July 21, 2025 • 34 mins
Tori Spelling looks back on her unforgettable role as Violet Bickerstaff on “Saved by the Bell.” From landing the role at 14 with a snort she made up on the spot, to sharing her first on-screen kiss with Dustin Diamond—and her first real date with Mario Lopez—Tori reflects on the experience and the sTORIes that came with it.
She shares what the role meant to her, why Violet didn’t make the reboot and why fans still bring her up decades later.
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Speaker 1 (00:08):
Misspelling with Tori Spelling and iHeartRadio podcast Toy.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
You're most well known for your iconic role of Donna
Martin on nine O two and Oh, but you also
played another iconic role of Violet Bickerstaff on Saved by
the Bell Let's get into It. So I was surprised
to say that you were only in three episodes. I
for sure thought, what you're okay. According to IMDb, there.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Was three others, Oh my god, okay, okay. So yes.
So Adri is my producer and big Saved by the
Bell fan, so she wanted to do this episode today.
And of course, me being Tori, I was like, I
don't know if there's anything to ask me. You like,
there's there's not that much and she's like, oh I
have questions. I'm like, okay, okay, let's let's do it.
(00:54):
Let's do it. And it is true like next to
nine O two one, oh, I would say Save by
the Bell, I get asked about the most out of
things that I've done, and then Scary Movie two, and
then Scream two, and then yeah, and the list goes on.
But yeah, that was I was cast. Oh sorry, I'm
jumping the gun. Just proceed with your questions. Adrian.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Okay, so, since you were only in such a few episodes,
what do you think contributed to Violet's a lasting impression?
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Well, so I will take you back to the audition.
I was fourteen. I had done, you know, stuff for
my dad, and I started acting on my dad's shows
when I was five. At ten, I was like, I
really want to do this professionally and want to be
(01:46):
able to, you know, do stuff that's not my dad's stuff.
I started taking acting classes. I had an acting coach,
and then I got an agent. It was a children's
agent and Iris Burton was her name, and she sent
me on all kinds of auditions and I loved doing that.
(02:07):
I would go to school and then you know, I
would get home and someone would take me and I'd go,
you know, sit you know, outside in a room with
like tons of stage moms and there were kids, and
I'd be sitting there and being like, oh my gosh.
And I believe the first role that I auditioned for
that I got that wasn't my dad's. Oh my god,
(02:28):
I'm going to forget the name of it. Okay, it
was on if anyone knows it was on CBS, and
that was my first I was a co star. I
think I had like two lines. It was a series
and I was in one episode.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Let's see it on here. Oh no real. The very
first thing listed is Vegas from nineteen eighty one.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Right, I did for my dad when I was five,
and then I went on to be on The Love
Boat twice, Fantasy Island twice, Hotel twice. I think The
Three Kings TJ. Hooker. I did The Three Kings for
my dad. Lou Diamond Phillips was the first time we're
still friends that I met him. It's really not listed
(03:15):
on my IMDb. No, let me ask chat she knows everything.
Was there a CBS primetime series in the late eighties
called The Wizard and Mister Yeah, Okay, it's a CBS
primetime show. It was just called The Wizard, so I
was close. It was just called The Wizard. It was
(03:38):
ran September eighty six through eighty seven. The series centered
on Simon McKay, a brilliant inventor with dwarfism played by
David Rappaport, a little person who used his genius to
create toys and gadgets with the help of bodyguard Alex Jagger,
Douglas Bar was Tory Spelling on an episode of The
Wizard on CBS. Yes, wait, you guys, how can I
(04:01):
find it? And you guys couldn't find it? Okay, it's
not a game to race. Wait. Yes, Tory Speeling did
appear in The Wizard and CBS, even though it wasn't
her best known role. She made a guest appearance on
the series starring David Roppoor. That's how we're including I
am dB lists The Wizard among amongst her early television credits.
She was thirteen anyway, Trames, do you remember him? Was he?
(04:25):
I feel like he was? No? Wait, yes, so what
was he famous for? He was played and he was
famous for something though he was on The Wizard anyway.
I just remember having like the biggest crush on him,
and he was like I feel like he was in
other things, just that episode. But anyway, I remember being
thirteen and he was fourteen, and I always thought he
was so cute and I had my guest appearance with him.
(04:48):
So that was like my first like on camera, like ooh,
you get to work with actress, being an actress and
they're really cute and you can have crushes on them. Okay,
So after my co star appearance in The Wizard, I
went on to audition for and Get to Beverly Hills
when I was fourteen, So I did that. I'm just
(05:08):
listing stuff that my dad wasn't attached to, because that's
all people ever said, is like, E're only and stuff
because your dad's a producer. Partially true, but and then
I went on to audition for Save by the Bell
and I got the role of Violet Bickerstaff. And I
remember going into the audition and there were tons of
(05:30):
girls everywhere, and it was to kind of play this
nerd but it wasn't. They didn't specify. Actually, I wonder
I would be curious to go back to the breakdown
or just to say what that character, how they defined
her in the sides that you would read to go
in of what they were looking for in that character.
It was to play you know, screeches love interest. And
(05:53):
I guess one would assume I watched the show, I
was a big fan from being you know, his character,
that it would be someone that could be kind of
like nerdy and eclectic and kind of Yeah, I wonder,
I wonder what they were looking for. But all I
know what I came to the plate with when I
went in for my audition is I was like, oh
(06:16):
my gosh, this character was inspired. So the character of
Violet Bickerstaff, because even though when a character is written
for a show or a movie, it's you know, ultimately
up to the actor playing that role to create that character,
and sometimes when it's a smaller role, it's not defined
(06:39):
of what they want. So you go in there and
you can kind of have the luxury if the producers
and writers and directors like what you're doing of creating
a character. So I was inspired to go in for
this audition for Violet Bickerstaff based on a character that
I did in real life and my best friend down
(07:01):
at the time, we had gone to elementary school together,
we went to high school together. We were born on
the same day, Don Dawn. We would do these two
characters and entertain our friends at lunch. And they were
a married nerd couple called Roger and Ethel Sweelander, obviously
a take on spelling. And I don't know why I
(07:24):
was the boy and she was the girl, but she
wasn't an actress and she was I would say if
it was the two of us together, and we were
best friends. She was the quieter one, you know, she
was like really good at sports, and she was really smart,
and I was like the fun like drama club kids.
So like we would entertain our friends during lunch and
(07:47):
we'd be like we'd put on like suspenders and bow ties,
and I put my hair in two braids, which Violet
ended up wearing, and I put on glasses, fake glasses,
and we would come in and be like, oh, Ethel
and Roger spe longer here. And my thing was I
always snorted and our friends during lunch, and we would
(08:08):
do it like after school and stuff and at parties,
like our friends would think it was really funny that
Ethel and Roger would just show up places and I
would go all out and dress up for the part.
So anyway, I go into the audition and read for
Violet bicker Staff, and I added a snort to my line,
so I was like, oh, Samuel, and I would snort.
(08:31):
And I remember I was in my dad's office and
we weren't at our new house, not the Manor, because
I didn't grow up there at our first house. I
remember being my dad's office. The landline ringing, and it
was my agent and she was like, you got the
part of Violet bicker Staff and Saved by the Bell.
(08:52):
And I was like, oh my god, I just remember
my world changing in my head. I was just like,
this is everything she said. She's like, so it was
the snort and I go whaty she goes. They were
blown away that you had such a take on this
character and really went all out and came in and
(09:14):
just added your twist to it and made her your
own and sealed it with a snort. And they love
it and they want you to do the exact same thing. Anyway,
long winded answer, but that started my journey on Save
by the Bell. Now I know you said only three episodes,
it feels like I was on for so long just
because people iconically know that character. But it was always
(09:37):
I don't remember getting the role how long they said
I'd be on for, but it was intended to continue
and continue. But nine O two and oh went and
that became I was a series regular. So I did
I think my last episode, I was doing nine O
two and oh, and I went back and guest starred,
(09:58):
but it just got too hard to do both. So
then I just stayed on nine of two and zero.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Yeah, it's crazy that that's only three episodes. I know,
what was your first impression walking into that set as
you came in season two?
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Walking onto that set was really scary. It was really
scary just because I had done True Beverly Hills and
I'd put on my dad's sets growing up, and very
different experience. We're the boss's daughter of how people treat you,
and you know, these experiences were like, hey, I just
(10:43):
wanted to fit in, be one of the gang, and
be there and do the best job I could. True
Beverly Hills was the experience I had right before that,
and that one was a tough one for me because
it's it's strange, it was never intended this way, but
the it worked out on that movie is there is
you know, Troop Beverly Hills. And then I was, you
(11:06):
know Troop Culver City, so the Culver City red feathers,
and it was like very while they tried to like
get us and hang all together because we filmed for months,
it broke up into clicks kind of really fast, and
I don't think that was the intention. And I know,
and I'm still friends with Kelly Martin and we talk
(11:26):
about this and she's like, I didn't even feel a
part of it, And I was true, you know, part
of that troup. But it's hard not to take it
personal when you'd feel like, oh my gosh, I just
want to like the popular girls. I wish they would
ask me to sit at the table and have lunch
with them. So coming off of that, I was like,
oh my gosh, I hope I fit in this one,
because I didn't feel like I completely fit in during
Troop Beverly Hills. Although everyone was really nice, there wasn't
(11:49):
anyone that wasn't nice. It was just, you know, they
would do their own thing and we would kind of
just sit there. But yeah, so say by the Bell,
I can still recall coming onto that set and the boys.
I believe I met Dustin first, who the kindest, loveliest person.
(12:12):
He was the youngest of the group though, so I
would say from my perspective, while they were all very close,
there was definitely a different It was kind of like
me and Brian on nine on two and zero when
we started as opposed to the others, Like while we
were all became friends, it was like, oh, those are
kind of the younger too, So it definitely with the
(12:34):
whole cast you could have that you could feel the
vibe that they were, like, Oh, Dustin's kind of the
younger one because he was younger than all of them,
but he walked me around, showed me everything. Mark Paul
Mario came up. They were super kind, and I just
remember I was a little scared of the girls. They
(12:54):
definitely had their own vibe and were very together as
a unit, and everyone had their inside jokes, and it
was just like, oh, not only is this super scary one,
I'm coming onto this famous show as a guest star,
and I had two I had never done a live performance.
(13:15):
I had done school plays, but this was like on
TV Saturday morning, and you know, they taped all their
shows in front of a live audience. I had never
done it before. We rehearsed all week, and then the
day of taping we would do you know, they would
bring in the studio audience and you would go live basically,
and it was really really scary, just because you know,
(13:40):
later I went on to do other sitcoms, but this
one was like I was fourteen, I already had like
that thing of like people being like, oh, the boss's daughter,
even though this wasn't my dad's show. I was like,
are they going to judge me because my dad's a
famous producer movie? They think the producer of this show
and my dad are friends and me. That's why I
got it. This was all in my head, but it
(14:01):
was still scary. But to this day, and I would
say this, I enjoy the experience with everyone on that show.
My feelings and my perception of how things played out
is mine, and it's you know, we all take things
personally when sometimes they're not at all. I was fourteen,
but to this day, I would say this to anyone
(14:21):
in the cast. I remember the boys being insanely nice,
and Elizabeth Berkeley so kind, and the other two, which
were Tiffany and Lark, were very nice to me, but
a little it was at a little not disjointed disassociation,
(14:43):
like they just they were there to do their job
they had. I don't remember feeling the warmth from them
and the acceptance that I felt from the guys and
felt from Elizabeth. And that's the truth. Obviously. You know
that went on to change, and Tiffany came on nine
to two and zero and she was dating Brian and
(15:05):
we had a friendship, and you know, if she and
I ever talked this out, she probably wouldn't even remember.
But that was just how I perceived it. But because
of that experience on Saved by the Bell specifically, it
was I don't regret anything that was really important for
my journey because after that, from the time I started
(15:25):
Nino two and oh, any person that stepped onto that set,
and you know, I took a page out of Dustin
Diamond's like playbook, like he welcomed me with open arms,
walked me around the set, introduced me to everyone. I
always went above and beyond because I knew how scary
it was to come onto an established shows set. So
(15:48):
any guest, star, co star, background player, anyone, and I
think anyone that's ever worked with me on NINEO too,
I would tell you that this is the truth. I
went out of my way to do anything and everything
to make them feel as comfortable and as part of
it as possible, because, yeah, you want them to do
their best, you want to be their cheerleader. They're just
(16:09):
there to do their work, and it's hard feeling like
you don't fit in, like it.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
Did you end up hanging out with them, like, did
you guys have school together on set? All that kind
of stuff.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
I remember I had to do on set school. I'm
not sure. I think they did their separately. I might
have done it with Dustin, but I can't remember exactly.
I remember instantaneously having the biggest crush on Mark Paul,
who didn't I remember he was so nice, but a
(16:42):
little more aloof I think, and Mario was just it
was kind of It's interesting. I felt like girls that
came onto the set like co stars, and we were
all the same age, you know, so it was okay
high school. They were like the two leading men. So
(17:04):
I would liken it to nine O two was the
only comparison I have. Like a girl coming onto the
said an actress, and there's Luke and Jason, you know,
Brandon Dylan. So it was Mario and Mark Paul, and
it's like who would get the girl? So I remember
them both not being flirtatious, but they knew they were
(17:28):
like they knew they knew that girls were into them.
They knew that they were they were charming. Let's just
say that, very very charming. Well, I guess it's charming
as like, you know, fourteen year old fifty year old
boys could be so like Twilight, your team like Jacob
or Team Edward. Like it was definitely like Team Mario,
team Mark Paul, and I definitely was like Team Mark Paul,
(17:51):
but like got more attention from Team Mario. So I
was like, Oh, I just wish Mark Paul would want
to like ask me on a day, but Mario asked
me on a date, which was still great, but I
felt like more friend zone there. And we're still friends
to this day. But he was like one of my
first dates when I was fifteen. We went out and
(18:14):
he and I both told this story. And it's because
I was on the set of you know, Saved by
the Bell and one of my episodes. He was like,
do you want to go on a date, And so
I had just gotten my license, So it was probably
the third episode I did because I was already at
nine on Too and Zo and I drove my car.
He was fifteen, he had turned sixteen yet I picked
(18:34):
him up, and we've told the story. We went to
a movie at Universal and you know parked. I parked
my car, my BMW convertible, my first car, same car
Donna Martin had as well, Champagne parked it and had
never done that before because I'd never been in like
a mall complex like that big. And we watched a
(18:55):
movie and then came back and could not find my
car and he needed to get his mom was like,
are you coming home? Like he needs to get home.
I panicked and I had to This is so embarrassing.
I had to call my house. So I called the
security at my house and the security guard had to
come pick Mario and I up and then drop Mario
(19:15):
at his mom's place and then take me home. And yeah,
that was our short lived romance. So embarrassing. We've all
been there with Mario Lopez. No, I can't find where
I parked my car.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
Yeah, okay, so you've spoken about your first on screen
kiss being with Dustin.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
Yes, can you tell us more about that? Of course,
he was so funny. He was so funny and so
kind and at the end of the day, he just
wanted to be accepted by everyone and his peers. And
like I said, he was always kind of like the
younger kid, and I, from what I saw that always
(19:59):
stayed with him a lot, So you know, he would
always I felt like overcompensate by trying to be funny
or trying to stand out, and I loved it, like
I was there for his humor and also he was
really vulnerable, and I feel like, yeah, it was. It
(20:19):
was a great first experience, pri experience, like first on
screen kiss. It was because you know, it was a sitcom,
so it's not like you're doing like an crazy open
mouth kiss, and like it kind of like got me
into kissing on screen because there was no pressure except
like an entire studio audience watching us kiss. But he
(20:41):
was just so nice and such a gentleman and it
was just sweet. So I don't remember like how scared
I was. I was probably more scared of like all
the lines. I would always say my lines like in
my head and be like, okay, here we go, here
we go, because I was terrified of like saying a
(21:02):
line wrong in front of a studio audience, like fear
because you know, everything I had done before then it
was like you could do as many takes as you want,
don't worry if you mess up the line. And this
was a studio audience, so you felt like, I know,
all the network was there every every taping.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
So speaking more of Dustin, we all know later in
life he made an adult film.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
Yes, did you ever see it? I have never seen it.
I have never seen his adult film. Yeah, very fair,
have you?
Speaker 2 (21:35):
No, I have not.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
Is anyone here?
Speaker 2 (21:39):
Oh okay, did you ever invite any of the cast
members to your iconic sixteenth birthday party? So Ley Moon
for I talked about all.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
The hot guys were there my eighteenth birthday part?
Speaker 2 (21:51):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (21:51):
Sorry, sorry, that's a really good question. I feel like
if any thing Mario maybe was there, I would have
to ask him. I don't know, Like Mario from that
experience was the only one like I kept in touch
with and Elizabeth I would say, and I'm still really
(22:14):
good friends with Elizabeth Berkeley. And then yeah, shortly after that,
you know, Tiffany and Brian start going out, so I
would see, you know, Tiffany would be on set. We
had that connection from Saved by the Bell and then
she joined the show, so it was just a whole
different experience. But I don't know. I don't think any No,
(22:36):
I don't think so. Maybe Justin might a been at
my eighteenth birth day.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
Right a little behind the scenes. Who was dating who?
Speaker 1 (22:44):
Oh geez, I don't I don't know. Fun fact, throughout
my episodes, I was on Saved by the Bell. Scott
Wolfe got his start there and was on it. He
was background player, so in all of like like Violet
(23:05):
was in the choir like he was. If you look
in episodes, he was back there and all the classroom scenes,
and so they would have different like background players, but
they would keep the kids kind of consistent. So all
of the episodes I did, he was there. So later,
you know, when we were both on Fox and I
was on nine of two No, and he was on
Party of Five, it was like, oh my gosh, it
(23:26):
was so great to see him, and I was so
excited for his success. That was the first time I
met him. And I'm not sure who was dating. I
feel like I've read things about like Tiffany and Mark
Paul maybe, but I don't know. I wouldn't know, to
be honest, I want to say none of them.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
I mean, I've heard all the room. Wait, what are
the rumors that they like kind of all dated each other?
Speaker 1 (23:51):
Really did they?
Speaker 2 (23:52):
But I don't know it rumors maybe Never did you
ever run into any of the cast while you were
out clubing in Hollywood back in the day.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
I feel like I would. Yeah, I mean, obviously I
would continue to see Tiffany because if we ended up
working together and we would go out together and we
were friends. But yeah, like Elizabeth and I feel like
Mark Paul was never out in the scene. I don't
know if Mario was either, Like if there was, I
don't know. They were good boys.
Speaker 2 (24:20):
Yeah, if you could ride a crossover episode between Say
by the Bell and nine O, two and zero, what
would that storyline be?
Speaker 1 (24:35):
Oh my gosh, wait, well could it be like whatever
you wanted to be?
Speaker 2 (24:42):
Well?
Speaker 1 (24:42):
Could it be like whatever happened to Baby Jane? And
so there's like two sisters and it's Joan Crawford and
Betty Davis, but it's really Donna Martin and Violet bicker Staff,
my two characters from and O and Say By the
Bell or.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
Maybe whatever you want, Okay, I'll do that?
Speaker 1 (24:57):
Is that random? So random? It's the first thing that
came to mind. A crossover though, would be like I
don't know, because like Donna would be an easy crossover,
and save by the Bell because she was kind of
I think she was a blend between like Jesse the
good girl and like Kelly the popular girl and there
(25:20):
would be Donna. I feel like she'd be friends with
all of them, and Lisa like so she would fit
right in. And it's funny. The two shows I did
both had like iconic diners, so we would always be
on that set. But and and what wait? I had
to sing and say by the Bell, which I do
actually sing and have sang in different movies and mass singer.
(25:45):
I'm not like a great singer, but I can be
coached and a little bit of Missiletnes. But saved by
the Bell. They didn't even ask if I could sing.
They were just like this is I was as so
swating the choir and it was beautiful dreamer and they
were like here's the like uh oh god not hs
(26:05):
because that tape. Listen to it and just like match
your mouth too.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
So that wasn't you singing because that was like an
epic solo.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
That was an epic solo. And sorry to say, but
it wasn't like they were like, hey, do you want
to work with a vocal coach or can you do it?
They were just like, oh, here, you're just gonna lip
sync it. It's like oh, which is kind of scarier
and harder to do. I wish I had attempted to
sing it.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
But anyway, your kids seeing those episodes.
Speaker 1 (26:32):
So my kids are like into throwback TVs, I mean
getting into it. They love Full House. They have not
watched Saved by the Belt. I feel like they need
to watch Saved by the Belt. I feel like my
kids don't have any idea who I am. Like, you know,
they've seen Scary Movie too. They love that. They've seen
Scream too, But other than that, they've they've never seen
(26:54):
my work.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
I watched Say by the Phone a long time. I
wonder if it holds up. I wonder too, but I
don't know if I'm biased. Grew up on that show,
all right. How do you think Say By the Bell
and Beverly Hills, Nino two and Oh shaped nineties teen culture,
but in different ways.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
I mean, obviously I can speak more towards Nino two
and Oh, and I couldn't see either of them back
then because I was in it, you know, and we
were young. But looking back at it now, I mean
it was Nino two to and Oh specifically, I think
was the first time that gave a voice to teens.
You know, every show it was about the adults and
(27:33):
their issues and their problems and what it was really like.
And you know, there's that old thing like kids should
be seen, not heard, and kind of I feel like
that's the way it kind of used to be on
TV as it progressed. It was like kids have a voice,
and they have a strong voice, and they should be
heard and they have issues just like adults, you know.
And I feel like nine two and oh was the
(27:55):
first that took a chance to focus on a nighttime show,
say by the Bell, I think we're wor because it
was a morning show so kids wanted to watch kids.
But I think they took a big gamble day my
dad doing a show that spoke to teens that adults
would be viewing. You know, primetime TV started at eight o'clock,
(28:16):
so that was a risk. You know, people, you know
predominantly it was adults watching, and what if you know,
it was their house and they controlled whether kids watched
or not because back then it was like everyone had
a TV in their room. It was more like gathering
and watching in your living room. And they took a
big chance of you know, parents and adults being like, eh,
(28:40):
we don't want to watch a show about kids. But
thank god it worked, and then Saved by the Bell
it was you know, Saturday Morning TV. I feel like
Saturday Morning TV before Saved by the Bell was kind
of focused more on kid kids, and this was about
you know, preteens and then teens again, giving them a
(29:01):
voice in a comedic, light hearted way, but they'd actually
dealt with a lot of issues as well, And if
you go back, there's a lot of issue oriented episodes
that the teens on that show go through, similar to
nine two and oh.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
I feel like nine two and ohs. Yeah it felt
trail well, yeah, but it felt a little more like
real life. You could relate a little more.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
Bear. There wasn't a laugh track after every line, you know,
so yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
True, people weren't playing pranks on their principle all day long.
Speaker 1 (29:32):
True.
Speaker 2 (29:33):
All right, well that's kind of most what I have
unless any memorable behind the scenes moments or bloopers or
anything that really stands out from day about the belt.
Speaker 1 (29:42):
Hmmm, why not think I remember it as soon as
I lee.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
Or anything else you want to add to your experience.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
I mean, I'm just really grateful for the experience. I
think it taught me so much about I mean, comedy
is my heart and that was the first show, and
you know, that was the first show to give a
voice to my comedy, and that kind of paved the
(30:15):
way for me to be able to take charge to
make Donna comedian. I don't know what the word I'm
looking for, I mean, because Donna wasn't written that way.
Donna wasn't you know, Donna wasn't written as much like
Donna was friend number one, I think in the pilot
and then you know, she went on to have a
character name and then you know, they gave her a
(30:36):
little bit of a background, but you know, she pretty
much started as Kelly and you know, Brenda's friend. And
you know, I realized from early on, like, gosh, there's
a lot of stars here and there's a lot of
magic here, and I have to do something to stand out.
(30:56):
You know. I didn't feel like I was the prettiest
girl there. I didn't feel like I was the most
talented girl there. But I knew deep down that I
was the funniest one there, and so that was and
that's just something that's always been. I'm not a very
confident person, but I'm very confident in my ability to
make people laugh in my ability to do comedy. And
(31:17):
I had that from a young age just in real
life making people happy and smile. And I liked seeing
people get utter joy from laughter. And so if I
hadn't had that experience on Save by the Bell, maybe
I wouldn't have been able to really take that chance
on nine two and oh to make Donna stand out
and do the physical comedy. And you know, the more
(31:40):
the writers saw that on nine O two and oh,
they were like, oh, you like comedy, so Donna, they
would start to write towards my strength and do the
physical comedy and do all the Lucy esque things that
I loved to do because that's just my passion. So
what was the question? There's the violet snort. I really
(32:04):
actually do snort in real life when it comes out
once in a while.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
I mean, the snort was awesome, Thank you. It really
lent to the character.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
Thanks. Oh, I have one Rinning. So they had the
reboot of Say by the Bell, and I believe Mark,
Paul and Mario and Elizabeth and Tiffany, I think they
all produced it. They came together and did it no,
And I was really bummed because I was like, you know,
(32:33):
Dustin had passed away, and I was like, that's kind
of like his legacy is, like what's left is like
Violet because they would have gone on to get married hopefully. Yeah,
and it's just like it's a character that everyone talks about.
And I say that with confidence just because I know
the fans, like they always bring up Violet and she's
so beloved. So I was kind of bummed. And I
(32:56):
did Mark Paul's podcast and I said, like, what happened
and they only went one season? He said no, honestly,
like season two. And Elizabeth had confirmed this with me
when I talked her about after like season two, we
were totally gonna bring in Violet. And I'm like, oh
damn it.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
It would have been fun to see her pop up
season light.
Speaker 1 (33:16):
But yeah, during my life, but uh yeah, who knows,
maybe something else will be done again. Was saved by
the bell One day. I can go back and do Violet.
I should do like I should do something Violet like
on online, like a TikTok Violet. That'd be fun.
Speaker 2 (33:33):
Did you keep any of her wardrobe? No?
Speaker 1 (33:35):
I can't keep any of Donnas either. I was a
good girl. I wanted so much for people to like
me and think I was like nights and great and
like I would never have kept anything like that would
have been like but kind of what Donna and Violet
war they kind of I mean Violet, I can't picture
her ever wearing like a crop top or anything. But
(33:56):
it was the you know, the early nineties, so it
was like the little like bike shorts and baby doll dresses,
so it was kind of a crossover
Misspelling with Tori Spelling and iHeartRadio podcast Toy.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
You're most well known for your iconic role of Donna
Martin on nine O two and Oh, but you also
played another iconic role of Violet Bickerstaff on Saved by
the Bell Let's get into It. So I was surprised
to say that you were only in three episodes. I
for sure thought, what you're okay. According to IMDb, there.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Was three others, Oh my god, okay, okay. So yes.
So Adri is my producer and big Saved by the
Bell fan, so she wanted to do this episode today.
And of course, me being Tori, I was like, I
don't know if there's anything to ask me. You like,
there's there's not that much and she's like, oh I
have questions. I'm like, okay, okay, let's let's do it.
(00:54):
Let's do it. And it is true like next to
nine O two one, oh, I would say Save by
the Bell, I get asked about the most out of
things that I've done, and then Scary Movie two, and
then Scream two, and then yeah, and the list goes on.
But yeah, that was I was cast. Oh sorry, I'm
jumping the gun. Just proceed with your questions. Adrian.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Okay, so, since you were only in such a few episodes,
what do you think contributed to Violet's a lasting impression?
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Well, so I will take you back to the audition.
I was fourteen. I had done, you know, stuff for
my dad, and I started acting on my dad's shows
when I was five. At ten, I was like, I
really want to do this professionally and want to be
(01:46):
able to, you know, do stuff that's not my dad's stuff.
I started taking acting classes. I had an acting coach,
and then I got an agent. It was a children's
agent and Iris Burton was her name, and she sent
me on all kinds of auditions and I loved doing that.
(02:07):
I would go to school and then you know, I
would get home and someone would take me and I'd go,
you know, sit you know, outside in a room with
like tons of stage moms and there were kids, and
I'd be sitting there and being like, oh my gosh.
And I believe the first role that I auditioned for
that I got that wasn't my dad's. Oh my god,
(02:28):
I'm going to forget the name of it. Okay, it
was on if anyone knows it was on CBS, and
that was my first I was a co star. I
think I had like two lines. It was a series
and I was in one episode.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Let's see it on here. Oh no real. The very
first thing listed is Vegas from nineteen eighty one.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Right, I did for my dad when I was five,
and then I went on to be on The Love
Boat twice, Fantasy Island twice, Hotel twice. I think The
Three Kings TJ. Hooker. I did The Three Kings for
my dad. Lou Diamond Phillips was the first time we're
still friends that I met him. It's really not listed
(03:15):
on my IMDb. No, let me ask chat she knows everything.
Was there a CBS primetime series in the late eighties
called The Wizard and Mister Yeah, Okay, it's a CBS
primetime show. It was just called The Wizard, so I
was close. It was just called The Wizard. It was
(03:38):
ran September eighty six through eighty seven. The series centered
on Simon McKay, a brilliant inventor with dwarfism played by
David Rappaport, a little person who used his genius to
create toys and gadgets with the help of bodyguard Alex Jagger,
Douglas Bar was Tory Spelling on an episode of The
Wizard on CBS. Yes, wait, you guys, how can I
(04:01):
find it? And you guys couldn't find it? Okay, it's
not a game to race. Wait. Yes, Tory Speeling did
appear in The Wizard and CBS, even though it wasn't
her best known role. She made a guest appearance on
the series starring David Roppoor. That's how we're including I
am dB lists The Wizard among amongst her early television credits.
She was thirteen anyway, Trames, do you remember him? Was he?
(04:25):
I feel like he was? No? Wait, yes, so what
was he famous for? He was played and he was
famous for something though he was on The Wizard anyway.
I just remember having like the biggest crush on him,
and he was like I feel like he was in
other things, just that episode. But anyway, I remember being
thirteen and he was fourteen, and I always thought he
was so cute and I had my guest appearance with him.
(04:48):
So that was like my first like on camera, like ooh,
you get to work with actress, being an actress and
they're really cute and you can have crushes on them. Okay,
So after my co star appearance in The Wizard, I
went on to audition for and Get to Beverly Hills
when I was fourteen, So I did that. I'm just
(05:08):
listing stuff that my dad wasn't attached to, because that's
all people ever said, is like, E're only and stuff
because your dad's a producer. Partially true, but and then
I went on to audition for Save by the Bell
and I got the role of Violet Bickerstaff. And I
remember going into the audition and there were tons of
(05:30):
girls everywhere, and it was to kind of play this
nerd but it wasn't. They didn't specify. Actually, I wonder
I would be curious to go back to the breakdown
or just to say what that character, how they defined
her in the sides that you would read to go
in of what they were looking for in that character.
It was to play you know, screeches love interest. And
(05:53):
I guess one would assume I watched the show, I
was a big fan from being you know, his character,
that it would be someone that could be kind of
like nerdy and eclectic and kind of Yeah, I wonder,
I wonder what they were looking for. But all I
know what I came to the plate with when I
went in for my audition is I was like, oh
(06:16):
my gosh, this character was inspired. So the character of
Violet Bickerstaff, because even though when a character is written
for a show or a movie, it's you know, ultimately
up to the actor playing that role to create that character,
and sometimes when it's a smaller role, it's not defined
(06:39):
of what they want. So you go in there and
you can kind of have the luxury if the producers
and writers and directors like what you're doing of creating
a character. So I was inspired to go in for
this audition for Violet Bickerstaff based on a character that
I did in real life and my best friend down
(07:01):
at the time, we had gone to elementary school together,
we went to high school together. We were born on
the same day, Don Dawn. We would do these two
characters and entertain our friends at lunch. And they were
a married nerd couple called Roger and Ethel Sweelander, obviously
a take on spelling. And I don't know why I
(07:24):
was the boy and she was the girl, but she
wasn't an actress and she was I would say if
it was the two of us together, and we were
best friends. She was the quieter one, you know, she
was like really good at sports, and she was really smart,
and I was like the fun like drama club kids.
So like we would entertain our friends during lunch and
(07:47):
we'd be like we'd put on like suspenders and bow ties,
and I put my hair in two braids, which Violet
ended up wearing, and I put on glasses, fake glasses,
and we would come in and be like, oh, Ethel
and Roger spe longer here. And my thing was I
always snorted and our friends during lunch, and we would
(08:08):
do it like after school and stuff and at parties,
like our friends would think it was really funny that
Ethel and Roger would just show up places and I
would go all out and dress up for the part.
So anyway, I go into the audition and read for
Violet bicker Staff, and I added a snort to my line,
so I was like, oh, Samuel, and I would snort.
(08:31):
And I remember I was in my dad's office and
we weren't at our new house, not the Manor, because
I didn't grow up there at our first house. I
remember being my dad's office. The landline ringing, and it
was my agent and she was like, you got the
part of Violet bicker Staff and Saved by the Bell.
(08:52):
And I was like, oh my god, I just remember
my world changing in my head. I was just like,
this is everything she said. She's like, so it was
the snort and I go whaty she goes. They were
blown away that you had such a take on this
character and really went all out and came in and
(09:14):
just added your twist to it and made her your
own and sealed it with a snort. And they love
it and they want you to do the exact same thing. Anyway,
long winded answer, but that started my journey on Save
by the Bell. Now I know you said only three episodes,
it feels like I was on for so long just
because people iconically know that character. But it was always
(09:37):
I don't remember getting the role how long they said
I'd be on for, but it was intended to continue
and continue. But nine O two and oh went and
that became I was a series regular. So I did
I think my last episode, I was doing nine O
two and oh, and I went back and guest starred,
(09:58):
but it just got too hard to do both. So
then I just stayed on nine of two and zero.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
Yeah, it's crazy that that's only three episodes. I know,
what was your first impression walking into that set as
you came in season two?
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Walking onto that set was really scary. It was really
scary just because I had done True Beverly Hills and
I'd put on my dad's sets growing up, and very
different experience. We're the boss's daughter of how people treat you,
and you know, these experiences were like, hey, I just
(10:43):
wanted to fit in, be one of the gang, and
be there and do the best job I could. True
Beverly Hills was the experience I had right before that,
and that one was a tough one for me because
it's it's strange, it was never intended this way, but
the it worked out on that movie is there is
you know, Troop Beverly Hills. And then I was, you
(11:06):
know Troop Culver City, so the Culver City red feathers,
and it was like very while they tried to like
get us and hang all together because we filmed for months,
it broke up into clicks kind of really fast, and
I don't think that was the intention. And I know,
and I'm still friends with Kelly Martin and we talk
(11:26):
about this and she's like, I didn't even feel a
part of it, And I was true, you know, part
of that troup. But it's hard not to take it
personal when you'd feel like, oh my gosh, I just
want to like the popular girls. I wish they would
ask me to sit at the table and have lunch
with them. So coming off of that, I was like,
oh my gosh, I hope I fit in this one,
because I didn't feel like I completely fit in during
Troop Beverly Hills. Although everyone was really nice, there wasn't
(11:49):
anyone that wasn't nice. It was just, you know, they
would do their own thing and we would kind of
just sit there. But yeah, so say by the Bell,
I can still recall coming onto that set and the boys.
I believe I met Dustin first, who the kindest, loveliest person.
(12:12):
He was the youngest of the group though, so I
would say from my perspective, while they were all very close,
there was definitely a different It was kind of like
me and Brian on nine on two and zero when
we started as opposed to the others, Like while we
were all became friends, it was like, oh, those are
kind of the younger too, So it definitely with the
(12:34):
whole cast you could have that you could feel the
vibe that they were, like, Oh, Dustin's kind of the
younger one because he was younger than all of them,
but he walked me around, showed me everything. Mark Paul
Mario came up. They were super kind, and I just
remember I was a little scared of the girls. They
(12:54):
definitely had their own vibe and were very together as
a unit, and everyone had their inside jokes, and it
was just like, oh, not only is this super scary one,
I'm coming onto this famous show as a guest star,
and I had two I had never done a live performance.
(13:15):
I had done school plays, but this was like on
TV Saturday morning, and you know, they taped all their
shows in front of a live audience. I had never
done it before. We rehearsed all week, and then the
day of taping we would do you know, they would
bring in the studio audience and you would go live basically,
and it was really really scary, just because you know,
(13:40):
later I went on to do other sitcoms, but this
one was like I was fourteen, I already had like
that thing of like people being like, oh, the boss's daughter,
even though this wasn't my dad's show. I was like,
are they going to judge me because my dad's a
famous producer movie? They think the producer of this show
and my dad are friends and me. That's why I
got it. This was all in my head, but it
(14:01):
was still scary. But to this day, and I would
say this, I enjoy the experience with everyone on that show.
My feelings and my perception of how things played out
is mine, and it's you know, we all take things
personally when sometimes they're not at all. I was fourteen,
but to this day, I would say this to anyone
(14:21):
in the cast. I remember the boys being insanely nice,
and Elizabeth Berkeley so kind, and the other two, which
were Tiffany and Lark, were very nice to me, but
a little it was at a little not disjointed disassociation,
(14:43):
like they just they were there to do their job
they had. I don't remember feeling the warmth from them
and the acceptance that I felt from the guys and
felt from Elizabeth. And that's the truth. Obviously. You know
that went on to change, and Tiffany came on nine
to two and zero and she was dating Brian and
(15:05):
we had a friendship, and you know, if she and
I ever talked this out, she probably wouldn't even remember.
But that was just how I perceived it. But because
of that experience on Saved by the Bell specifically, it
was I don't regret anything that was really important for
my journey because after that, from the time I started
(15:25):
Nino two and oh, any person that stepped onto that set,
and you know, I took a page out of Dustin
Diamond's like playbook, like he welcomed me with open arms,
walked me around the set, introduced me to everyone. I
always went above and beyond because I knew how scary
it was to come onto an established shows set. So
(15:48):
any guest, star, co star, background player, anyone, and I
think anyone that's ever worked with me on NINEO too,
I would tell you that this is the truth. I
went out of my way to do anything and everything
to make them feel as comfortable and as part of
it as possible, because, yeah, you want them to do
their best, you want to be their cheerleader. They're just
(16:09):
there to do their work, and it's hard feeling like
you don't fit in, like it.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
Did you end up hanging out with them, like, did
you guys have school together on set? All that kind
of stuff.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
I remember I had to do on set school. I'm
not sure. I think they did their separately. I might
have done it with Dustin, but I can't remember exactly.
I remember instantaneously having the biggest crush on Mark Paul,
who didn't I remember he was so nice, but a
(16:42):
little more aloof I think, and Mario was just it
was kind of It's interesting. I felt like girls that
came onto the set like co stars, and we were
all the same age, you know, so it was okay
high school. They were like the two leading men. So
(17:04):
I would liken it to nine O two was the
only comparison I have. Like a girl coming onto the
said an actress, and there's Luke and Jason, you know,
Brandon Dylan. So it was Mario and Mark Paul, and
it's like who would get the girl? So I remember
them both not being flirtatious, but they knew they were
(17:28):
like they knew they knew that girls were into them.
They knew that they were they were charming. Let's just
say that, very very charming. Well, I guess it's charming
as like, you know, fourteen year old fifty year old
boys could be so like Twilight, your team like Jacob
or Team Edward. Like it was definitely like Team Mario,
team Mark Paul, and I definitely was like Team Mark Paul,
(17:51):
but like got more attention from Team Mario. So I
was like, Oh, I just wish Mark Paul would want
to like ask me on a day, but Mario asked
me on a date, which was still great, but I
felt like more friend zone there. And we're still friends
to this day. But he was like one of my
first dates when I was fifteen. We went out and
(18:14):
he and I both told this story. And it's because
I was on the set of you know, Saved by
the Bell and one of my episodes. He was like,
do you want to go on a date, And so
I had just gotten my license, So it was probably
the third episode I did because I was already at
nine on Too and Zo and I drove my car.
He was fifteen, he had turned sixteen yet I picked
(18:34):
him up, and we've told the story. We went to
a movie at Universal and you know parked. I parked
my car, my BMW convertible, my first car, same car
Donna Martin had as well, Champagne parked it and had
never done that before because I'd never been in like
a mall complex like that big. And we watched a
(18:55):
movie and then came back and could not find my
car and he needed to get his mom was like,
are you coming home? Like he needs to get home.
I panicked and I had to This is so embarrassing.
I had to call my house. So I called the
security at my house and the security guard had to
come pick Mario and I up and then drop Mario
(19:15):
at his mom's place and then take me home. And yeah,
that was our short lived romance. So embarrassing. We've all
been there with Mario Lopez. No, I can't find where
I parked my car.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
Yeah, okay, so you've spoken about your first on screen
kiss being with Dustin.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
Yes, can you tell us more about that? Of course,
he was so funny. He was so funny and so
kind and at the end of the day, he just
wanted to be accepted by everyone and his peers. And
like I said, he was always kind of like the
younger kid, and I, from what I saw that always
(19:59):
stayed with him a lot, So you know, he would
always I felt like overcompensate by trying to be funny
or trying to stand out, and I loved it, like
I was there for his humor and also he was
really vulnerable, and I feel like, yeah, it was. It
(20:19):
was a great first experience, pri experience, like first on
screen kiss. It was because you know, it was a sitcom,
so it's not like you're doing like an crazy open
mouth kiss, and like it kind of like got me
into kissing on screen because there was no pressure except
like an entire studio audience watching us kiss. But he
(20:41):
was just so nice and such a gentleman and it
was just sweet. So I don't remember like how scared
I was. I was probably more scared of like all
the lines. I would always say my lines like in
my head and be like, okay, here we go, here
we go, because I was terrified of like saying a
(21:02):
line wrong in front of a studio audience, like fear
because you know, everything I had done before then it
was like you could do as many takes as you want,
don't worry if you mess up the line. And this
was a studio audience, so you felt like, I know,
all the network was there every every taping.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
So speaking more of Dustin, we all know later in
life he made an adult film.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
Yes, did you ever see it? I have never seen it.
I have never seen his adult film. Yeah, very fair,
have you?
Speaker 2 (21:35):
No, I have not.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
Is anyone here?
Speaker 2 (21:39):
Oh okay, did you ever invite any of the cast
members to your iconic sixteenth birthday party? So Ley Moon
for I talked about all.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
The hot guys were there my eighteenth birthday part?
Speaker 2 (21:51):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (21:51):
Sorry, sorry, that's a really good question. I feel like
if any thing Mario maybe was there, I would have
to ask him. I don't know, Like Mario from that
experience was the only one like I kept in touch
with and Elizabeth I would say, and I'm still really
(22:14):
good friends with Elizabeth Berkeley. And then yeah, shortly after that,
you know, Tiffany and Brian start going out, so I
would see, you know, Tiffany would be on set. We
had that connection from Saved by the Bell and then
she joined the show, so it was just a whole
different experience. But I don't know. I don't think any No,
(22:36):
I don't think so. Maybe Justin might a been at
my eighteenth birth day.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
Right a little behind the scenes. Who was dating who?
Speaker 1 (22:44):
Oh geez, I don't I don't know. Fun fact, throughout
my episodes, I was on Saved by the Bell. Scott
Wolfe got his start there and was on it. He
was background player, so in all of like like Violet
(23:05):
was in the choir like he was. If you look
in episodes, he was back there and all the classroom scenes,
and so they would have different like background players, but
they would keep the kids kind of consistent. So all
of the episodes I did, he was there. So later,
you know, when we were both on Fox and I
was on nine of two No, and he was on
Party of Five, it was like, oh my gosh, it
(23:26):
was so great to see him, and I was so
excited for his success. That was the first time I
met him. And I'm not sure who was dating. I
feel like I've read things about like Tiffany and Mark
Paul maybe, but I don't know. I wouldn't know, to
be honest, I want to say none of them.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
I mean, I've heard all the room. Wait, what are
the rumors that they like kind of all dated each other?
Speaker 1 (23:51):
Really did they?
Speaker 2 (23:52):
But I don't know it rumors maybe Never did you
ever run into any of the cast while you were
out clubing in Hollywood back in the day.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
I feel like I would. Yeah, I mean, obviously I
would continue to see Tiffany because if we ended up
working together and we would go out together and we
were friends. But yeah, like Elizabeth and I feel like
Mark Paul was never out in the scene. I don't
know if Mario was either, Like if there was, I
don't know. They were good boys.
Speaker 2 (24:20):
Yeah, if you could ride a crossover episode between Say
by the Bell and nine O, two and zero, what
would that storyline be?
Speaker 1 (24:35):
Oh my gosh, wait, well could it be like whatever
you wanted to be?
Speaker 2 (24:42):
Well?
Speaker 1 (24:42):
Could it be like whatever happened to Baby Jane? And
so there's like two sisters and it's Joan Crawford and
Betty Davis, but it's really Donna Martin and Violet bicker Staff,
my two characters from and O and Say By the
Bell or.
Speaker 2 (24:54):
Maybe whatever you want, Okay, I'll do that?
Speaker 1 (24:57):
Is that random? So random? It's the first thing that
came to mind. A crossover though, would be like I
don't know, because like Donna would be an easy crossover,
and save by the Bell because she was kind of
I think she was a blend between like Jesse the
good girl and like Kelly the popular girl and there
(25:20):
would be Donna. I feel like she'd be friends with
all of them, and Lisa like so she would fit
right in. And it's funny. The two shows I did
both had like iconic diners, so we would always be
on that set. But and and what wait? I had
to sing and say by the Bell, which I do
actually sing and have sang in different movies and mass singer.
(25:45):
I'm not like a great singer, but I can be
coached and a little bit of Missiletnes. But saved by
the Bell. They didn't even ask if I could sing.
They were just like this is I was as so
swating the choir and it was beautiful dreamer and they
were like here's the like uh oh god not hs
(26:05):
because that tape. Listen to it and just like match
your mouth too.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
So that wasn't you singing because that was like an
epic solo.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
That was an epic solo. And sorry to say, but
it wasn't like they were like, hey, do you want
to work with a vocal coach or can you do it?
They were just like, oh, here, you're just gonna lip
sync it. It's like oh, which is kind of scarier
and harder to do. I wish I had attempted to
sing it.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
But anyway, your kids seeing those episodes.
Speaker 1 (26:32):
So my kids are like into throwback TVs, I mean
getting into it. They love Full House. They have not
watched Saved by the Belt. I feel like they need
to watch Saved by the Belt. I feel like my
kids don't have any idea who I am. Like, you know,
they've seen Scary Movie too. They love that. They've seen
Scream too, But other than that, they've they've never seen
(26:54):
my work.
Speaker 2 (26:55):
I watched Say by the Phone a long time. I
wonder if it holds up. I wonder too, but I
don't know if I'm biased. Grew up on that show,
all right. How do you think Say By the Bell
and Beverly Hills, Nino two and Oh shaped nineties teen culture,
but in different ways.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
I mean, obviously I can speak more towards Nino two
and Oh, and I couldn't see either of them back
then because I was in it, you know, and we
were young. But looking back at it now, I mean
it was Nino two to and Oh specifically, I think
was the first time that gave a voice to teens.
You know, every show it was about the adults and
(27:33):
their issues and their problems and what it was really like.
And you know, there's that old thing like kids should
be seen, not heard, and kind of I feel like
that's the way it kind of used to be on
TV as it progressed. It was like kids have a voice,
and they have a strong voice, and they should be
heard and they have issues just like adults, you know.
And I feel like nine two and oh was the
(27:55):
first that took a chance to focus on a nighttime show,
say by the Bell, I think we're wor because it
was a morning show so kids wanted to watch kids.
But I think they took a big gamble day my
dad doing a show that spoke to teens that adults
would be viewing. You know, primetime TV started at eight o'clock,
(28:16):
so that was a risk. You know, people, you know
predominantly it was adults watching, and what if you know,
it was their house and they controlled whether kids watched
or not because back then it was like everyone had
a TV in their room. It was more like gathering
and watching in your living room. And they took a
big chance of you know, parents and adults being like, eh,
(28:40):
we don't want to watch a show about kids. But
thank god it worked, and then Saved by the Bell
it was you know, Saturday Morning TV. I feel like
Saturday Morning TV before Saved by the Bell was kind
of focused more on kid kids, and this was about
you know, preteens and then teens again, giving them a
(29:01):
voice in a comedic, light hearted way, but they'd actually
dealt with a lot of issues as well, And if
you go back, there's a lot of issue oriented episodes
that the teens on that show go through, similar to
nine two and oh.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
I feel like nine two and ohs. Yeah it felt
trail well, yeah, but it felt a little more like
real life. You could relate a little more.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
Bear. There wasn't a laugh track after every line, you know,
so yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
True, people weren't playing pranks on their principle all day long.
Speaker 1 (29:32):
True.
Speaker 2 (29:33):
All right, well that's kind of most what I have
unless any memorable behind the scenes moments or bloopers or
anything that really stands out from day about the belt.
Speaker 1 (29:42):
Hmmm, why not think I remember it as soon as
I lee.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
Or anything else you want to add to your experience.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
I mean, I'm just really grateful for the experience. I
think it taught me so much about I mean, comedy
is my heart and that was the first show, and
you know, that was the first show to give a
voice to my comedy, and that kind of paved the
(30:15):
way for me to be able to take charge to
make Donna comedian. I don't know what the word I'm
looking for, I mean, because Donna wasn't written that way.
Donna wasn't you know, Donna wasn't written as much like
Donna was friend number one, I think in the pilot
and then you know, she went on to have a
character name and then you know, they gave her a
(30:36):
little bit of a background, but you know, she pretty
much started as Kelly and you know, Brenda's friend. And
you know, I realized from early on, like, gosh, there's
a lot of stars here and there's a lot of
magic here, and I have to do something to stand out.
(30:56):
You know. I didn't feel like I was the prettiest
girl there. I didn't feel like I was the most
talented girl there. But I knew deep down that I
was the funniest one there, and so that was and
that's just something that's always been. I'm not a very
confident person, but I'm very confident in my ability to
make people laugh in my ability to do comedy. And
(31:17):
I had that from a young age just in real
life making people happy and smile. And I liked seeing
people get utter joy from laughter. And so if I
hadn't had that experience on Save by the Bell, maybe
I wouldn't have been able to really take that chance
on nine two and oh to make Donna stand out
and do the physical comedy. And you know, the more
(31:40):
the writers saw that on nine O two and oh,
they were like, oh, you like comedy, so Donna, they
would start to write towards my strength and do the
physical comedy and do all the Lucy esque things that
I loved to do because that's just my passion. So
what was the question? There's the violet snort. I really
(32:04):
actually do snort in real life when it comes out
once in a while.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
I mean, the snort was awesome, Thank you. It really
lent to the character.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
Thanks. Oh, I have one Rinning. So they had the
reboot of Say by the Bell, and I believe Mark,
Paul and Mario and Elizabeth and Tiffany, I think they
all produced it. They came together and did it no,
And I was really bummed because I was like, you know,
(32:33):
Dustin had passed away, and I was like, that's kind
of like his legacy is, like what's left is like
Violet because they would have gone on to get married hopefully. Yeah,
and it's just like it's a character that everyone talks about.
And I say that with confidence just because I know
the fans, like they always bring up Violet and she's
so beloved. So I was kind of bummed. And I
(32:56):
did Mark Paul's podcast and I said, like, what happened
and they only went one season? He said no, honestly,
like season two. And Elizabeth had confirmed this with me
when I talked her about after like season two, we
were totally gonna bring in Violet. And I'm like, oh
damn it.
Speaker 2 (33:13):
It would have been fun to see her pop up
season light.
Speaker 1 (33:16):
But yeah, during my life, but uh yeah, who knows,
maybe something else will be done again. Was saved by
the bell One day. I can go back and do Violet.
I should do like I should do something Violet like
on online, like a TikTok Violet. That'd be fun.
Speaker 2 (33:33):
Did you keep any of her wardrobe? No?
Speaker 1 (33:35):
I can't keep any of Donnas either. I was a
good girl. I wanted so much for people to like
me and think I was like nights and great and
like I would never have kept anything like that would
have been like but kind of what Donna and Violet
war they kind of I mean Violet, I can't picture
her ever wearing like a crop top or anything. But
(33:56):
it was the you know, the early nineties, so it
was like the little like bike shorts and baby doll dresses,
so it was kind of a crossover
Hosts And Creators
Lauren Zima
Chris Harrison
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