If you grew up in the nineties, Bayside High wasn’t just a fictional school. It was a lifestyle. We all knew a Zack, a Kelly, or a Screech—or at least we desperately wanted to be them. But time moves fast. One minute you're eating a burger at The Max, and the next, you're looking at a Saved by the Bell cast where are they now list wondering how everyone hit fifty.
Honestly, the 2020 Peacock reboot gave us a glimpse into their "adult" lives, but a lot has shifted since that show got the axe after two seasons. Some of the cast has flourished in the procedural TV world, while others have faced incredibly public health battles. It's a mixed bag of nostalgia and reality.
The Governor and the Host: Zack and Slater’s Second Act
Mark-Paul Gosselaar will probably never escape the "Preppy" label. Even with the beard he’s been rocking lately, he’s still Zack Morris to us. Currently, he’s been staying busy on the NBC hit series Found, which is heading into its second season. He plays a much darker character than Zack—a kidnapper named "Sir." It’s a total 180 from his days of scheming against Mr. Belding.
Then there’s Mario Lopez. Does this man even age? He’s basically the busiest guy in Hollywood. Between hosting Access Hollywood and his relentless pursuit of fitness (he’s got a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu now), he’s turned A.C. Slater’s jock energy into a massive personal brand.
He's also leaning hard into the "King of Christmas" title. Just recently, news broke about his latest holiday project, Mission Merry Christmas, where he’s both starring and executive producing. He’s found a niche that works, and he’s sticking to it.
Tiffani Thiessen and the Comfort of the Kitchen
Kelly Kapowski was the girl next door for an entire generation. Tiffani Thiessen, however, took a hard pivot away from the teen idol trope years ago. While she still does voice work—recently voicing She-Hulk in a Lego Marvel special—she’s mostly become a lifestyle icon.
She hosted Dinner at Tiffani’s and Deliciousness, proving she’s just as comfortable with a spatula as she was with pom-poms. She’s very vocal about her family life with husband Brady Smith and their two kids. She seems like the most "settled" of the bunch, having successfully dodged the "child star curse" that hit so many of her peers.
The Struggles of Lisa Turtle and the Loss of Screech
Not everything has been bright lights and red carpets. Lark Voorhies, who played the fashion-forward Lisa Turtle, has had a notoriously difficult road. For years, fans speculated about her health after several shaky TV appearances.
In 2020, she sat down for a raw interview on The Dr. Oz Show to discuss her diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder. It was a heavy moment for fans. She also expressed how much it hurt to be initially excluded from the reboot plans, though she eventually made a cameo. As of 2026, she mostly stays out of the spotlight, focusing on her mental health and self-publishing books.
And then there's the Screech-sized hole in the group. Dustin Diamond passed away in early 2021, just three weeks after being diagnosed with stage 4 small-cell carcinoma. He was only 44.
His legacy is complicated. He had his fair share of legal troubles and that infamous "tell-all" book that soured his relationship with the rest of the cast for years. But before he died, there were signs of reconciliation. His former home in Wisconsin was recently remodeled and put back on the market, a quiet reminder that the "Screech" era has truly ended.
📖 Related: Why Dark Knights of Steel Is Actually the Best DC Story in Years
Elizabeth Berkley: From Showgirls to Advocacy
Elizabeth Berkley (Jessie Spano) had perhaps the most infamous post-Bayside career move with Showgirls. But she’s reclaimed that narrative. She recently appeared in Cobra Kai and has spent a lot of time on her "Ask Elizabeth" program, which helps young girls navigate the pressures of growing up.
She was a driving force behind the Saved by the Bell reboot, serving as a producer and ensuring Jessie Spano was more than just a "caffeine pill" meme. She’s still acting, recently joining the cast of All’s Fair, and remains a fixture at 90s nostalgia conventions.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Bayside Legacy
A lot of people think the cast stayed best friends forever. They didn't.
They were coworkers who went through a very specific, high-pressure experience as kids. Mark-Paul Gosselaar has been open about the fact that they didn't really hang out for decades. The reboot actually acted as a bridge to bring them back into each other's lives.
- Mark-Paul Gosselaar: Leading Found on NBC; doing the "con" circuit in 2026.
- Mario Lopez: Hosting Access Hollywood; releasing Christmas movies annually.
- Tiffani Thiessen: Focusing on cookbooks and lifestyle content.
- Elizabeth Berkley: Acting in prestige dramas and teen advocacy.
- Lark Voorhies: Living privately and managing her health.
- Dennis Haskins: Still appearing at fan events; famously released a karaoke album.
If you want to keep up with the cast, your best bet is following their social media accounts directly rather than waiting for another reunion special. Most of them, especially Mario and Tiffani, are very active on Instagram and share behind-the-scenes looks at their current projects. You can also catch Mark-Paul Gosselaar at the Washington State Summer Con in June 2026 if you want to see the "Governor" in person.
Check out the old episodes on streaming platforms to see how the humor holds up—spoiler: it’s still campy, but that’s why we love it.