Elizabeth Berkley Lauren talks iconic 'Saved by the Bell' caffeine pill episode

Drag superstar and host of virtual Yahoo series 'X Change Rate', Monet X Change, interviews TV star Elizabeth Berkley Lauren about all things 'Saved by the Bell'.

Monet asks about the iconic episode where Berkley Lauren's character, Jessie Spano, becomes addicted to caffeine pills, only to end up singing "I'm so excited" before breaking down in tears. "Little trivia, those were red hots," she says.

"I would never have known that for years and years people would come up to me and say 'I'm so excited. I'm so scared,'" says Berkley Lauren. "That episode had an impact."

The episode is also memorable for Berkley Lauren because of how different it was then all the other episodes they would normall film. "Mark Paul and I were excited to have something a little more juicy, because we had be really trained actors and we had been doing this light comedy where basically the biggest problem was who's going to ask who to the dance right?," she says. "Here came this script where we were like oh my god we get to go for it."

She goes on to say that the chemistry that the cast had from growing up together helped the show have such staying power in pop culture for years to come.

As for the Jessie Spano iconic curls, Berkley Lauren says that was not a perm, au natural, to Monet X Change's surprise.

Video Transcript

MONET X CHANGE: "Saved by the Bell." As you know, this movie-- this series was a show for a generation. And it has transcended that. People are still watching "Saved by the Bell" on Netflix, on Hulu. The thing about the caffeine pill episode, back then I didn't realize it was such a thing--

- You're right.

- It's OK.

- Everything will be OK.

- Yeah.

- I just need one of these.

- Pills?

MONET X CHANGE: I think it has over like 12 million hits on YouTube. Because it's such an iconic moment from the show.

ELIZABETH BERKLEY LAUREN: Well, a little trivia. Those were Red Hots, OK?

MONET X CHANGE: [LAUGHS] When you were filming it, like how were you-- how did you feel about it?

ELIZABETH BERKLEY LAUREN: You know, it's-- I mean-- my god, I could never have known that for years and years, people would come up to me and say, "I'm so excited. I'm so scared," right?

- (SINGING) I'm so excited! I'm so-- (CRYING) scared!

ELIZABETH BERKLEY LAUREN: It's like--

MONET X CHANGE: [LAUGHS]

ELIZABETH BERKLEY LAUREN: But that episode had an impact. And it's just-- it's amazing. When we shot it, Mark-Paul and I were just so excited to have something a little more juicy. Because we had been really trained actors, and you know we had been doing this light comedy. Basically, the biggest problem was who's going to ask who to the dance, right? And here--

MONET X CHANGE: [LAUGHS]

ELIZABETH BERKLEY LAUREN: And here came this script where we were like, oh, my god. We get to go for it. I think because we had that chemistry is why it's kind of had this interesting staying power in pop culture.

MONET X CHANGE: Yeah.

ELIZABETH BERKLEY LAUREN: Just a lot of real emotions came up, that it was real, it was raw, and very adolescent. And we went for it. That's for sure. [LAUGHS]

MONET X CHANGE: So your hair was known to have all the body, all the curls. That must have been a fierce perm they had up in there.

ELIZABETH BERKLEY LAUREN: No. That is straight-up the Berkeley family, OK?

MONET X CHANGE: Really?

ELIZABETH BERKLEY LAUREN: When I air-dry my hair, like out of the shower air-dry, it's still curly. But, remember, back in the day, diffuser, shaper hair spray. But my hair will do that still. Like on a beach vacation.

MONET X CHANGE: Love that. Yes!

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