Entertainment Sports Kobe Bryant Was Set to Film 'Saved by the Bell' Sequel Before His Death: 'That Man Was so Loved' Saved by the Bell star Josie Totah called the notion of working with Kobe Bryant "so surreal" By Tommy McArdle Tommy McArdle Tommy McArdle is an editorial assistant on the Movies team at PEOPLE. Tommy joined PEOPLE in 2022. People Editorial Guidelines Published on September 16, 2022 11:56AM EDT Kobe Bryant. Photo: Dia Dipasupil/Getty NBA legend Kobe Bryant was scheduled to appear on the pilot for Peacock's short-lived Saved by the Bell sequel series when it filmed just days after he and his daughter Gianna Bryant died in a fatal January 2020 helicopter crash. On Thursday, actresses Josie Totah and Alycia Pascual-Peña, who both starred in the next chapter of the early '90s NBC sitcom, shared the news of Kobe's involvement on the show during an episode of their Crooked Media podcast Dare We Say. "A wild tidbit that I don't think a lot of people know, or, it's not important at all because obviously, we are the least of importance when it comes to this legend and his daughter's passing, but we were actually supposed to film with Kobe two days after he died," Totah, 21, said during the episode. Vanessa Bryant to Donate Proceeds from the $16M Trial Payout to Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation Totah, who played Lexi on the series, went on to call the prospect of working with Kobe "so surreal." "I remember the costume girls had gotten his sizes from his stylist, he fully was on the call sheet and all of that," Totah said. Chris Haston/Peacock/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Pascual-Peña, 23, shared that "the energy on set had shifted greatly" while Saved by the Bell wrapped its pilot after Kobe's death. "I remember learning that he had passed through one of our best friends Anjelika Washington," the actress, who played Aisha on the show, said during the podcast. "She called me specifically because she knew that I'd been talking about it for a month with her — that I was so excited to meet Kobe on set and I can't believe that he was a fan of the first Saved by the Bell and that he was excited to be on the show." The podcaster said it was "insane" to see how Los Angeles and the world mourned Kobe, who won five NBA Finals with the Lakers during his 20 years in the NBA. "Specifically with Kobe it was insane to see L.A. come out the way they came out, and just the whole world," Pascual-Peńa added. "That man was so loved and so respected. You felt it; you felt the energy in the air change." Stephen Dunn/Getty Vanessa Bryant's Emotional Reaction to Helicopter Crash Trial Verdict: 'Justice for Kobe and Gigi' Jan. 26 marked two years since the helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, that killed Kobe, 41, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others: John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli, Sarah Chester, Payton Chester, Christina Mauser, and pilot Ara Zobayan. The group was on their way to a youth basketball game. In August, a jury awarded Kobe's widow Vanessa Bryant $16 million after she sued L.A. County over the leaked images of the crash's victims, including her husband and her daughter. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up to date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Vanessa has since said she'll donate proceeds from her multi-million dollar payout to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation, a nonprofit that continues Kobe and Gianna's legacies by offering opportunities to underprivileged young athletes. Episodes of Dare We Say are streaming now.