Bayside High alumni Zack Morris, A.C. Slater and Jessie Spano will all reunite on the small screen for a reboot of "Saved by the Bell." But what about gossip queen and fashionista Lisa Turtle?
Lark Voorhies, who played Lisa on the hit '90s sitcom, was not invited back to participate in the highly anticipated revival, arriving on NBC's forthcoming streaming service, Peacock.
In a rare interview with Dr. Mehmet Oz, which aired on a Wednesday daytime program, Voorhies opened up about how the exclusion affected her and speculated that her struggles with mental illness might have influenced her chances of returning.
"I have to admit I did feel a bit slighted and hurt when I was not invited to be part of the 'Saved by the Bell' reunion," she said in the interview. "Yet, of course, I also realize that having this puzzling disorder may have played a major part in that factual decision," she added. "With that in mind, I am truly thankful for having had the chance to work on a show that has been so successful."
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Dr. Oz also asked Voorhies for her thoughts on a recent photo of her ex-castmates, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Mario Lopez, Elizabeth Berkley and Tiffani Thiessen, getting together for a group dinner "celebrating 30 years of friendship." Despite being left out, the actress said seeing her former colleagues link up made her feel "empowered."
"They have the right to do that, and they're happy in their element, and they can have it, certainly," she said, before admitting that she wished they would include her. "What family isn't kept complete without its lead?" Lisa isn't the only character who won't appear on the new "Saved by the Bell." Among the other actors unconfirmed for a comeback are Dustin Diamond, who played Screech, and Thiessen, who played Kelly. However, even Gosselaar _ who portrayed series lead Zack _ looked like he was out of the project until last month.
"Honestly, I was never approached," Gosselaar told Variety in September after reports of a reboot starring Lopez and Berkley first surfaced. "I woke up to the news this morning with a kind of 'huh?' response."
NBC's Peacock is set to launch in April.
