The “Saved by the Bell” cast reunited this year to celebrate its 30th anniversary. The teen drama lasted four seasons and became an iconic ’90s show for the actors’ style and long-lasting careers. Tiffani Thiessen, who played Kelly Kapowski, claimed the cast didn’t gain riches from their roles for multiple reasons.
How Much Was the ‘Saved by the Bell’ Cast Paid?
The role of the head cheerleader didn’t result in a huge paycheck, and neither did the other roles. “No, we never got — I mean, we didn’t have any pull on that show at all,” Thiessen, 52, told Page Six. “We made nothing and we just did our job. We would watch it when it came out.”
There was one thing that resulted in a raise, according to the “White Collar” actress. “When we went primetime for one season, we got a little bit more,” she said. “But yeah, I didn’t start making real money until I went to ‘[Beverly Hills] 90210.'”
Thiessen said that she no longer gets residuals from the show. She played Valerie Malone on “Beverly Hills, 90210” from 1994 to 2000.
Child star manager Denise Simon said in the Investigation Discovery documentary “Hollywood Demons: After the Bell” that Mario Lopez was paid $1,500 per episode,” according to PEOPLE. However, the teen show pulled in $15 million in advertising.
“Saved by the Bell” returned in 2020 on Peacock with a younger cast. Elizabeth Berkley, Lopez, and Ed Alonzo from the original series returned as their characters. It lasted two seasons.
Tiffani Thiessen Returns on a New Teen Show, ‘Coven Academy’
Getty“Coven Academy” is a new show about teen witch apprentices who must defend their school and New Orleans from evil vampires. Thiessen plays Crescent Veil’s headmistress, Miss Graves. Devon Sawa plays Mr. Cole, and it’s the first time the former child stars have worked together.
Robin Roberts asked them on ‘Good Morning America‘ if they could choose another actor from the ’90s to be in the Freeform show, who would it be? Sawa answered Macaulay Culkin from “Home Alone” because of his charm. Thiessen said her daughter inspired her to take the role.
“I have a teenage daughter and female friendships are huge for her right now in high school, and I think [Coven Academy’s] going to tap into that idea of coming together and supporting each other as women,” she told Entertainment Weekly. “That’s really the basis of the show, how these women… They’re strong by themselves, but you put all three of them together, they’re even stronger. And that says something, especially in our world right now.”
Thiessen has been married to actor Brady Smith since 2005. They have a girl named Harper and a boy named Todd.
The pay on “Saved by the Bell” wasn’t life-changing, but it led to long-lasting careers for some of the cast. Thiessen’s career continues to be tied to teen shows over 35 years later.
“Coven Academy” premieres on Freeform on Thursday, Oct. 1. Episodes are released the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.
