BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – For young actress Saniyya Sidney, the only important "Zack" in the world of pop culture used to be Zac Efron.
Now Sidney is starring in Fox's winter sci-fi drama, "The Passage," alongside "Saved by the Bell" alum Mark-Paul Gosselaar, who played Zack Morris on the classic ’90s teen comedy. Unfortunately, Sidney told him, “there’s only one Zac that I know,” and that's Efron.
Now the actress, who has appeared in "Hidden Figures" and "Fences," is finally educating herself on "Bell." "I’m actually watching 'Saved by the Bell' right now," she said, and she's a big fan of Gosselaar, who's giving her tips about being in Hollywood at such a young age.
"I wasn’t a younger performer; I was a child star," Gosselaar told reporters at the Television Critics Association press tour Thursday. And the biggest advice he has for Sidney is to "be a kid."
"Whenever I go to work, I always want to have fun," Sidney said. Gosselaar told her to "have fun and enjoy your work. ... We’re like Thelma and Louise. ... When I act and I’m with him it feels wonderful, being able to play a girl that really needs someone. Whatever (my character) Amy is going through, I’m going through. So I need Mark-Paul, always."
"The Passage" is based on the novels by Justin Cronin, which follow scientists trying to use supernatural creatures (who look a whole lot like vampires) to cure disease to stave off a global pandemic. Gosselaar's government agent Brad Wolgast is sent to find a child to use for dangerous testing, but after meeting Amy he refuses to give her over to the government and goes on the run.
"What hooked me was the relationship with Amy," the actor said. "I have 12-year-old daughter; I can relate to the relationship. To me, that was the heart of the story."
Being a highly trained government operative, Gosselaar had to look muscular for the part. But it was OK, he says, because it hasn't been that long since he played a professional baseball player on Fox's canceled "Pitch."
"I’m still carrying weight from 'Pitch,'” he said.
WFXT
