Dexter Darden Stars in 'Saved by the Bell' 2020 Revival — What to Know about the Actor

29-year-old actor Dexter Darden will join an inter-generational, ensemble comedy cast on the upcoming revival, adding a new milestone to his already successful career.

The “Maze Runner” star is among the cast of young stars that will help the original cast of the iconic TV series “Saved by the Bell” return in the form of an upcoming reboot.

Darden will be playing the role of Devante on the revival series, which premieres on November 25, 2020, on the streaming service Peacock. He admitted that the new series is considerably different from the original, but he is proud and glad to pay homage to the iconic series and continue its legacy.

Before landing this significant role as a new student at the fictional Bayside High, Darden had already become a familiar face in Hollywood thanks to his role as Frypan in the sci-fi/adventure film series “Maze Runner” between 2014 and 2018.

It is certainly not an overnight success story for this actor. In fact, Darden has been associated with entertainment and show business in one way or another for most of his life. Let’s learn more about his journey to become a Hollywood star.

EARLY LIFE AND CAREER

According to his personal website, Darden’s first steps as a performer were taken when he was only three years old when he joined the church’s choir in his hometown of Camden, New Jersey. By age nine, his talent had caught the ears of actor Paul Newman, after Darden took part in one of his camps.

Impressed not only by Darden’s talents but also by his kind spirit, Newman recruited Darden to sing and act in Broadway events and plays to raise funds for charitable causes, which opened the doors of show business for the young, aspiring actor.

Apart from having the privilege of calling Newman his mentor, Darden has had the chance to share the stage and the set with legends such as Meryl Streep, Robin Williams, Morgan Freeman, Harry Belafonte, and Tony Bennett.

CEMENTING HIS PLACE IN HOLLYWOOD

For his first big-screen role in the 2012 film “Joyful Noise,” he had deluxe castmates that included the Hip-Hop-pioneer-turned-actress Queen Latifah and the country music queen herself, Dolly Parton.

Darden’s performance in the aforementioned movie led to appearances in a couple of other projects both on film and television. Still, his breakthrough came in 2014 when he was signed to star as Frypan in all three movies of the “Maze Runner” series.

The trilogy is based on the writings of James Dashner and is a mix of survival and competition with a dystopic future, much in the spirit of the “Hunger Games” franchise.

By the time the last film of the trilogy was released in 2018, Darden had played a regular role on a TV series for the first time, and he was ready to try his luck in more demanding films, such as the independent drama film “Burden,” which premiered at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival.

The film, starring Academy Award-winning actor Forest Whitaker, addressed the urgent and critical issue of racism in America in an emotionally-charged manner. It gave Darden the opportunity to prove his talent outside of his comfort zone.

"SAVED BY THE BELL" REBOOT

The revival season of the iconic NBC teenage comedy series “Saved by the Bell” comes one year after the show marked its 30th anniversary, and it joins several other shows from the 90s that are making their return.

The upcoming season will see Bayside’s chief troublemaker Zach Morris as the Governor of California. Finding himself in hot water due to his ill-advised decision to close several low-income schools, he tries to compensate the affected students by sending them to high-performing schools.

Darden’s character Devante will be one of these students, and because of this political measure, he will start attending Bayside High, where most of the hilarious situations of the sitcom take place.