Tiffani Thiessen Reveals Shocking '90s Sitcom Pay

Tiffani Thiessen, who starred as Kelly Kapowski on the popular '90s sitcom 'Saved by the Bell,' recently disclosed that she and her castmates received minimal compensation for their work. Thiessen stated they "got nothing" during the show's original run, with only a slight pay bump when it transitioned to primetime. The actress found her financial breakthrough later in her career when she joined the cast of 'Beverly Hills, 90210,' portraying Valerie Malone.

Thiessen's sentiment about the low earnings on 'Saved by the Bell' is shared by her former co-star Mark-Paul Gosselaar. Gosselaar confirmed in a past interview that the cast made "poor deals" during their time on the iconic teen series. Thiessen even recalled a humorous anecdote about actors receiving minuscule residual checks, sometimes as little as 38 cents, which were barely enough to cover the cost of a drink.

By the time Thiessen joined 'Beverly Hills, 90210' between its fifth and ninth seasons, her earnings improved significantly. She noted that she "didn't start making real money until" she joined the drama series. Thiessen is no longer expecting residuals from 'Saved by the Bell,' humorously suggesting that the cost to print the checks now exceeds any potential payout.