Highlights
- Ed Alonzo, who played Max on Saved By The Bell, didn't make the decision to leave the show - the writers wanted to focus on the high school characters.
- Although he didn't act much after leaving the show, Alonzo pursued his passion for magic and became a successful comedy magician.
- Fans can catch Alonzo performing on the TV show Masters of Illusion and can follow his magic-filled journey on his Instagram.
Every popular teen show has a hang-out where the characters spend most of their time. On Beverly Hills 90210, it was the Peach Pit owned by the kind Nat. On Saved By The Bell, it was The Max. While some episodes of Saved By The Bell created controversy, The Max is one of the most innocent parts of the popular series. The reason it was so memorable? The owner, played by Ed Alonzo, was always a friendly, funny, and welcoming presence.
Thankfully, Max came back for five episodes of the Saved By The Bell reboot, which fans actually liked. The show would have felt very strange without him. However, Ed Alonzo didn't actually act that much after leaving Saved By The Bell. Here's the truth about his career...
Why Did Ed Alzono Leave Saved By The Bell?
While Mark-Paul Gosselaar has played other famous characters, Ed Alonzo is most recognized for playing Max on Saved By The Bell. The character is sweet, helpful, and happy with his life running the diner. It's interesting to realize that even though fans love Max so much, the character was only in 21 episodes from season 1.
According to Men's Health, Ed Alonzo didn't make the decision to leave Saved By The Bell. Instead, the writers realized that they needed to focus on the show's high school characters.
Peter Engel, the creator of the popular series, said in an interview with Today.com, “It became apparent that we were appealing to the teens. We didn’t need that type.”
Even though Max wasn't in every Saved By The Bell episode, everyone remembers how much Zack Morris and his friends loved talking to Max at the diner.
Alonzo still seems to feel great about his days on Saved By The Bell. For several years, he spoke about his desire for another version of the popular show. While no one knows how long he would have actually stayed on the series, it seems like he might have wanted to stay for longer than just one season.
According to CBC.ca, there was a pop-up version of The Max in Chicago, and he was there, too. It was fun for fans to get the chance to meet Alonzo, and he also talked about a reboot. He told CBC, "Unfortunately, I don't think there'll ever be like a Saved by the Bell television special reunion. I think this is as close as I'll get to it. This is better than the original Max that we used to shoot the show on over at NBC."
In 2018, Alonzo talked about a potential reboot and had a plotline in mind. He told Entertainment Tonight, "There should be a show based on The Max to where maybe the kids that were on Saved by the Bell, their kids are now hanging out at The Max."
Of course, Alonzo got his wish. The Saved By The Bell reboot aired from 2020 to 2022 on Peacock.
The actor's proposed storyline is actually pretty close to the reboot's. This time around, Zack and Kelly Kapowksi's son Mac Morris, played by Mitchell Hoog, is attending Bayside High. He and his friends do spend time at The Max regularly.
What Is Saved By The Bell Star Ed Alonzo Doing Now?
While Ed Alonzo came back for the Saved By The Bell reboot, he didn't act very much following his time on Saved By The Bell. His IMDb page includes surprisingly few roles. He played himself in an episode of Full House that aired in 1998. In 2012, he played Guard #2 in one episode of How I Met Your Mother. Two years later, he played Kaiser Mayhem in one episode of Modern Family.
After leaving Saved By The Bell, Ed Alonzo leaned into his love of magic. He has been working as a magician for a long time. According to his website, he is a "comedy magician. He makes sure that his shows are as hilarious and entertaining as they are awe-inspiring and magical.
Alonzo's website bio says that he performed at the Magic Castle, which is located in Hollywood, when he was only in high school. He realized that he loved magic when he was seven and has been exploring it ever since. He has been performing on the TV show Masters of Illusion, which airs on The CW, for a long time. The show has had 12 seasons and is still going very strong.
According to Photosfromthepit.com, Alzono also gives people advice about magic. He was hired by Michael Jackson, Katy Perry, and Britney Spears to help with some of their performances.
This is definitely a case of art imitating life. As Saved By The Bell fans know, Max loves magic and often entertains the main characters on Saved By The Bell when they sit at a table ordering burgers and fries.
If his recent work is any indication, Alonzo seems to prefer magic to acting. While he played a character named Gerry on the HBO drama Minx in 2022, he only appeared in one episode. If Saved By The Bell fans want to see him these days, it definitely seems like catching one of his magic shows is the best way to go. He talks about this part of his life on his Instagram all the time.
In 2017, the actor was interviewed by KCAL9 and explained his enthusiasm for magic. He said, "I love the reactions of the people."
Alonzo is still a big part of Hollywood, though, and he has been picketing during the Summer 2023 WGA strike. He shared several photos of himself on the picket line on his Instagram. He also dressed up as Max from Saved By The Bell and handed burgers to people. The actor wrote in the caption for that post, "Support Writers and Actors. I Joined my actor and writer friends today and gave out Free Max burgers."
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