The Surprising Amount of Money“ Saved by the Bell” Cast Members Were Paid, Despite the Show Raking in Millions
The Surprising Amount of Money“ Saved by the Bell” Cast Members Were Paid, Despite the Show Raking in Millions
Angela AndaloroTue, May 5, 2026 at 2:55 PM UTC
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"Saved by the Bell" castCredit: NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images -
Saved by the Bell quickly became one of the most popular teen series of the 1990s upon its debut
While the show led to tremendous fame, it didn't equate to monetary earnings for its young stars
Experts and parents of the stars weighed in on why things played out the way they did
Saved by the Bell was one of the biggest teen TV shows of the 1990s.
Unfortunately, the contracts given to the stars of the show didn't reflect the series' popularity, as detailed in ID's Hollywood Demons: After the Bell. Denise Simon, child star manager, shared her perspective on how Lark Voorhies, Dustin Diamond, Mario Lopez, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Elizabeth Berkley and Tiffani Thiessen were paid.
"I think the public doesn't realize how really unglamorous this industry is," she began.
"Mario Lopez said he started out making about $1500 an episode. That's a lot of money to a kid. But after a second season, in 1991, Saved by the Bell was pulling in roughly $15 million in advertising."
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"Saved by the Bell" season 2Credit: NBCUniversal/Getty
Simon continued, "If it's a union show and they were really paying them low, somebody was cashing in on it. Generally speaking, the executive producers, the higher ups, make a lot of money."
The manager also noted that as a 12-year-old, chances are, you don't have any credits behind you. This is going to be your first big job. I've seen deals that are, 'This is what we're offering, take it or leave it. And if you leave it, we'll hire somebody else.' When you're offered your first job, you don't say no. You have to start somewhere."
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Lark Voorhies's mother, Tricia Holloway, explained that the actors' families and management teams didn't feel equipped for the fight.
"You feel fragile and you feel vulnerable so you don't feel strong in a position of negotiation because they're in charge and they can make a decision that can change your child's life. And you don't want to be responsible for doing something or saying something that jeopardizes that."
Mario Lopez as A.C. Slater, Lark Voorhies as Lisa Turtle, Elizabeth Berkley as Jessie Spano, Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Zack Morris, Tiffani Thiessen as Kelly Kapowski, Dustin Diamond as Screech PowersCredit: Gary Null/NBCU Photo Bank
Simon noted that at the time, the law required 15 percent of a child's earnings to be put in a blocked trust account. Addressing Dustin Diamond's accusations that his parents misused his earnings from the show, she said, "Legally, the parent cannot touch that money. However, a child can't legally manage their own money, which means that a parent or guardian has to manage the other 85% responsibly and in the best interests of the child, not theirs."
Diamond's close friend, Dan Block, said that when he started spending time with the late actor in 2017, he was told the actor "made $1,250 a week" during his Saved by the Bell run.
Mark Diamond, Dustin's dad, noted that the earnings from Saved by the Bell weren't enough to mitigate his family's complex financial situation, and were further strained by the necessities of being a working actor. After taxes, gas and headshots, he claimed it “didn't leave a lot of money to do anything.”
“After the Bell” premieres Monday, May 4 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on ID. New episodes of Hollywood Demons premiere weekly, with episodes available to stream on HBO Max.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
