Cocaine, Hookups & Cheating: 'Saved By The Bell' Cast's Secrets REVEALED In New Tell-All
Hey, hey, hey, what was going on here? Early '90s teen show Saved by the Bell wasn't so squeaky clean after all, executive producer Peter Engel reveals in his shocking new memoir, obtained by RadarOnline.com. And yes, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen dated both Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Mario Lopez!
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Engel reveals that he was a "drug addict" before finding sobriety and religion in 1979. "Monday through Friday, I would wake up and smoke two joints, pop speed to get through work, snort a gram of cocaine, and take a handful of Quaaludes to fall asleep," he writes.
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In 1987, the now sober Engel filmed a pilot that would later become Saved by the Bell, originally titled Good Morning, Miss Bliss. The first episode starred late child actor Jonathan Brandeis, Brian Austin Green, and Family Matters star Jaleel White.
Saved by the Bell
Handsome SBTB star Mark-Paul Gosselaar hid a secret: he wasn't a true blonde! "His hair was naturally brown, just dyed blond for a movie on PBS," the producer reveals of the current Pitch actor.
Saved by the Bell
Dustin Diamond, who went on to serve a jail sentence for stabbing a man in a barroom brawl and even wrote an explosive, scathing tell-all about his costars, was a troublemaker from the start. "Compared to the other young actors on our show, he seemed immature, more like a child," the EP recalls. However, he later learned that the star was 11, three years younger than Gosselaar.
Saved by the Bell
Producers originally imagined A.C. Slater to look and act like a young John Travolta from Grease, but fell in love with Mario Lopez and changed the role to a Mexican American teen.
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Beverly Hills, 90210 star Jennie Garth was a finalist to play Kelly Kapowski, a roll that ultimately went to Tiffani-Amber Thiessen.
Saved by the Bell
Thiessen's acting skills were not as "developed" as her costars, but Engel was interested in her "visibility" as a teen model and future "icon."
Saved by the Bell
Lark Voorhies, who later demonstrated bizarre behavior as an adult and reportedly suffers from bipolar disorder, was nearly fired for dropping the ball on the job. "Her performance was flat. She just didn't show up, wasn't present," Engel recalls. But he decided to give her another chance, and she ultimately improved.
Saved by the Bell
Elizabeth Berkley's infamous episode about abusing caffeine pills was originally supposed to be about her problem with actual speed. But NBC's Standards and Practices thought hard drugs were "too serious."
Saved by the Bell
Tori Spelling originally auditioned for a guest role as a favor for her famous producer father, Aaron Spelling. But Engel and the cast and crew ultimately liked her and hired her for multiple episodes.
Saved by the Bell
Zack and Kelly forever! Gosselaar and Thiessen dated in real life, but only after their characters had split on the show.
Saved by the Bell
As the show's father figure, Engel often had to lecture the misbehaving teens. "We had problems with cliques," he reveals. "There would be tears, flare-ups, accusations."
Saved by the Bell
In 1991, Thiessen moved on to costar Lopez. "They made it very clear that they were now in a relationship — holding hands, being cutesy, etc," Engel claims.
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But the romance came crashing down when Thiessen walked in on Lopez cheating on her during a live taping! "He was in his dressing room, making out with an extra, and Tiffani came in, catching him red-handed," Engel remembers. "She was wearing his letter jacket and, in a rage, ripped it off and threw it at him. After that, she ran out." The two broke up soon after.
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