The 13 Best Things the “Saved By The Bell” Actors Have Done Since “Saved By The Bell”

Millions of American kids grew up watching the escapades of the “Saved By the Bell” cast. Zack, Kelly, Slater, Jesse, Screech, Lisa and Mr. Belding became household names and informed the high school experiences of fawning teens across the country. After a successful run on television, the cast found themselves moving in many different directions, some with greater success than others. Some went on to memorable film and television roles, while others (ie, Screech) tried their hands at self-made porn. And of course, the lovable Dennis Haskins (i.e., Mr. Belding) has done numerous projects, too, like KoldCast TV’s awesome Karate Kid music video, Sweep the Leg.

With nostalgia for the show still going strong after all these years, here’s a look at the best things “Saved By the Bell” actors have done since the show left the air.

1. Elizabeth Berkley Stars in Showgirls (1995)

Let’s just start with the elephant in the room: Showgirls. While Berkley played the super-smart feminist, Jesse Spano, on “Saved By the Bell,” she took a turn to the very, very dark side in Paul Verhoeven’s Showgirls. This film has every Las Vegas cliché, abundant nudity, and the weirdest sex in a pool scene you could possibly imagine. But despite obvious flaws, it has since become a cult classic, hated and loved by many at the same time.

2. Mario Lopez Marries a Complete Fox (2004)

Sticking to his tough-guy, smooth-talking “Slater” image, Mario met former Miss USA Ali Landry while he was hosting the 1998 Miss Teen USA Pageant. They became a couple and dated for six years before marrying on April 24, 2004. Sadly, Landry had the marriage annulled two weeks later after discovering Lopez had cheated on her the day before the wedding.

3. Dustin Diamond Releases His Own Sex Tape (2006)

Just when we thought that all celebrity sex tapes needed to include a ridiculously attractive celebrity, along comes Dustin Diamond to defy our expectations and score a point for nerds around the globe. While it may not be pretty to watch, and might not even qualify as a “celebrity” sex tape, you can’t blame Screech for trying to re-capture the limelight. You’re an inspiration to nerds everywhere, Screech! Just don’t release a sequel.

Here’s a video of Diamond apologizing for the video (sort of) and endorsing margarine at the same time.

4. Tiffani Thiessen Joins “90210″ (1994)

If there was a cooler place to be other than Bayside in the 90’s, it was Beverly Hills 90210. Thiessen joined the cast of “Beverly Hills 90210″ when Shannen Doherty left after the fourth season. From seducing Dylan, to smoking pot, to somehow finding David Silver attractive and cool, Thiessen added a much-needed edginess to the show.

5. Dustin Diamond Beats Up Horshack (2002)

In another attempt for publicity, Diamond appeared on Fox’s “Celebrity Boxing” during the second season, fighting an older TV nerd, Horschack from “Welcome Back Kotter.” Diamond won easily, and the stunt actually got noticed since hot nerd-on-nerd action is hard to come by. His match-up, by the way, was followed by Joey Buttafuoco challenging female wrestler, Chyna. Diamond sure keeps some interesting company.

6. Mario Lopez Almost Wins “Dancing with the Stars” (2006)

Utilizing the dance skills he learned as a kid on the 80’s show “Kids Incorporated,” Lopez finished in second place in the third season of the smash sensation “Dancing With the Stars.” Each week, Lopez had his trademark dimples and curly locks on the television sets of millions of American households – who cares if the program wasn’t exactly high-brow? Not Slater, that’s for sure.

7. Mario Lopez Hosts “America’s Best Dance Crew” (2008)

Few would have predicted much success for a Randy Jackson produced show about street dance crews, especially considering it was hosted by a 90s sitcom star. But “America’s Next Best Dance Crew” quickly turned into a hit with MTV viewers. Lopez is still hosting, and the show is gearing up for its fifth season. Five years of a steady (and gigantic) paycheck is no laughing matter. Might be a dancing matter, however.

8. Tiffani Thiessen Cast In Woody Allen’s Hollywood Ending (2002)

After working on several television shows (”Fastlane,” “Two Guys and a Girl,” “Just Shoot Me”) and a slew of made-for-television movies (”The Stranger Beside Me,” “Buried Dreams,” “She Fought Alone”), Thiessen was cast in Woody Allen’s Hollywood Ending. She played a sexy actress interested in Allen’s protagonist. Although not a box office gem, it did raise the legitimacy of Thiessen as an actress.

Below is a foreign trailer for the film in which Thiessen expresses her willingness to have sex with Allen. Classy!

9. Mark-Paul Gosselaar Shines In “NYPD Blue” (2001)

For a while it looked like the best thing Mark-Paul Gosselaar would ever do was marry Kelly Kapowski. But then he showed up as the new detective on the critically-acclaimed “NYPD Blue” in 2001. Gosselaar replaced another former child star, Rick Schroder, and stayed on the show through its finale. He proved himself as a formidable actor even without neon t-shirts, an oversize cell phone, and directly talking to the camera.

10. Dennis Haskins On “It’s Always Sunny on Philadelphia” (2005)

A guest-starring role on one of TV’s most irreverent shows helped Haskins cast aside his innocuous, Mr. Belding persona. On the show, he played a suspected pedophile gym teacher, which couldn’t be more different than a by-the-book principal. Haskins ability to poke fun at himself has helped him re-establish his career as a comedic actor.

11. Mario Lopez Co-Hosts TV’s “Extra” (2008)

Because Lopez seems to want as many jobs as Ryan Seacrest, he is also the lone host of the entertainment news program, “Extra.” Lopez worked as a co-host previously with Dayna Devon, but he started flying solo in 2008 when she became a correspondent for the channel.

12. Screech Makes Enemies on “Celebrity Fit Club” (2008)

Some of the more entertaining moments of Dustin Diamond’s post-Screech career took place on the VH1 reality show, “Celebrity Fit Club.” During his time on the show, Diamond didn’t exactly endear himself to his fellow participants. In a profanity laced rant, Screech called his fellow cast members “f*cking morons,” and talked about wanting to “smack them down” because he felt they were ganging up on him. While the rants didn’t exactly make Diamond look like a gentleman, they helped make him relevant again in sea of reality TV stars after the next day’s headlines.

13. Tiffani Thiessen Spoofs “SBTB” Reunion on Funny or Die (2009)

After Mark-Paul Gosselaar’s successful appearance on “The Jimmy Fallon Show” in character as Zack Morris, Fallon proposed a reunion of the cast. In an attempt to show why she was too busy to take part, Thiessen posted a video montage on Funny of Die depicting her hectic schedule, which includes directing a cat movie, laying out by her pool, and advising NASA. Apparently, Kelly Kapowski has a sense of humor. And is still a total fox.