Dennis Haskins, Principal Belding on ‘Saved by the Bell,’ Dies at 75
publishers 55articles 60first reported 29 Sep, 02:00 UTCdeveloping since 29 Sep · 2 editionstop 25 #20
Dennis Haskins, the actor best known for playing Principal Richard Belding on the sitcom “Saved by the Bell,” has died at 75, his agent and a friend and caretaker confirmed.
A cause of death was not released. Dimples Karaoke, a former Los Angeles venue where Haskins was a regular, said in an Instagram post that he had privately lived with Parkinson’s disease and other health concerns for about eight years.
Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on Nov. 18, 1950, Haskins attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He participated in student journalism, theater and student government, and helped organize campus entertainment and community fundraising events.
Haskins first portrayed Belding in the Disney Channel series “Good Morning, Miss Bliss” in 1988. The program was renamed “Saved by the Bell” the following year, and Haskins became widely recognized as the principal of the fictional Bayside High School. He later reprised the role in spinoffs including “Saved by the Bell: The New Class.”
His other television and film credits included guest roles in “Magnum, P.I.,” “The Twilight Zone” and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” as well as an appearance in “A Million Ways to Die in the West.”
Haskins’ agent, Jay Schachter, described him as a longtime friend who loved his fans and always made time for them.
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