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.
Dustin Diamond as Samuel “Screech” Powers
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.
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.
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.
*CENSORED*
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.