Screech – the goofy nerd of the group – was often shoved into lockers during the show’s run. He had a powerful crush on Lisa, was often off in his own head, and had absolutely zero social skills. Yet, he was a genius, the class valedictorian, and a pretty sensitive guy.
However, the rest of the cast didn’t have many nice things to say about Dustin, in part thanks to his tell-all book from 2010 Behind the Bell, which his castmates say is filled to the brim with both exaggerations as well as outright lies. Sadly, Diamond passed away in early 2021 following a cancer diagnosis.
Mario Lopez as Albert Clifford “A.C.” Slater Sanchez
Mario Lopez was a ladies' man on and off the show. He portrayed muscle-bound hunk A.C. Slater Sanchez, who is the new addition to the small friend's group thanks to his military dad. Slater was known as somewhat of a misogynist on the show, though this was mostly played for laughs, and was usually during his interactions with Jessie, a proto-feminist who often got on her soapbox – and Slater was the one to bring her back down to the ground.
However, Lopez didn't act well off-screen, either: he was accused of inappropriate behavior behind the scenes, and the case was settled out of court.
Lark Voorhies and Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Together in Real Life
Zack Morris, the cute normal guy who ends up with Kelly Kapowski, and Lisa Marie Turtle, the alpha fashion designer with the best put-downs in the show, didn't exactly have a romantic relationship, but they were perfectly friendly, and in fact, they were pretty close. This was probably helped because the actors dated in real life for about three years.
It's exactly the kind of gossip that Lisa herself would love to repeat, and they dated for the majority of the show, including while filming the movie "Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style."
The Ghost Behind the Book
Dustin’s name may have been written on the cover of his so-called memoir, but according to the late actor himself, “it wasn’t me, I didn’t write this. I was just as shocked.” In 2016, Mario Lopez welcomed his former co-star to discuss the book in an attempt to clear the air and deal with the commotion the book created.
It turns out that Diamond was barely a part of the writing process and that his ghostwriter exaggerated and distorted many of his recollections and stories. However, we have to point out that Diamond still let it go to print.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Zachary “Zack” Morris
Here's Zack, the guy everyone can relate to, at least a little bit. Mark-Paul Gosselaar portrayed him for the entire run of the show, including the multiple movies and the sequel series "Saved by the Bell The College Years," and has become the governor of California by the time of the 2020 reboot series. This character hustled for his popularity and his zany schemes formed the basis of many episode plots.
He even had his own cell phone, all the way back in the early nineties. Mark-Paul's original character was a little scrawny, but he bulked up for college – so much, in fact, that many suspected the actor of taking steroids.