{"id":864511,"date":"2026-09-29T08:36:09","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T08:36:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/864511\/"},"modified":"2026-09-29T08:36:09","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T08:36:09","slug":"dennis-haskins-saved-by-the-bell-star-who-played-mr-belding-dead-at-75","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/864511\/","title":{"rendered":"Dennis Haskins, ‘Saved by the Bell’ star who played Mr. Belding, dead at 75"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dennis Haskins, best known for playing the beloved principal Mr. Belding in \u201cSaved by the Bell<\/a>,\u201d has died. He was 75.<\/p>\n

Haskins\u2019 death was confirmed by a longtime friend and caretaker, WTVC reported<\/a> from his hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a tragic loss. 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,\u201d Haskins\u2019 agent, Jay Schachter, told the Hollywood Reporter<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Dennis Haskins, who played beloved principal Mr. Belding on \u201cSaved by the Bell,\u201d has died at age 75. Getty Images<\/p>\n

\u201cHe 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\u2019m heartbroken.\u201d<\/p>\n

His cause of death has not been disclosed. <\/p>\n

Dimples Karaoke, a Burbank, Calif., bar where Haskins was a \u201cstaple\u201d and which many patrons called his \u201csecond home,\u201d said in an Instagram post <\/a>Monday that the actor had spent the last eight years battling Parkinson\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe had been silent about his fight with Parkinson\u2019s, among other health concerns, because he did not want the attention. He did not want to have to tell people. He would say, \u2018What do I even say?\u2019 So I respected his wishes and stayed quiet, and I helped him through his journey into the next chapter of his life,\u201d the post read.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat a cool and amazing life he had. Rest in peace, Dennis. You were very much loved and will never be forgotten.\u201d<\/p>\n

(From L-R) Ed Alonzo as Max, Dennis Haskins as Mr. Richard Belding, and Casey Kasem as himself in an episode of \u201cSaved by the Bell.\u201d NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Haskins performs onstage during the Strange 80\u2019s concert at The Fonda Theatre on Oct. 12, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images<\/p>\n

Page Six has reached out to Haskins\u2019 agent for further comment.<\/p>\n

Haskins spent more than a decade roaming the halls of Bayside High<\/a> as Principal Richard Belding on the hit sitcom \u201cSaved by the Bell\u201d<\/a> (1989-93) and its spinoffs, including \u201cSaved by the Bell: The New Class\u201d (1993-2000) \u2014 earning the nickname \u201cAmerica\u2019s Favorite Principal.\u201d<\/p>\n

His character\u2019s exasperated \u201cHey, hey, hey, what is going on here?\u201d became one of the show\u2019s most famous lines<\/a> as Belding struggled to keep Zack Morris and the other students in line.<\/p>\n

Before his television career, Haskins attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he was deeply involved in campus life, according to the school\u2019s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The cast and creator of NBC\u2019s \u201cSaved by the Bell\u201d at an NBC \u201cHot Shots\u201d event, circa 1990. Back row, from left: Lark Voorhies, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Mario Lopez and creator Sam Bobrick. Front row, from left: Tiffani Amber Thiessen, Elizabeth Berkley and Dennis Haskins. Getty Images<\/p>\n

He helped found the Harlequins theater group, wrote and staged original plays and as student government entertainment chairman, booked Ike and Tina Turner for a 1973 campus concert.<\/p>\n

He also wrote for the student paper and organized a charity basketball game pitting students against city officials to raise scholarship money for the children of local police officers.<\/p>\n

Before pursuing his acting career, Haskins worked as a music manager, agent and concert promoter, counting singer Tom Jones and rock star Gregg Allman among his clients, according to his IMDb page<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Haskins during the 13th Annual Angel Awards Honoring Nathan Lane and Disney VoluntEARS at Project Angel Food in Hollywood, California. WireImage<\/p>\n

Haskins made his network television debut on the 1979 pilot episode of \u201cThe Dukes of Hazzard,\u201d playing a Boar\u2019s Nest bar patron who takes a stiletto to the foot from Daisy Duke, according to the Daily Actor<\/a>.<\/p>\n

His big break on \u201cSaved by the Bell\u201d precursor \u201cGood Morning, Miss Bliss, \u201cSaved by the Bell\u201d came a decade later.<\/p>\n

Haskins racked up more than 100 acting credits over his career, including guest spots on hit shows like \u201cThe West Wing,\u201d \u201cMad Men,\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,\u201d and \u201c7th Heaven,\u201d according to IMDb.<\/p>\n

In 2009, Haskins also released an album, \u201cKaraoke with Your Favorite Principal Dennis<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

He is survived by his son, Dustin, according to The Hollywood Reporter.<\/p>\n

Haskins\u2019 death comes five years after his \u201cSaved by the Bell\u201d co-star Dustin Diamond<\/a>, who played Samuel \u201cScreech\u201d Powers, died of lung cancer in 2021 at age 44.<\/p>\n

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