Saved by the Bell co-stars spark nostalgia with heartwarming reunion

Saved by the Bell stars Mario Lopez and Tiffani Thiessen shared a sweet reunion on Wednesday at the Variety Power of Young Hollywood event in Los Angeles, 33 years after the show wrapped.

Mario was joined by his 12-year-old son, Nico, whom he shares with his wife, Courtney Lopez, while Tiffani attended the event with her 16-year-old daughter, Harper, whom she shares with her husband, Brady Smith.

Mario and Nico wore matching navy suits and white button-downs for the glamorous night out, and Tiffani opted for a white silk blazer dress while her daughter wowed in a black dress with spaghetti straps.

Mario portrayed A.C. Slater on Saved by the Bell from 1989 to 1993, and Tiffani made her mark as Kelly Kapowski. They co-starred alongside Dustin Diamond, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Lark Voorhies and Elizabeth Berkley on the hit show.

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A Saved by the Bell reunion

Mario, Mark-Paul, Tiffani and Elizabeth recently reunited for a General Mills campaign, and shared with People that it felt just like the old days for them. “I think anytime we get an opportunity to connect with each other, it’s sort of like your old real high school friends,” Mario told the outlet.

“We have true, authentic, meaningful connections with one another that have really stood the test of time. It’s a gift to be adults together and parents together,” Elizabeth chimed in.

Tiffani added that her kids were uninterested in watching the show, despite their mom’s starring role. “My daughter tried watching it. None of these kids are watching shows like this anymore. They’re very different. Everything has to be fast,” she said.

Mario quipped: “I think there’s that, but also my kids just don’t want to see me. They see enough of me. It’s like enough. Dad overload.”

On-set rivalries

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Tiffani later shared with Parade that the rumors of a rift between the women on the show couldn’t have been further from the truth.

“I think it’s funny that people assume there had to be some sort of rivalry just because we were young women starring on the same show,” she said. “The truth is, we went through such a specific, once-in-a-lifetime experience together, and that really bonded us.”

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After the show wrapped in 1993, Tiffani went on to join the cast of Beverly Hills, 90210, where she developed a close friendship with actress Jennie Garth.

Despite Jennie introducing Tiffani to her husband, Brady Smith, and Tiffani acting as a bridesmaid at Jennie’s wedding to Peter Facinelli, the pair had a major falling out and are “no longer close”, as Jennie wrote in her memoir, I Choose Me.

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“Her character brought tension, complexity, and a fresh energy to the ensemble,” Jennie wrote, adding she initially “felt threatened and competitive” with her “as I had with many beautiful co-stars before.”

After Jennie apologized for her behavior, the duo became inseparable for the rest of their time on the show. “Tiffani and I didn’t have such a happy ending with our friendship,” she revealed. “I’ve come to see that some friendships are meant for a reason or a season, and ours was a meaningful one, while it lasted.”