“Off Campus” isn’t the first time Belmont Cameli has played a student athlete on TV — he appeared in the “Saved by the Bell” reboot prior to portraying hockey star Garrett Graham on Prime Video’s new romance series.Â
Airing for two seasons in 2020 and 2021, the reboot followed the premise of the original 1990s “Saved by the Bell” series and introduced a new generation of Bayside High School students alongside several returning characters. Cameli portrayed Jamie Spano — the quarterback of the school’s football team and son of original “Saved by the Bell” character Jessie Spano (Elizabeth Berkley).
Peacock’s revival was Cameli’s first major TV role, though the series didn’t turn out nearly as successful as the sitcom it took inspiration from. Receiving some critical praise despite mixed reviews from general audiences, “Saved by the Bell” was canceled by Peacock in 2022. The show reportedly achieved positive viewership numbers in Season 1; however, disagreements over its comedic direction might have contributed to the series’ premature end.
How Saved by the Bell impacted Belmont Cameli’s career
Commonly regarded as a lovable airhead, Belmont Cameli’s Jamie Spano has an important arc throughout “Saved by the Bell” Seasons 1 and 2. He finds himself embroiled in a love triangle with Aisha (Alycia Pascual-Pena) and Lexi (Josie Totah) and even loses his starting spot on the football team.Â
Back in 2020, Cameli reflected on how landing a recurring TV role for the first time was pivotal in his young acting career. “This isn’t really something I thought I’d be doing at this point in my life,” he told Brief Take, “because I only switched my career choice to acting two years ago and I moved out to Los Angeles a little over one year ago. So to get booked on this show so quickly, so soon after moving out, was such a gift.”
Even though his time on “Saved by the Bell” was short-lived, Cameli has found a new series regular role on “Off Campus,” where his character’s romantic life and hockey career serve as a main storyline.
