Saved By The Bell made a comeback 27 years after it went off air – but it only lasted for two seasons. Here, the Mirror takes a look at what have the original cast been up to
After being off-air for 27 years, Saved By The Bell made a comeback to the small screen in a reboot that lasted two seasons. The doors to Bayside High opened once more, and devotees of the American school-based sitcom were sent into a frenzy at the thought of their old favourites taking back on their roles.
The new Peacock series also welcomed a fresh generation of pupils, while fan favourites Jessie Spano and A. C. Slater returned as members of staff at the school. Zack Morris and Kelly Kapowski, who now share a son, also made guest appearances during the opening season. Nevertheless, some original cast members weren’t asked to return, with one securing a small role after making an emotional public appeal.
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Lark Voorhies, best remembered as Lisa Turtle, was offered a guest appearance after confessing she felt “slighted and hurt” not to receive an invitation. However, Dustin Diamond, who was the only student actor to have appeared in all of the original series and spin-offs, The College Years and The New Class, expressed his frustration at being overlooked. After his death in 2021, the reboot paid tribute to the actor, who played Screech, in the first episode of season two.
The original Saved By The Bell stars have encountered varying levels of success since departing from the sitcom. There’s been a stint behind bars, ventures into adult entertainment, and most of the cast are virtually unrecognisable today. Here’s what the Saved By The Bell cast members have been doing:
Zack Morris – Mark-Paul Gosselaar
Zack embodied the archetypal cool kid everyone aspired to be, constantly causing mischief and winding up teachers with his various schemes. A rivalry erupted between him and A. C. Slater over Kelly Kapowski’s affections, though by the series’ conclusion, Zack and Kelly became a couple and eventually tied the knot in the TV movie Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar, 51, reprised his role as Zack through several guest appearances following the show’s conclusion. In a 2009 People interview, Mark disclosed he had romantic relationships with all three of his female co-stars – Lark Voorhies, Tiffani Thiessen and Elizabeth Berkley – at various points during filming.
His most notable role post-Saved By The Bell was portraying attorney Peter Bash in the comedy-drama Franklin and Bash, which ran from 2010 until its conclusion in November 2014. In 2016, Mark stunned fans when he unveiled his remarkably toned physique in a revealing photoshoot for baseball drama Pitch.
He’s also lent his voice to his Saved By The Bell character in a Family Guy episode and starred as the lead in Mixed-ish, a spin-off of ABC’s Black-ish. Mark revisited the original series for his ‘Zack to the Future’ podcast, though he’s confessed it’s been “a little bit torturous” as he finds himself critiquing his earlier performances. From 2023 to 2025, Mark took on the role of the bad guy for the thriller Found for NBC, and he told People Magazine it was “never boring” playing the role. He also flexed other new muscles during the show, taking on the role of director for an episode.
Kelly Kapowski – Tiffani Thiessen
Kelly Kapowski captured the hearts of Zack Morris and teenagers worldwide. She split from Zack and began a relationship with her boss, though they eventually reconciled and tied the knot – with Zach and Kelly ultimately becoming the governor and first lady of California in the reboot series.
Following the show’s conclusion, actress Tiffani Thiessen, 52, landed another memorable role as Valerie Malone in Beverly Hills, 90210. Since her Saved By The Bell days ended, Thiessen has secured several prominent roles, including Wilhelmina ‘Billie’ Chambers in Fastlane and Elizabeth Burke in White Collar.
Her film credits also include appearances in productions such as Hollywood Ending and Cyborg Soldier. Tiffani appeared in one episode of the new Saved By The Bell reboot. “I’m a girl that likes the originals. But that’s me, though. I’m nostalgic that way,” she told Us in October 2019 before signing on for the reboot. “But I’m sure people are going to be excited about it. It seems almost popular to redo a show.”
A. C. Slater – Mario Lopez
A. C. Slater was the athletic heartthrob of the group, known for his impressive physique and prowess in American football and wrestling. He often found himself competing with Zach for female attention, including Kelly’s, though they ultimately recognised that their friendship mattered more.
Mario Lopez, 52, actually transitioned from acting into a hugely successful TV presenter, hosting the third series of Dancing with the Stars and two series of the American version of The X Factor – one alongside Khloe Kardashian. He also co-hosted the entertainment news show Extra alongside Mark Wright, and once humorously commented “Oh! She exists :)” on Instagram when the former TOWIE star shared a snap with his wife Michelle Keegan.
Mario has lent his voice to Social Smurf in two of the Smurfs films and is currently a host on Access Hollywood. In 2019, Mario expressed regret for some “ignorant” remarks he made about children’s gender identity. During a television interview, Lopez told Candace Owen that it was “dangerous” and “alarming” for parents to respect the wishes of young children who identify with a different gender than the one assigned at birth.
Withdrawing the comments he made during the contentious interview, Lopez stated: “The comments I made were ignorant and insensitive, and I now have a deeper understanding of how hurtful they were. I have been and always will be an ardent supporter of the LGBTQ community, and I am going to use this opportunity to better educate myself. Moving forward, I will be more informed and thoughtful.”
The actor returned in the Saved By The Bell reboot, with A. C. having become the school’s gym teacher. “The nostalgia was kind of neat to see, because they recreated Max and the school itself, and now we’re on these two big sound stages, and it’s shot on film, as opposed to four cameras with a live audience,” Lopez shared with Us about the reboot in April 2020. It was kind of like riding a bike, kind of, you pick up where you left off.” Since the reboot concluded, he has appeared in comedy shows like Hacks, Girls5eva, and Loot.
Jessie Spano – Elizabeth Berkley
Jessie Spano was Zack’s next-door neighbour, with him frequently climbing through her bedroom window, though she maintained an on-off romance with A. C. As class president, she championed feminist causes and consistently fought for justice. Her final appearance saw her serving as a bridesmaid at Zack and Kelly’s Las Vegas wedding, and she returned as a school counsellor in the rebooted series.
Following her departure from Saved By The Bell to pursue film work, actress Elizabeth Berkley, 53, took the leading role of Nomi Malone in the 1995 film Showgirls, which flopped at the box office upon release. Her film credits also include The First Wives Club, The Real Blonde and The Curse of the Jade Scorpion.
She recently appeared in All’s Fair and Cobra Kai. Beyond acting, Elizabeth took part in Dancing with the Stars in 2013 and presented Bravo’s dance competition show Step It Up and Dance.
Samuel ‘Screech’ Powers – Dustin Diamond
Perhaps the best remembered character from the series, nerdy Screech served as Zack’s sidekick and hapless accomplice in mischief, whilst persistently pursuing Lisa Turtle’s affections. Screech remains the sole student appearing as a regular character across all iterations of Saved By The Bell.
Dustin Diamond, who portrayed the iconic character, died in 2021 at age 44. He had been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer just three weeks before his death after he was hospitalised complaining of body pains. He had become concerned after discovering a sizeable lump on his neck, but was reluctant to visit a doctor due to worries that someone might post pictures of him on social media.
Dustin had completed one round of chemotherapy before his death, but his representative said at the time that his health had sadly deteriorated quickly. “Dustin did not suffer. He did not have to lie submerged in pain. For that, we are grateful,” said his agent. Off-screen, the actor and comedian directed and distributed his own adult film in 2016 titled Screeched – Saved by the Smell.
However, he later admitted during an interview with the Oprah Winfrey Network’s Where Are They Now? that he felt “embarrassed” by the explicit content and employed a body double with his face digitally superimposed. In 2013, he graced our screens as a participant in Celebrity Big Brother, only to be the fourth housemate shown the door.
Diamond found himself on the wrong side of the law in Wisconsin in 2014 when he was arrested for having a switchblade at a bar. He was convicted of carrying a concealed weapon and disorderly conduct in May 2015, resulting in a four-month prison sentence. After serving three months inside, he was released on probation.
In November 2017, Dustin publicly expressed regret to his former co-stars following a series of allegations he made in his revealing 2009 book, Beyond the Bell. In his book, Dustin alleged that some cast members were involved in sexual relationships and smoked cannabis in the dressing rooms. However, he later stated these claims were “fabricated”, and he felt “super railroaded” by a ghostwriter.
“Oddly enough, it’s doing interviews like this and getting the word out there. This is my best weapon for repairing the damage that was caused by things that were done by people who took advantage of me and the situation I was in at the time,” he shared with Dr Mehmet Oz on The Dr Oz Show. “I will say, guys, I think you’re fantastic, working with you has been just one of the icons of my life.” Dustin did express disappointment at not being asked back for the Saved By The Bell reboot.
Lisa Turtle – Lark Voorhies
Wealthy fashionista Lisa was the group’s style icon and constantly wore designer clothing. Lisa’s school days were largely spent rebuffing Screech, who was hopelessly smitten with her, though they eventually attended prom together when she took pity on him. Fiction and reality intersected as actress Lark Voorhies, 51, genuinely dated co-star Mark-Paul Gosselaar for three years while filming the show.
Following the original series, Lark portrayed Wendy Reardon on Days of Our Lives and made a guest appearance in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. She played Alfrons Ribeiro’s love interest in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, before going on to portray his character’s wife in In The House. Lark has also ventured into the music industry, forming the group X-Girls with Rebbie Jackson’s daughters Stacee and Yashi Brown, before becoming lead vocalist in alternative band Third Degree.
During a candid interview with Dr Oz in February 2020, the actress courageously spoke about her mental health struggles and her schizoaffective disorder diagnosis. “I have to admit I did feel a bit slighted and hurt when I was not invited to be part of the ‘Saved by the Bell’ reunion as well as other cast members’ events, yet of course, I also realised that having this puzzling disorder may have played a major part in that factual decision. With that in mind, I am truly thankful for having had the chance to work on a show that has been so successful.”
In the end, Lark did appear in both season one and a bigger role in season two of the reboot, which saw her character become a successful fashion designer.
Mr Belding – Dennis Haskins
The headteacher of Bayside High, Mr Belding, is one of only two characters to appear in all versions of the show from start to finish. He was famous for yelling his catchphrase, “Hey, hey, hey, hey – what is going on here?” whenever he caught students misbehaving. Whilst he regularly clashed with adversary Zack, they secretly had a strong relationship and the headteacher even referred to him as the son he never had.
In real life, actor Dennis Haskins, 75, has appeared in numerous TV shows over the years, including roles in The West Wing, Mad Men and How I Met Your Mother. He also returned to the role of Mr Belding in the Disney series Victorious in 2012, and portrayed a snake oil salesman in the 2014 film A Million Ways to Die in the West.
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