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“Tickle my palm, honey. I've got places to go and shoes to try on.” Lark Voorhies, once an all-American sweetheart on Saved by the Bell, is no longer in the spotlight after what seemed like a promising Hollywood career. Though Lark is easily recognized by older millennials and members of generation X, she has had a relatively quiet acting career since playing Lisa Turtle on Saved by the Bell and Saved by the Bell: The Junior High Years. Known for her girl-next-door good looks, Lark began her acting career at the age of 12 when appearing in a commercial for a Hollywood attraction. Sadly, Voorhies has fallen on hard times since her role as Lisa Turtle.

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Voorhies' family moved to Southern California when she was merely two years of age. Her mother brought her to a talent agent in her formative years. Though her initial acting audition was somewhat of a train wreck due to nervousness, she came into her own across the next decade. After appearing in a Universal Studios commercial, Voorhies earned a minor role in Small Wonder, a short-lived TV series. This role served as the steppingstone to her audition for a Disney Channel show called Good Morning, Miss Bliss. Lark won the competition for the role of Lisa Turtle. Though Good Morning, Miss Bliss only aired from '88 to '89, this Disney series led to the opportunity of a lifetime. The resulting Saved by the Bellran until 1993.

Voorhies also appeared on the popular 90s sitcom Martin as well as the soap opera Days of Our Lives. Lark has had a mere three roles in the past 11 years: two direct-to-video movies (Little Creeps and Measure of Faith) and a short film (Mimi's Place). Fans of Saved by the Bell often wonder about the background of the show's cast for good reason: we have yet to see a group of young actors with the same chemistry as that between Lisa Turtle, Zack Morris, Kelly Kapowski, Jessie Spano, A.C. Slater and Screech. The fact that Voorhies' performance on Saved by the Bell earned her half a dozen Young Artist nominations is a testament to her acting chops.

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The Early Days

Born in Nashville, Tennessee in 1974, Voorhies has primarily worked as an actress. Her talents extend beyond the big screen as she has also earned money through her singing ability, natural beauty (modeling) and even as a spokeswoman. Her parents, Tricia and Wayne, moved her from Nashville, TN to Pasadena, CA soon after her birth. The couple decided their daughter would be better served with a stage name as opposed to their surname of Holloway. Lark Holloway soon became Lark Voorhies. Tricia decided on the name "Lark" after watching the film Cool Breeze. Margaret Avery played the character Lark in this 1972 flick. Tricia's reasoning for taking Lark to a Hollywood talent agent was rooted in the fact that Lark constantly sought attention from others as a small child.

As noted above, Voorhies' breakthrough came at the age of 12 when she was selected to act in a commercial for a King Kong attraction debuting at Universal Studios. Fast forward two years and she was featured in a Small Wonder episode. Her role as Lisa Turtle followed. Though Voorhies' career stalled after Saved by the Bell came to an end, she earned a role on Days of Our Lives as a single mother named Wendy Reardon. She also acted on another soap opera, The Bold and the Beautiful, where she played Jasmine Malone, a fashion design intern. Voorhies was later terminated from this position as the role mandated participation in sex scenes that conflicted with her religious beliefs. However, she returned to the role in the spring of 2004 when her character was hired to perform design work at a new LA-based employer. She transitioned to guest-star roles on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Family Matters and a litany of other productions in the years since. 

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Voorhies played the significant other of Alfonso Ribeiro's Dr. Max Stanton in the short-lived sitcom In the House. She also served as Ribeiro's flame on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Aside from sitcoms and soap operas, she also appeared in a number of movies as well as a handful of direct-to-video films. Voorhies played Lauren, a Harvard University student in the stoner comedy How High. She also played roles in The Next Hit and The Black Man's Guide to Understanding Black Women.

Lark's Transition Away From Acting

Lark has had merely two acting credits across the past dozen years. In fact, the former heartthrob has had no acting credits since 2012. Lark has kept busy writing books and making music. The natural beauty has appeared in plenty of music videos. From Boyz II Men music videos to Kenny Lattimore videos, Dru Hill videos and beyond, Lark's sex appeal helped her stay in the spotlight long after Saved by the Bell came to an end. In fact, Lark even performed in a music group originally dubbed the X-Girls with Yashi and Stacee Brown. Only the most hardcore Lark Voorhies fans are aware of the fact that she founded her own alternative music band, Third Degree. Voorhies served as the band's lead singer. Aside from music, she has also written several books. Her self-published titles are as follows: Trek of the Cheshire, A True Light and Reciprocity.

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Lark's Personal Life

Though Lark is a fairly private person and not much is known about her personal life, the general public is well aware of the fact that she dated Mark Paul Gosselaar, who played Zack Morris on Saved by the Bell. The two dated throughout the show's run. In 1993, Lark accepted a marriage proposal from comedian and actor Martin Lawrence. However, the couple split up a year later. Lark subsequently tied the knot with Miguel Coleman two years later. The couple went separate ways in 2001 and officially divorced in '04. Ten years later, Lark fell in love with audio engineer Jim Green after the two met at an industry meet-and-greet. The couple dated for a year, married in 2015 and divorced six months later.

Lark's Fall From Grace

To say Lark Voorhies has fallen from grace would be an egregious understatement. The former Hollywood star is now battling severe physical and mental health problems. Sadly, the majority of those who watched Lark play Lisa Turtle in Saved by the Bell would no longer recognize her if they saw her in-person in 2019. Lark's physical appearance has significantly diminished due to lupus. Lark also suffers from bipolar disorder. Her publicist is quick to note Lark's social media postings that pop up once in a blue moon are the result of hacks as opposed to being Lark's original thoughts.  However, Lark still puts her creativity on display.  The former star keeps active with her writing and musical productions.