Dennis Haskins, the actor behind Mr Belding in Saved by the Bell, dies at 75
Dennis Haskins, the actor who became widely known as the stern but familiar Principal Richard Belding in the Saved by the Bell television franchise, has died at the age of 75.
His death was confirmed by his agent, Jay Schachter, on Tuesday. A cause of death has not been disclosed, although his death was reported to have occurred late Sunday.
Schachter said the loss was especially painful because Haskins was as warmly regarded by the people who knew him as Mr Belding was by television audiences.
“It’s a tragic loss. Everyone loved Mr Belding, and those of us who got to know Dennis loved him even more.”
He added that Haskins was deeply devoted to his fans.
“He was a great person, and he loved, I mean absolutely LOVED his fans. He always had time for them, no matter what.”
The man behind Principal Belding
For a generation of American television viewers, Haskins was inseparable from Richard Belding, the fictional high school principal whose attempts to keep order regularly brought him into conflict with the students of Bayside High.
Haskins first played Belding in Disney’s Good Morning, Miss Bliss, which debuted in 1989. The series was subsequently reworked by NBC as Saved by the Bell, which became the defining show of Haskins’ career.
The original Saved by the Bell ran for four seasons beginning in 1989 and followed a group of high school students as they dealt with friendship, relationships, school pressures and the challenges of growing up.
Haskins remained with the franchise as Belding, returning for Saved by the Bell: The New Class, which began its seven-season run in 1993.
His character became one of the show’s most recognizable adults, particularly through his recurring attempt to bring unruly students under control with the familiar line:
“Hey, hey, hey, what is going on here?”
The series eventually developed a cult following among a generation of US viewers and became closely associated with the experience of growing up during the late 1980s and 1990s.
Lark Voorhies remembers a longtime friend
News of Haskins’ death prompted an emotional response from Lark Voorhies, who played Lisa Turtle on Saved by the Bell.
In a post on Instagram, Voorhies described losing Haskins as deeply painful and reflected on the nearly four decades they had known each other.
“Knowing Dennis Haskins for almost 40 years has been one of the truest blessings of my life,”
Voorhies wrote that they had shared a long history dating back to the earliest days of the show. She remembered Haskins as a loyal friend with a kind and gentle nature.
“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.”
She said she was heartbroken by his death and would miss his warmth and laughter.
“Rest in peace, Dennis, you will always hold a special place in my heart.”
A familiar face at a Burbank karaoke bar
Haskins was also remembered by Dimples Karaoke, a bar in Burbank, California, that he regularly visited.
The venue said Haskins had become such a familiar presence there that some people assumed he owned the establishment. In reality, he simply loved the place, its staff and its customers.
“Dennis was a staple at Dimples,”
the bar said in an Instagram post on Monday.
According to the post, Haskins enjoyed singing for patrons, meeting people and posing for photographs with fans.
Dimples closed about 11 years ago, but the bar said Haskins continued to be strongly associated with what many considered his “second home.”
“He was known to most as Mr Belding from Saved by the Bell, but to us, he was much more than that.”
The venue also said Haskins had become ill about eight years ago but chose not to discuss his condition publicly because he did not want the attention.
In remembering him after his death, Dimples wrote that his journey had come to an end and that he was now at peace.
“What a cool and amazing life he had. Rest in peace, Dennis. You were very much loved and will never be forgotten.”
A career that extended well beyond Saved by the Bell
Although Mr Belding remained Haskins’ signature role, his acting career covered a much wider range of television and film work.
The Chattanooga, Tennessee, native appeared in numerous productions outside the Saved by the Bell franchise, including Hot in Cleveland, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Mad Men and A Million Ways to Die in the West, according to IMDb.
His work across television and film established a career that continued beyond the character that had made him recognizable to millions of viewers.
Yet Haskins remained closely connected to his hometown and to his education.
Haskins returned to college at 65
One of Haskins’ personal accomplishments came later in life, when he completed a goal that had remained unfinished for decades.
In 2015, he earned a bachelor of arts degree in theater from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He had left college years earlier without completing his degree and eventually returned to finish it.
At the time, Haskins spoke openly about how much the achievement meant to him, particularly after a career that had included the enormous success of Saved by the Bell, other acting roles and books he had written. He had also been named a UTC Distinguished Alumnus in 2000.
“As successful as some have said I’ve been, from the incredible success of ‘Saved by the Bell,’ other quality acting roles, the books I’ve written, and even UTC Distinguished Alumni in 2000, there’s always been something missing for me – my college degree,”
Haskins said in a statement published on the university’s website.
Receiving the degree allowed him to finally complete something he had long wanted to accomplish.
“Now, … I join these graduates in holding my head high having earned my liberal arts degree in theater from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga!”
Haskins’ career would ultimately remain closely tied to the role that introduced him to generations of viewers. But the tributes following his death have also highlighted the person audiences knew away from the screen: an actor who valued his fans, maintained longstanding friendships with former castmates and found a second home among the people he met through his love of singing and performing.