Mark-Paul Gosselaar Reveals Which Co-Star He Had the Most Chemistry With

TV

Mark Paul-Gosselaar's 'Saved by the Bell' character, Zack Morris, dated his fair share of girls. His forever love turned out to be Kelly Kapowski, but Gosselaar admits he had the most chemistry with guest star, Leah Remini.

Published on August 2, 2021

Mark-Paul Gosselaar was a teen heartthrob in the 1990s while playing the role of Zack Morris on Saved by the Bell. The series, which ran for four seasons from 1990 until 1994, is still considered a cultural icon. Now, the cast of the show has returned for a reboot. Gosselaar is involved in the revival, but he’s also a bit busy reminiscing. In a podcast, Gosselaar is rewatching the original series and offering commentary on it. He just revealed who his character had the most chemistry with, and it’s not the girl his character’s current wife. 

Who were Zack Morris’ major love interests in ‘Saved by the Bell’? 

Saved by the Bell followed Zack and his pals, A.C. Slater, Jessie Spano, Kelly Kapowski, Lisa Turtle, and Screech Powers as they navigated high school together. A.C. and Zack spent years fighting over girls, and while both dated their fair share of ladies, their serious relationships were fairly limited. Zack, considered a ladies’ man from the beginning of the series, had three major love interests. 

Kelly, portrayed by Tiffani Thiessen, was the girl of Zack’s dreams. The pair dated and broke up multiple times during the show’s four-season run before getting married in Save By the Bell: The College Years. Zack dated Stacey Carosi, played by Leah Remini, and Tori Scott, portrayed by Leanna Creel during their off moments. Stacey appeared in six episodes during the show’s third season. Tori and her romance with Zack spanned 10 episodes of Saved by the Bell’s final season. 

Mark-Paul Gosselaar said he had undeniable chemistry with Leah Remini

While Zack’s forever love is Kelly, Gosselaar doesn’t think he had the most chemistry with Thiessen. On his podcast, Zack to the Future, Gosselaar sat down with Remini to discuss her time on the series. He said he thought he and Remini had the most chemistry on screen, claiming, “those were real kisses.” 

Remini’s short-lived time on the series did turn out to be wildly popular with fans. According to IMDb, episodes featuring Remini received an average of 8.1 out of 10 stars. The show’s highest-rated episode, “Jessie’s Song,” received 8.5 stars out of 10. The show’s lowest-rated episode, “Pinned to the Mat,” has a score of just 6.6 stars out of 10.  

Leah Remini was intimidated by the cast of ‘Saved by the Bell’ 

While things worked out for the best, Remini wasn’t exactly confident when walking onto the set of Saved By the Bell. The The King of Queens star recalled being “petrified” when she landed the role of Zack’s love interest. During the same interview, Remini recalled being intimidated by Thiessen’s good looks. She revealed that she was “in awe” of Thiessen and worried she wouldn’t be Gosselaar’s type. 

Remini was also a few years older than Gosselaar and the other stars of the show. Remini, now 51, was four years older than Gosselaar, Thiessen, Mario Lopez and Lark Voorhies. She is closest in age to Elizabeth Berkley, who took on the role of Jessie in the hit teen series. Berkley recently turned 49. The youngest cast member, Dustin Diamond, died in February 2021 at the age of 44.  

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