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Dennis Haskins, Mr. Belding on ‘Saved by the Bell,’ Dies
He found his greatest fame playing the befuddled principal on the beloved teen sitcom
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Actor Dennis Haskins, who played Principal Belding on "Saved by the Bell," has died. He was 75.
Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Dennis Haskins, the actor best known for playing the affable Principal Richard Belding on the hit NBC sitcom Saved by the Bell, has died. He was 75.
Haskins’ death was confirmed early Tuesday by his agent. Additional details were not immediately available.
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“It’s a tragic loss,” his agent, Jay Schachter, said in a statement. “Everyone loved Mr. Belding and those of us who got to know Dennis, loved him even more. He was a great person, and he loved, I mean absolutely LOVED his fans. He always had time for them, no matter what. He was my client and dear friend for over 20 years, and I will miss him terribly. I’m heartbroken.”
Saved by the Bell, which ran from 1989 to 1993, centered on the antics of a group of students at the fictitious Bayside High in Southern California. Classmates Zack Morris (portrayed by Mark-Paul Gosselaar), Kelly Kapowski (Tiffani Thiessen), Screech (Dustin Diamond, who died in 2021), Slater (Mario Lopez), Lisa (Lark Voorhies) and Jessie (Elizabeth Berkley) were the main characters during the show’s run.
Voorhies paid tribute to Haskins in an Instagram post, saying she was heartbroken.
Haskins, center, and his "Saved by the Bell" castmates. From left, Lark Voorhies, Ed Alonzo, Tiffani Thiessen, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Dennis Elizabeth Berkley, Dustin Diamond and Mario Lopez.
NBCUniversal via Getty Images
“Knowing Dennis Haskins for almost 40 years has been one of the truest blessings of my life, which makes losing him hurt so deeply,” she wrote. “We shared so much history together from our earliest days, and through it all, he remained a fabulous person, a loyal friend, and someone with such a kind, gentle heart.”
Haskins was born and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee. According to a biography posted by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, he was active in the school’s drama club and helped found a community theater group.
Before his television career, he was a music manager, agent and concert promoter, and his clients included Tom Jones and Gregg Allman, according to his biography on IMDb.
Haskins later had guest roles in The Twilight Zone and Magnum, P.I. in the 1980s.
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