2001 | The Drew Carey Show | Doctor #2 | Episode: "Drew and the Baby" |
| 2001 | Girlfriends | Emily Griffin | Episode: "The Burning Vagina Monologues" |
| 2001–2004 | The Guardian | Judge Rebecca Damsen | 32 episodes |
| 2002 | Philly | Sondra Herman | Episode: "Mojo Rising" |
| 2002 | What About Your Friends: Weekend Getaway | Mona | Television film |
| 2002 | Judging Amy | Ms. Shepard | Episode: "Lost in the System" |
| 2002 | Without a Trace | Mrs. Ray | Episode: "Little Big Man" |
| 2003 | Dragnet | Juanita Hendrucks | 3 episodes |
| 2003 | Girlfriends | Lucyruth | Episode: "Inherit the Lynn" |
| 2004 | Nip/Tuck | Cecily Sutherland | Episode: "Joel Gideon" |
| 2004 | Everwood | Laura Hoover | Episode: "The Birds and the Batteries" |
| 2004–2006 | All of Us | Counselor / Dr. Shapiro | 4 episodes |
| 2005 | Inconceivable | Alice Godchaux | Episode: "Balls in Your Court" |
| 2005 | Threshold | Dr. Margaret Johnson | Episode: "Progeny" |
| 2005–2006 | Charmed | Angel of Destiny | 3 episodes |
| 2006 | The Bernie Mac Show | Doctor | Episode: "Exercise in Fertility: Part 2" |
| 2007 | Gilmore Girls | Judge | Episode: "To Whom It May Concern" |
| 2007 | Law & Order | Judge Nora Glover | Episode: "Good Faith" |
| 2007 | Shark | Judge Jane Briar | 3 episodes |
| 2008 | The Mentalist | Detective Carla Mulvey | Episode: "Ladies in Red" |
| 2009 | Saving Grace | Mrs. Williams | Episode: "Take Me Somewhere, Earl" |
| 2009 | Monk | Samantha Austin | Episode: "Mr. Monk and the Dog" |
| 2010 | House | Glenda | Episode: "Moving the Chains" |
| 2010 | Class | Patty Allen | Television film |
| 2011 | Bones | Dr. Sherry Bannon | Episode: "The Change in the Game" |
| 2011 | Reed Between the Lines | Ms. Ellis | Episode: "Let's Talk About Boundaries" |
| 2011–2012 | Criminal Minds | Yvonne Burns | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Monday Mornings | Mrs. Fisher | Episode: "Family Ties" |
| 2013 | Rizzoli & Isles | Judge | Episode: "Dance with the Devil" |
| 2014 | Hungry | Ann | Episode: "Interviews" |
| 2014 | Laugh Gym | Agnes | Television film |
| 2015 | Secrets and Lies | Elaine Williams | 9 episodes |
| 2016 | Castle | Judge Gloria Wollcott | Episode: "Witness for the Prosecution" |
| 2016 | Murder in the First | Rainelle James | 3 episodes |
| 2017–2018 | Imposters | Auntie Colleen / Agent Cook | 10 episodes |
| 2017–2020 | Insecure | Dr. Rhonda Pine | 6 episodes |
| 2018 | The X-Files | Dr. Babsi Russel | Episode: "Plus One" |
| 2018 | Mr. Mercedes | Judge Helfrick | Episode: "Fade to Blue" |
| 2019 | 9-1-1 | David's Wife | Episode: "Chimney Begins" |
| 2019 | Good Trouble | Naomi / Secretary | 4 episodes |
| 2019 | New Amsterdam | Alfreda Watson | Episode: "Righteous Right Hand" |
| 2019 | The Resident | Carol Austin | 2 episodes |
| 2019–2021 | Snowfall | Mrs. Mosley | 2 episodes |
| 2020 | Grey's Anatomy | Lorraine Simms | Episode: "Help Me Through the Night" |
| 2020 | Stumptown | Mrs. Hofman | 2 episodes |
| 2020 | Pandemically Single | Donna Sawyer | Unknown episodes |
| 2021 | Three Days | Will's Mom | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2021 | The Wedding Games | Susan Clearwater | Television film |
| 2021 | Bronzeville | Emma / Sarah Davis | 2 episodes |

### Video games

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2002 | Rocket Power: Beach Bandits | Officer Shirley, Female Shoobie | |