Saved by the Bell is a beloved American television sitcom that originally aired from 1989 to 1993. The show follows a group of high school students at Bayside High School in California, led by the charming and scheming Zack Morris. Alongside his best friends Screech and Slater, and his love interest Kelly Kapowski, Zack navigates the ups and downs of adolescence, facing everything from school dances and pep rallies to breakups and heartbreaks.
The show tackled serious issues like drug use, peer pressure, and academic pressure, while also providing plenty of laughs and memorable moments. The series spawned several spin-offs and TV movies, and its popularity has endured, with fans still enjoying reruns and celebrating the show’s iconic characters and moments.
Saved By The Bell Cast
Here’s a list of the main cast members of Saved By The Bell:
- Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Zack Morris
- Mario Lopez as A.C. Slater
- Dustin Diamond as Samuel “Screech” Powers
- Tiffani Thiessen as Kelly Kapowski
- Elizabeth Berkley as Jessie Spano
- Lark Voorhies as Lisa Turtle
- Dennis Haskins as Mr. Belding
These actors appeared in most or all of the episodes of the original Saved By The Bell series. There were also several recurring characters and guest stars throughout the show. The Saved By The Bell Cast IMBD rating is 7.1 out of 10.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar (Zack Morris)
After briefly appearing in episodes of The Twilight Zone, The Wonder Years, and Punky Brewster, Mark-Paul Gosselaar was cast as Zack Morris, the lead character on Saved by the Bell. In addition to bringing Zack to the short-lived Saved by the Bell: The College Years, Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas, and an episode of Saved by the Bell: The New Class, he portrayed the preppy high schooler for three years. In the 1990s, after finishing his time as the character, he was cast in small-screen parts on Hyperion Bay and D.C.
As Det. John Clark Jr., Gosselaar joined NYPD Blue in 2001. He played the part for four years before appearing in Commander in Chief, John from Cincinnati, and Raising the Bar. Moreover, the actor appeared on Nobodies, The Passage, mixed-ish, and Will Trent. He also played Peter Bash on Franklin & Bash, joined the popular 2016 series Pitch as Mike Lawson, and starred in Franklin & Bash. In the 2020 revival of Saved by the Bell, Gosselaar returned as Governor Zack Morris.
Mario Lopez (A.C. Slater)
After making guest appearances on episodes of a.k.a. Pablo and Kids Incorporated, Mario Lopez landed the role of A.C. Slater, the school’s resident jock, in Bayside High from Saved by the Bell. On Saved by the Bell: The College Years, Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas, and Saved by the Bell: The New Class, he continued to play the character. Soon after, as Bobby Cruz, he joined Pacific Blue, where he remained until 2000. Then, in 2006, he performed a lengthy guest appearance on The Bold and the Beautiful as Dr. Mike Hamoui on Nip/Tuck and provided the voice of The Chica Show for young viewers.
Although Lopez has spent the majority of his career concentrating on unscripted television, working as a host, reporter, and correspondent on programs like Entertainment Tonight, America’s Best Dance Crew, The X Factor, and Extra, it doesn’t mean he has forgotten about sitcoms. Lopez and Seth Kurland co-created the comedy The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia, which he premiered in February 2020. Lopez expressed excitement at the opportunity to work with Netflix to tell a universal, family-friendly story with a Latin flair in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. Lopez returned as Slater for the Peacock revival series, mullet-free.
Elizabeth Berkley (Jessie Spano)
Early on, Elizabeth Berkley was cast as Jessie Spano from Saved by the Bell, a dedicated student with lofty goals. Berkley appeared in Showgirls (1995), The First Wives Club (1996), The Real Blonde (1997), and Any Given Sunday after bidding farewell to the role in the early 1990s (1999). The actress made appearances in episodes of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The L Word, NYPD Blue, Titus, and CSI: Miami in the 2000s.
She kept acting for television, taking part in Dancing With the Stars, and making appearances in episodes of Melissa & Joey and New Girl. Berkley completed the cycle by showing up for the Saved by the Bell revival. “Can you believe that was, like, 30 years ago,” said Jesse.
Lark Voorhies (Lisa Turtle)
As the well-dressed, well-liked Lisa Turtle, Lark Voorhies enrolled in Bayside High. She played the part in both the main series and its spin-offs before joining Days of Our Lives in the role of Wendy Reardon. She went on to receive credits for How to Be a Player (1997), How High (2001), and episodes of In the House and The Parkers in addition to her 1990s soap opera work as Jasmine Malone on The Bold and the Beautiful.
In the early 2010s, she primarily took a break from performing and concentrated on authoring books. Voorhies claimed she was “sad” when she was left out of the relaunch and was not invited to a gathering of the SBTB cast during an appearance on The Dr. Oz Show in early 2020, but surprise! She ultimately made a cameo appearance.
Tiffani Thiessen (Kelly Kapowski)
Tiffani Thiessen was cast as Kelly Kapowski in Saved by the Bell, which was her first significant role. She appeared in episodes of Charles in Charge, Married… with Children, and Blossom while portraying the hot high school girl throughout the series and its spin-off projects. She next scored a role in Beverly Hills, 90210, in the middle of the 1990s as Valerie Malone. She later gained credits for episodes of Two Men, a Girl, and a Pizza Restaurant, Just Shoot Me!, Fastlane, Good Morning, Miami, and What About Brian as well as for the 2000 films Ivans and The Ladies Man. You may consider this Prom Pact Cast.
PolyesterPalace tweeted that The original Saved By The Bell: The College Years cast. You can see below:
After finishing her five-year role as Elizabeth Burke on White Collar in 2014, Thiessen began presenting her own Cooking Channel program, Dinner at Tiffani’s, from 2015 to 2017. Fans can catch Thiessen on MTV’s food-themed clip show, Deliciousness, as well as Alexa & Katie on Netflix, where she will be repeating her role as Kelly in the Saved by the Bell revival.
Dustin Diamond (Samuel “Screech” Powers)
As the geeky Samuel “Screech” Powers on Saved by the Bell, then a relatively unknown actor named Dustin Diamond agreed to portray the part. He continued to do so on Saved by the Bell: The College Years, Saved by the Bell: The New Class, and Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas. After that, Diamond spent the 2000s accumulating credits for indie movies and portraying himself in films like 2003’s Pauly Shore Is Dead and Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star.
The actor then released a memoir in 2009 called Behind the Bell, which he later claimed was authored by a ghost. In 2014, he struggled with personal issues that led to a brief prison term. Screech and his robot Kevin were residing “on the International Space Station,” according to the show, which served as an explanation for Diamond’s absence from the revival.
Stage 4 lung cancer claimed Diamond’s life on February 1, 2021, at the age of 44. The actor’s representatives informed EW that he was in discussions to return for season 2 of the revival series possibly.
Dennis Haskins (Mr. Richard Belding)
Dennis Haskins joined Saved by the Bell as Mr. Belding, Bayside High School’s principal, in the 1980s after making brief appearances in episodes of CHiPs, Knots Landing, and The Dukes of Hazzard. For more than ten years, he portrayed the teacher, appearing after the conclusion of the original series in the spin-off Saved by the Bell: The New Class. He subsequently spent the 2000s building a smaller body of work for his resume, including appearances on The West Wing, 7th Heaven, and Max Keeble’s Big Move (2001). Check this Blacklist Cast.
Haskins has appeared in movies like A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014), United Colors of Bennett’s Song (2018), and A Bennett’s Song Holiday in addition to appearing in episodes of Men of a Certain Age, The Bold and the Beautiful, Victorious, New Girl, and Hot in Cleveland (2020).
