Get to Know Dexter Darden From Saved By the Bell

1 He Got His Big Break in 2012's Joyful Noise

Dexter played Walter Hill, a teen with Asperger's syndrome, in the 2012 musical film Joyful Noise, starring alongside huge names like Dolly Parton, Queen Latifah, and Keke Palmer. "Walter goes through a lot as a character through this film," he said, while doing press for the movie. "The evolution process . . . is extravagant."

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2 He Grew Up Singing in a Church Choir

Image Source: Getty / ROBYN BECK

At the age of 3, Dexter began singing in a church choir, and in the following year, he began playing harmonica and keyboards. "I grew up in church and knowing Christ," he told Risen Magazine. "My mother and father were very involved and I got my foundation from the church. Plus, I grew up singing and playing the harmonica in church. Now it is about growing in my faith and really [having] my own view as I grow into adulthood."

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3 You May Have Seen Him in the Maze Runner Films

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Dexter appeared as Frypan in 2014's The Maze Runner and its sequels, The Scorch Trials and The Death Cure. The high-profile adaptation was one of Dexter's first times dealing with racism in relation to a role. In a 2018 interview with TheWrap, he said, "Originally, [some fans] weren't very happy, because Frypan in the books wasn't necessarily a man of colour . . . So it was a little bit mixed in the beginning, but since then the fans have literally been the most amazing. Like literally the most amazing, incredible support."

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4 He Is an Advocate for Sickle Cell Disease

Dexter was born with sickle cell anemia, and is now a celebrity advocate for the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America (SCDAA). He has participated in their Annual National Convention, and he has been the cohost of their Lonzie Lee Jones Symposium. "I am honoured to serve as an ambassador for SCDAA and to assist them in their mission to increase awareness about this life-threatening disease," he said. "I look forward to using my platform to engage a broad audience about how others can get involved in our worthy cause to make a difference in the lives of those affected by SCD."

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5 He Danced Professionally in Casinos When He Was Younger

Born in Camden, New Jersey, Dexter began singing and dancing in Atlantic City at the Trump Taj Mahal. In an interview with the Philadelphia Tribune, he said that he was dancing in high roller shows and variety shows when he was 15. "I think still, to this day, I'm the youngest professional dancer to ever be hired in an Atlantic City casino," he said. "My mother, who is a champion, she went to Atlantic City and got a permit from the judge that I could perform in the casinos as long as I never touched the casino floor."

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6 Paul Newman Helped Him Kickstart His Career as a Performer

Image Source: Getty / Amanda Edwards

According to Dexter's website, after his father passed away in 2000, he went to Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Connecticut. The camp was founded by Newman himself in 1988 to provide children who had serious illnesses with the opportunity to have a fun camp experience. Newman instantly recognised Dexter's talents and spirit, and he reached out to him and gave him opportunities to perform in galas and Broadway shows.

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