Lark Voorhies had such a successful audition that it broke the mold the producers were going for. Her character, Lisa Marie Turtle, was originally going to be a spoiled, rich Jewish girl, but Voorhies impressed so much they threw out the script – so to speak – and rewrote the character. This changed the character a good deal, though some elements remain, such as Lisa Marie being a daddy’s girl, spoiled, and a fashionista.
It also introduced the show’s only Black character. It was somewhat of a step forward for sitcoms at the time, and even the biggest of them all, “Friends,” wouldn’t feature any major African-American cast members.
Dyeing for his Art
Zack Morris was a classic blond American boy. The showrunners really wanted to make sure he was the kind of person almost any viewer could relate to, so they made sure he had the middle-of-the-road looks that lots of people in America saw in the mirror.
The only problem was, Mark-Paul Gosselaar has brown hair. Because of these stringent rules, Mark-Paul had to dye his hair every two weeks while filming. It simply wouldn't do for those roots to show – at least not for about a decade, when multi-colored 'dos started to become more in vogue.
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Most of the actors and actresses playing these high school kids were the same age as their characters (the exception is the late Dustin Diamond), meaning they were still fairly young and were playing kids. There's also the fact that the showrunners were trying to create a comfortable, relaxing environment for everyone who was a part of the show – from the cast members to the crew to the viewers.
Thus a rule was made: no swearing on set. It wasn't part of the show, and the cast members weren't even supposed to let one fly out of frustration or between shots.
Famous Auditions
Plenty of now-famous actors and actresses tried their best to get on the show. This list includes Jaleel White – well-known for his star-turning role of Steve Urkel on "Family Matters," which went from a one-time guest appearance to the focus of the show. Jennie Garth, Kelly Taylor from "Beverly Hills, 90210," and Val Tyler from "What I Like About You also tried out."
Jonathon Brandis, from "One Life to Live," the TV miniseries of Stephen King's "IT," and Bastian Bux in "The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter."
Leanna Creel as Tori Scott
When this biker babe showed up at Bayside High, the viewers knew things have just changed. This character was created to help fill out the cast roster after the producers decided to drop both Kelly Kapowski (Tiffani Amber Thiessen) and Jessie Spano (Elizabeth Berkley) from the show at the end of their contracts. She's a dude magnet who wears a sick leather jacket and was one of the boys in the group, contrasting Lisa Marie's girlishness with a tough attitude that didn't last long.
After only nine episodes she disappeared, coinciding with the reappearance of Jessie and Kelly. The producers must have realized things weren't working out.