Kobe Bryant Saved by the Bell Cameo Planned Days Before His Death IndieWire
Kobe Bryant ‘Saved by the Bell’ Cameo Planned Days Before His Death IndieWire × Continue to IndieWire SKIP AD You will be redirected back to your article in seconds Back to IndieWire News All News Galleries Lists Box Office Trailers Festivals Thompson on Hollywood Film All Film Reviews Interviews Profiles of a Partnership 2022 Best Movies of 2022, So Far 2022 Fall Movie Preview 2023 Oscars ’90s Week Best of the Decade Video Podcasts TV All TV Reviews Interviews 2022 Fall TV Preview 2022 Emmys Best TV Shows of 2022, So Far Influencers: The Craft of TV 2022 Video Podcasts Awards All Awards 2023 Oscar Predictions TV Awards Calendar Film Awards Calendar Thompson on Hollywood Influencers: Profiles of a Partnership 2022 Awards Spotlight Spring 2022 Craft Considerations Top of the Line Animation Podcasts Video All Video Podcasts Consider This Conversations Toolkit Sundance Studio Awards Spotlight Winter 2022 Tune In Shop Gift Guides Tech Movies and TV to Buy and Stream More About Team How to Pitch Stories and Articles to IndieWire Advertise with IndieWire Confidential Tips News All News Galleries Lists Box Office Trailers Festivals Thompson on Hollywood Film All Film Reviews Interviews Profiles of a Partnership 2022 Best Movies of 2022, So Far 2022 Fall Movie Preview 2023 Oscars ’90s Week Best of the Decade Video Podcasts TV All TV Reviews Interviews 2022 Fall TV Preview 2022 Emmys Best TV Shows of 2022, So Far Influencers: The Craft of TV 2022 Video Podcasts Awards All Awards 2023 Oscar Predictions TV Awards Calendar Film Awards Calendar Thompson on Hollywood Influencers: Profiles of a Partnership 2022 Awards Spotlight Spring 2022 Craft Considerations Top of the Line Animation Podcasts Video All Video Podcasts Consider This Conversations Toolkit Sundance Studio Awards Spotlight Winter 2022 Tune In Shop Gift Guides Tech Movies and TV to Buy and Stream More About Team How to Pitch Stories and Articles to IndieWire Advertise with IndieWire Confidential Tips
Get The Latest IndieWire Alerts And Newsletters Delivered Directly To Your Inbox Subscribe
Kobe Bryant Planned to Cameo on ‘ Saved by the Bell’ Reboot Days Before His Death
Josie Totah and Alycia Pascual-Peña recalled the surreal moment when they learned they would be working with the NBA legend
Christian Zilko Sep 18, 2022 5:32 pm Share This Article Reddit LinkedIn WhatsApp Email Print Talk Kobe Bryant Getty Images Kobe Bryant is best known for his 20-year career playing basketball for the Los Angeles Lakers, but the Oscar winner always kept a foot in the entertainment industry as well. As it turns out, he came close to racking up one more screen credit before his tragic death in February 2020. In a new episode of their “Dare We Say” podcast (via Entertainment Weekly), actresses Josie Totah and Alycia Pascual-Peña, who starred on Peacock’s short-lived reboot of “Saved by the Bell” revealed that the basketball legend almost appeared on the show. Bryant had been a fan of the original series and was scheduled to film a cameo on the reboot just days before the helicopter crash that killed him and his daughter. “A wild tidbit that I don’t think a lot of people know, or, it’s not important at all because obviously, we are the least of importance when it comes to this legend and his daughter’s passing, but we were actually supposed to film with Kobe two days after he died,” Totah said. While it is unclear what episode Bryant would have appeared in or what role he would have played, both actresses recalled the palpable excitement on set when Bryant’s casting was revealed. “I remember learning that he had passed through one of our best friend Anjelika Washington,” Pascual-Peña added. “She called me specifically because she knew that I’d been talking about it for a month with her - that I was so excited to meet Kobe on set and I can’t believe that he was a fan of the first ‘Saved by the Bell’ and that he was excited to be on the show.” While both actresses were heartbroken about Bryant’s death and regret missing the opportunity to work with him, they both feel strongly that he left a legacy deserving of respect and admiration. “It’s really beautiful and eye-opening to see how one person can bring joy to so many people. Some people live their entire lives never seeing the full impact they had on the world until they pass,” Pascual-Peña said. “Thankfully Kobe was given his flowers. That man was so loved and so respected.” Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here. This Article is related to: Television and tagged Kobe Bryant, Saved By the BellGet The Latest IndieWire Alerts And Newsletters Delivered Directly To Your Inbox Subscribe