The Starship Troopers actress revealed that her fear of heights made the intense challenges on the Fox reality series difficult, even drawing criticism from the instructors for her constant fear during extreme tasks.
However, Richards has someone in mind who she believes would excel in the competition: her former Saved by the Bell co-star Mario Lopez. Richards, who starred with Lopez in the iconic teen sitcom, told Entertainment Weekly that Lopez would do great on the show, confidently predicting that he would make it to the end.
Lopez, who played the tough A.C. Slater on Saved by the Bell, is a trained wrestler and has a background in multiple sports. His athleticism and experience in high-pressure situations would likely serve him well on the physically demanding show. Richards fondly remembered working with Lopez on the Saved by the Bell episode "The Last Weekend" in 1991, where she played Cynthia, a character who pretended to drown for a meet-cute scene with Lopez’s Slater. Richards admitted that she felt embarrassed during that time, as it was only her second acting role, and she had to film a scene in a bikini while pretending to drown in front of the cast and crew.
While Richards didn’t stay long on Special Forces, she took pride in the accomplishments she did achieve on the show, including jumping off a bridge and overcoming her fear of heights to hang from a helicopter. Despite leaving early due to personal concerns and health reasons, she felt proud of her courage in completing certain tasks.
Richards also noted that she wasn’t the first to exit Special Forces. Stephen Baldwin made an early departure, citing concerns about his future work commitments, further reassuring Richards that her brief run wasn’t uncommon.
Now, Richards regularly crosses paths with Lopez, who often interviews her about her various projects, including Special Forces, keeping their connection strong over the years.
