Mario Lopez as A.C. Slater
Albert Clifford "A.C." Slater Sanchez is a fictional character in the U.S. television series Saved by the Bell, played by Mario Lopez.
In the show, Slater was a popular jock who excelled in most sports (particularly football and amateur wrestling).
Background[]
Slater is the token "jock" of the group. An army brat, he was an outsider, having transferred to Bayside in the first filmed episode (which aired later as a flashback). A.C. mentions that he has been to Bolivia, Italy, Iceland, and Berlin among other places. He becomes the school's star athlete, excelling as a wrestler and the quarterback of the football team.
His father (a Major) appears in two episodes, but his mother, though mentioned throughout the series, never appears. He also has a younger sister named JB whom Zack briefly began dating, much to his chagrin. In the season 4 episode "Love Machine," his ex-girlfriend from Berlin visits and calls him by his real name, "Albert Clifford". Much like Voorhies, Lopez was able to captivate the show's producers into casting him into a role that was originally written to be Caucasian. This issue of Slater's ethnicity is addressed in an episode from The College Years, where it is revealed that 25 years earlier A.C.'s father changed his last name from Sanchez to Slater so he could get into the military academy. Although the episode reveals that A.C. does not fluently understand Spanish, A.C. is seen speaking broken Spanish to the kitchen staff of the Malibu Sands Beach Club.
Saved by the Bell[]
At the start of freshman year, Slater arrives as a transfer student, immediately making an enemy of Zack Morris by attempting to make a move on Kelly Kapowski. Both boys end up in detention after schemes to be with Kelly backfire on both of them. While in detention, Slater reveals to Zack that he had transferred in and out of various schools throughout his life due to his father Martin being a Major in the army. Their mutual understanding of a father putting something else before his son would serve as the ice breaker between the two (Zack's own father was too busy with his job and never paid attention to him or his academics). By the end of the first season, Zack and Slater find themselves bonding over similar social standing, popularity among women, and athletic ability, each to the others (joking) annoyance. By the second season, their rivalry has all but been forgotten, the duo now the closest of friends.
The two begin a rivalry (albeit whilst remaining friends) competing for Kelly's love that ends in Sophomore year and Slater goes on to date feminist Jessie Spano on and off for the remainder of High School.
Throughout the course of the show, Slater and Zack compete for many other girls which often puts a strain on their friendship (One instance culminated in a brawl between the two early in Senior Year). In the end though, the friendship is more important to them than any girl that would possibly come between them.
Saved by the Bell: The College Years[]
Slater is accepted into California University, along with Zack, Screech, and Kelly as suite mates and begins dating Alex Taber, one of Kelly's roommates. While there, Slater continues his passion for wrestling and works in the University's main restaurant.
Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas[]
Along with Screech, Slater serves as Zack's best man at his wedding to Kelly in Las Vegas.
Saved by the Bell: The New Class[]
Slater makes two return guest appearances in Saved by The Bell: The New Class, firstly in "Goodbye, Bayside" Part 2, along with Zack and their friend Lisa Turtle when a millionaire alumnus J. Walter McMillan plans to buy the school and tear it down for the purpose of constructing a condo, and in "Fire at the Max: Part 2", where he reminisces on fond memories he had with his friends at the diner, after it was accidentally burned down by student Ryan Parker, who failed to turn off the Christmas lights.
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