Former Marist Student Stars in “Saved by the Bell” Revamp

Alycia Pascual-Pena and her mother struck a deal: after her senior year of high school, she could spend every summer auditioning in Los Angeles. Even as she continued her education at Marist, studying political science and public relations, Pascual-Pena continued to pursue her dream of acting –– a dream that is finally coming into view with her role in the upcoming revamp of “Saved by the Bell.” 

Former Marist student Alycia Pascual-Pena pursued her acting dreams in Los Angeles, landing a season regular role on NBC's upcoming "Saved by the Bell" revamp, premiering on Peacock on Nov. 25. Source: Peacock/NBC

After a successful summer of auditions in 2019, Pascual-Pena and her family had a difficult conversation about whether she would continue her college career at Marist and graduate, as planned, in 2020. As a first generation student, education carries tremendous value for Pascual-Pena. Ultimately, she made the choice to take the semester off; during that time, she booked her first feature film in “Moxie,” an upcoming Netflix movie directed by Amy Poehler, and “Saved by the Bell,” which premieres on NBC’s streaming platform, Peacock, and features stars like Mario Lopez and Elizabeth Berkley from the original series.   

“I think I’m one of the luckiest people on earth that I get to do this and call it my job, and the fact that every day is something new when it comes to scenes and wacky things and getting to work with Mario really closely,” Pascual-Pena said. “I currently, in my room, have a postcard that he signed, because when I was nine years old I waited on line at an event in Dallas because I wanted his signature, and now I work with him.” 

The new “Saved by the Bell” is a revamp more than a reboot. While there are strong callbacks to the original show, the new installment features a fresh cast of diverse characters, with strong representation from Black and LGBTQ communities. Josie Tota, a transgender actress who came out in an essay for Time Magazine in 2018, stars in the lead role. 

Pascual-Pena plays Aisha, one of the “new six” leading the show. When old favorite Zack Morris (now the governor of California) controversially closes too many low-income schools, he sends lower-income students to his old stomping ground, Bayside High. Aisha must adjust to life in this foreign environment, an experience that resonated with Pascual-Pena. 

“I very much lived in two worlds. I went to high school in upstate New York in Westchester with no one who looked like me, no one who came from the areas that I came from, simply to get a better education,” she said. The show’s writers actually incorporated aspects of Pascual-Pena into the character and changed Aisha to be Afro-Latina. Aisha breaks the mold in more ways than one, trying out for the football team at Bayside. 

“She’s a great character to play. She’s a great friend, she’s loyal, she’s supportive and those are all things I hope to be to my friends,” Pascual-Pena said. “Something also really exciting about playing her is the physical aspect of playing football and being in this male-dominated sport and going against the social norm in that regard, which I love. I hope that encourages little girls, or whoever our demographic is, watching this show to go for what they want, despite what they’re being told.”

Facing the odds is an experience Pascual-Pena is intimately familiar with. She started modeling at just three years old. At nine, she decided to take acting more seriously. She went to a convention for Actors, Models and Talents For Christ and signed nationally for acting. Originally from the Bronx, Pascual-Pena and her single mother ultimately relocated to Texas a few years later. She signed with the agent who she is still with today. Everyone told her to move out to L.A., but her family lacked the resources for that transition. 

Once she started spending summers in L.A. after high school, the pieces slowly started to come together: two years ago she signed with a manager and she later secured a leading role in “Moxie,” her first feature film. On the last day of filming for “Moxie,” she booked “Saved by the Bell.” With less than two weeks in between projects, the past few months have been a whirlwind for Pascual-Pena.

Despite all of the ups and downs, rejections and triumphs, she remains grounded in her faith. She said her belief in God helps her stay intentional and sane audition after audition. 

“When I was younger, my prayer always used to be ‘Lord let me get this,’ and as I got older, having such a wonderful, wise mother, I learned to have a shift in my prayer, and it becoming, ‘Lord let your will be done, but let me bring joy to the people that I step into the room with, and if this is for me, may I have it,” Pascual-Pena said. 

“I think that this is a business where it’s really easy to get competitive, and about everything that I do, I just want to see everyone do their best and whatever God has for me, He has for me, and if it goes to the next girl, then I’m grateful for them and that was His will.” 

While she’s immersed in her acting pursuits, she’s still found ways to express the convictions that led her to study at Marist. 

“Political science is something that I have a deep passion for, and that hasn’t changed, and I’m really lucky to do something that blesses me with a platform and I intend to use that to talk about my passions and things that I was able to study at Marist,” she said, specifically noting civic engagement and working with disenfranchised communities. 

She strives to be as engaged as possible, though this became more challenging in August as she entered lockdown in order to safely finish shooting “Saved.” When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted nearly every industry in March, film and television productions stalled to a halt. Shooting for “Saved,” which was supposed to wrap in April, stopped abruptly in March. The original release date of July 15 passed without a finished season. 

In August, the crew and cast finally returned to the set to reshoot parts of the pilot as well as new material for the final three episodes. She said they were tested for the virus five times per week to ensure a safe set. Now, the show is finally set to premiere on Nov. 25. This is a “pinch-me” moment for Pascual-Pena. 

“It’s just surreal every day that I get to go to the Universal lot. I remember passing it all the time just two years ago, and being like ‘I want to work there, I’m going to work there, I want to work there,’” she said. “And now it being real, I couldn’t be more grateful.”