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Dennis Haskins, 'Saved by the Bell' Star, Dies at 75
Confirmed
In Short: Actor Dennis Haskins, best known for his role as Principal Richard Belding on the teen sitcom 'Saved by the Bell,' has died at the age of 75.
Actor Dennis Haskins, best known for his role as Principal Richard Belding on the beloved teen sitcom 'Saved by the Bell,' has died at the age of 75.
Haskins played the character for more than a decade, starting with the Disney Channel show 'Good Morning, Miss Bliss' in 1988, which later evolved into 'Saved by the Bell' in 1989.
In an interview with Parade in 2013, Haskins reflected on the early days of the show, saying, 'We were just happy to be working. We weren’t thinking in terms of how long we were going to go.
He later noted, 'When we got to the full-on Saved by the Bell, I knew it was something special because the energy was different, the kids were a little bit older, the dynamic was great between everybody, and we were having a great time.
Haskins was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and played basketball for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga before landing his first acting role in a 1979 episode of 'The Dukes of Hazzard.
His former co-stars have taken to social media to pay tribute to Haskins. Mario Lopez, who played A.C. Slater, remembered him as someone who brought a playful energy to the set despite his role as the principal.
Tiffani Thiessen, who played Kelly Kapowski, shared her own memories of Haskins on Instagram.
Haskins' agent and longtime friend, Belding, expressed his grief, saying, 'He was my client and dear friend for over 20 years, and I will miss him terribly.
In addition to his roles in 'Saved by the Bell' and its spin-offs, Haskins appeared in other series such as 'New Girl,' 'JAG,' and 'How I Met Your Mother.
Haskins also released a karaoke album titled 'Karaoke with Your Favorite Principal Dennis' in 2009 and graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a Bachelor of Arts in theatre at the age of 65.
Fans of 'Saved by the Bell' were left heartbroken by the news of Haskins' passing, with many sharing their memories and tributes on social media.
What this adds
Haskins made his final public appearance nearly a decade before his death, at the LA premiere of the documentary 'Lucha Vavoom: Inside America's Most Outrageous Show' and the opening night performance of 'A Bronx Tale' at the Pantages Theatre in LA.
Background
Actor Dennis Haskins, best known for his role as Principal Richard Belding in 'Saved by the Bell,' has died at the age of 75.
Saved by the Bell is an American television teen sitcom created by Sam Bobrick for NBC. The series was produced by Peter Engel Productions and NBC Productions and aired from August 20, 1989 to May 22, 1993.
What's confirmed
- Belding and those of us who got to know Dennis loved him even more.
What's still developing
- "Heartbroken to hear about my old friend Dennis Haskins. He played the principal, but Dennis was the biggest kid on the SBTB set. If you knew him, you loved him—and if there was karaoke, you knew Dennis was getting on that mic. I’m grateful for the laughs, the memories, and the friendship we shared all these years. Rest easy, my friend. You’ll always be part of our Bayside family," he wrote in a heartfelt social media post.
- Haskins became closely identified with the character, whose frequent "Hey, hey, hey!" catchphrase became a signature moment of the series as Principal Belding attempted to rein in Morris and his classmates.
- In the weeks leading up to his final public outing, Dennis was photographed at various public events, including at the LA premiere of the documentary, Lucha Vavoom: Inside America's Most Outrageous Show, and the opening night performance of A Bronx Tale at the Pantages Theatre in LA.
- While Dennis continued to act following his Saved by the Bell fame – with parts in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005), Mad Men (2012) and A Bennett Song Holiday (2020) – he made his final public appearance nearly a decade before his death.
- In the picture, taken at the Crypto.com Arena (then known as the Staples Center), Dennis smiled from the crowd while wearing a smart navy suit.
- In 2015, he played the part for a final time when he reunited with Saved by the Bell stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Elizabeth Berkley, Mario Lopez and Tiffani Thiessen for a sketch on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
- “We didn’t have pull on that show at all,” she added.
- News previously reached out to NBC regarding Thiessen’s confession but did not hear back.
Sources
- Entertainment Weeklylink
- Fox Newslink
- HELLO! Magazinelink
- eonline.comlink
- foxy99.comlink
- pagesix.comlink
- Ringsidenewslink
- Deadlinelink
- Tvtattlelink
- Local3Newslink
- Businessupturnlink
- The Hollywood Reporterlink
- Okmagazinelink
- Tvgrapevinelink
- Culturelink
- WarpBeat — background on Dennis Haskins, 'Saved by the Bell's Mr. Belding, Dies at 75 link
- ABC News — video link