Just like his costar Tiffani Thiessen, Mario Lopez wants his cut of the "Saved by the Bell" pie.
The Emmy-winning actor and host, who starred as jock heartthrob A.C. Slater on the iconic teen sitcom, shared his reaction to Thiessen's recent comments about the show's residual payments.
The actress, who played head cheerleader Kelly Kapowski, revealed she no longer receives compensation for the series during a Sept. 24 interview on Page Six Radio.
"I think it's dried out," Thiessen, 52, told hosts Danny Murphy and Evan Real. "It's like, negative now. It probably costs more to print the check."
Lopez, also 52, backed Thiessen's claims on social media Wednesday, Sept. 30, suggesting he also doesn't get residuals for his role.
"Real talk!" Lopez quipped
in an X post.
TV actors typically receive residuals when their show is used beyond what is "covered by initial compensation": when it re-airs, comes out on video/DVD and is broadcast in syndication, according to SAG-AFTRA, the labor union covering screen and radio performers.
Lopez was 15 when he was cast on "Saved by the Bell," a coming-of-age comedy about a group of teens attending Bayside High School. The burgeoning actor was brought in as a new cast member, alongside costars Thiessen and Elizabeth Berkley, to revamp the show from its original format, the short-lived Disney Channel series "Good Morning, Miss Bliss." The trio joined the sitcom's residing stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Dustin Diamond and Lark Voorhies.
The NBC series, which ran for four seasons from 1989 to 1993, became a ratings smash in the Saturday morning slot, inspiring the TV network to launch its Teen NBC programming block, which focused on live-action shows geared toward adolescent viewers. The show spawned a pair of spinoffs, "Saved by the Bell: The College Years" and "Saved by the Bell: The New Class," as well as two TV movies.
In 2020, the sitcom was revived for a new generation with the Peacock series "Saved by the Bell," which saw Lopez reprise his role as a gym teacher and football coach at Bayside High.
However, Lopez's costar Thiessen said the original show's success didn't necessarily translate to big bucks. "We didn't have pull on that show at all," she shared on Page Six Radio. "We made nothing, and we just did our job."
Following his time on "Saved by the Bell," Lopez appeared in several television shows and movies, including "Pacific Blue," "Outta Time," "The Bold and The Beautiful" and "Nip/Tuck." He also cohosted the entertainment news programs "Extra," from 2007 to 2019, and "Access Hollywood," from 2019 to the show's Sept. 11 conclusion.
'Full House' star Jodie Sweetin shares residuals bombshell
Lopez and Thiessen aren't the only sitcom stars to get candid on the reality of residuals.
"Full House" actress Jodie Sweetin revealed during an April appearance on "The McBride Rewind" podcast that she received "a one-cent check the other day" as part of her meager royalties from starring as middle child Stephanie Tanner on the '90s sitcom.
"There's no syndication anymore because it's all in streaming," Sweetin said. "Who gets paid for that? Nobody gets paid for that."
Contributing: KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mario Lopez weighs in on 'Saved by the Bell' paycheck after Tiffani Thiessen
