Tiffani Thiessen discusses low pay on ‘Saved by the Bell’

Actress Tiffani Thiessen has reflected on her early career, stating that she and her castmates on ‘Saved by the Bell’ earned very little during the show’s run. Speaking on SiriusXM’s Page Six Radio, Thiessen noted that the cast had little influence over the production and did not receive episodes before they aired.

Thiessen indicated that her financial situation significantly improved only after she joined the cast of ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ in 1994. She also commented on the current state of residuals from ‘Saved by the Bell,’ suggesting they have effectively dried up, noting that it can sometimes cost more to print a residual check than the value of the check itself.

Cast member Mario Lopez previously described the compensation for the original cast as ‘cartoon money,’ noting that salaries started around $1,500 per episode and eventually reached approximately $3,500 as the show moved toward primetime.