Dennis Haskins, the actor generations of TV viewers knew as Bayside High’s unforgettable Principal Richard Belding on “Saved by the Bell,” has died. He was 75.
Haskins died Sunday night at an assisted-living facility in Burbank, California, his longtime friend and caretaker Kimberly Snow told the Los Angeles Times. An official cause of death has not been announced.
His longtime agent and friend Jay Schachter also confirmed Haskins’ death to TMZ and ABC News, remembering the actor as someone who had an unusually close relationship with the fans who continued approaching him decades after “Saved by the Bell” first became a television hit.
“It’s a tragic loss,” Schachter told TMZ, adding that Haskins “absolutely LOVED” his fans and always made time for them.
For millions of viewers who grew up watching Saturday morning television, Haskins was simply Mr. Belding.
As the often-exasperated principal of Bayside High, Belding was regularly forced to deal with the latest scheme cooked up by Zack Morris and his friends. His booming entrance and familiar question about what was happening became one of the sitcom’s most recognizable running jokes.
But Haskins’ history with the character actually began before “Saved by the Bell.”
The Chattanooga, Tennessee, native first played Richard Belding on the Disney Channel series “Good Morning, Miss Bliss,” which starred Hayley Mills and served as a precursor to the show that would eventually become “Saved by the Bell.”
When the revamped series premiered on NBC in 1989, Haskins remained behind the principal’s desk alongside a young cast that included Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Mario Lopez, Tiffani Thiessen, Elizabeth Berkley, Lark Voorhies and Dustin Diamond.
Haskins appeared in 86 episodes of the original “Saved by the Bell” series, according to IMDb.
His time at Bayside did not end when the original students graduated.
Haskins returned as Belding for “Saved by the Bell: The New Class,” which introduced another generation of Bayside students and ran from 1993 until 2000. He was the only regular cast member to remain with “The New Class” throughout its entire run.
He also brought the character back for other projects tied to the franchise, including the television movie “Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style.”
Years later, nostalgia for the original show gave Haskins another memorable moment in the spotlight.
In 2015, he reunited with several members of the original cast for a “Saved by the Bell” sketch on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” once again stepping into the familiar role of Mr. Belding.
Away from Bayside, Haskins built up an extensive television résumé.
His credits over the years included appearances on shows such as “The West Wing,” “Mad Men,” “New Girl,” “Hot in Cleveland” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” He also appeared in the 2014 comedy “A Million Ways to Die in the West.”
Haskins had reportedly been dealing privately with health problems in his later years.
People reported that a tribute from Dimples Karaoke, a former Burbank establishment where Haskins had been a longtime regular, said the actor had battled Parkinson’s disease privately for about eight years. His caretaker also told the Los Angeles Times that Haskins had lived with Parkinson’s. However, neither his representative nor his caretaker has identified the disease as his official cause of death.
That distinction is important as tributes to the actor spread online: Parkinson’s was part of his recent health history, but his cause of death remained undisclosed as of Tuesday morning.
Haskins was born Nov. 18, 1950, in Chattanooga and had a career in entertainment that stretched well beyond the television principal who made him famous.
Still, it was Mr. Belding who turned him into a familiar face in American households — and the role remained closely tied to Haskins for the rest of his life.
Schachter said the man behind the character was every bit as beloved by the people who knew him personally.
“He was my client and dear friend for over 20 years, and I will miss him terribly,” Schachter said.
Haskins is survived by his son, Dustin.
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