NEWSTiffani Thiessen Says She 'Made Nothing' on 'Saved by the Bell' Until 'Beverly Hills, 90210' Changed Everything
Tiffani Thiessen revealed that her pay for playing Kelly on 'Saved by the Bell' was so meager it was practically 'nothing.'
Sept. 27 2026, Published 12:16 p.m. ET
Tiffani Thiessen is looking back on the surprisingly modest pay she received while playing Kelly Kapowski on Saved by the Bell before Beverly Hills, 90210 changed her financial picture.
"We made nothing and we just did our job," Thiessen said during a recent interview with SiriusXM's Page Six Radio.
The actress, who joined the cast of Saved by the Bell as Kelly in 1989, also recalled that she and her costars had little influence over how the hit teen sitcom operated.
Thiessen Said the Cast Had 'No Pull'
It wasn't until the show moved into primetime that pay for Tiffani Thiessen and her costars somewhat improved.
Thiessen explained that the young stars weren't given special access to the show despite becoming increasingly recognizable to viewers.
"We didn't have any pull," she said. "We didn't have pull on that show at all."
The actress said the cast didn't receive episodes ahead of their television broadcasts, meaning they watched the sitcom along with the audience.
"But we would watch it when it came out," Thiessen said.
"When we went primetime for one season, we got a little bit more," she added.
'90210' Was When She Started Making 'Real Money'
Tiffani Thiessen later joined 'Beverly Hills, 90210.'
Thiessen's financial situation changed after she left the world of Bayside High and joined the cast of a new show.
"But yeah, I didn't start making real money until I went to 90210," she said.
Thiessen joined the Fox teen drama in 1994 as Valerie Malone, following Shannen Doherty's departure from the series. She remained on Beverly Hills, 90210 through its ninth season, later returning for a guest appearance in the final season.
The role gave the actress a new chapter after her years as Kelly, with Valerie bringing a very different presence to the long-running drama.
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She Doesn't Expect Much From 'Saved by the Bell' Residuals
Tiffani Thiessen joked that the residuals from 'Saved by the Bell' are so small that printing the check costs more.
Thiessen also discussed the money she continues to receive from the sitcom, suggesting there isn't much left coming her way.
"I think it's dried out now," she said. "It costs more to print the check."
"There's actually a funny place, I don't even know if it's still open, called Residuals in L.A., where actors could come in and take their 38-cent check and buy a drink with it," Thiessen added.
Other 'Saved by the Bell' Stars Have Previously Made Similar Remarks
Mark-Paul Gosselaar blamed the paltry pay they received on 'Saved by the Bell' on the bad deals they made.
Thiessen's comments aren't the first time a Saved by the Bell alum has spoken candidly about the cast's compensation.
In a 2019 appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, Mark-Paul Gosselaar said the cast wasn't seeing much money from the show's syndication deals.
"We made really bad deals," he said. "Poor deals, back then. It is what it is. You move on, you learn. Great experience."
