Dennis Haskins, ‘Saved by the Bell’ Star, Dies at 75

Dennis Haskins, the actor best known for portraying Principal Richard Belding on “Saved by the Bell,” has died. He was 75.

Haskins’ longtime agent, Jay Schachter, confirmed the news to Variety. A cause of death and further details have not been released at this time.

“It’s a tragic loss,” said Haskins 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.”

Haskins played the iconic principal in the long-running series from start to end. The show ran from 1989 to 1992, and Haskins appeared in nearly 90 episodes. He also played the role in “Saved by the Bell: The New Class,” the TV movie “Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style” and the precursor to the main series, “Good Morning, Miss Bliss.”

His character famously used the catchphrase, “Hey, hey, hey, what is going on here?” when trying to discipline students Zack Morris, A.C. Slater and Screech Powers. He starred alongside Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Dustin Diamond, Lark Voorhies, Dennis Haskins, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, Elizabeth Berkley and Mario Lopez.

Haskins also appeared in a number of other films and television shows, including “Abstruse,” “A Million Ways to Die in the West,” “A Bennett Song Holiday,” “Trailer Park Shark,” “Jennifer Falls” and more.

Dimples Karaoke, a bar in Burbank, Calif., shared a tribute on Instagram to the actor, who was a regular at the establishment.

The caption reads: “Dennis was a staple at Dimples. A lot of people thought he owned it, but he didn’t. He just loved the place and its people. He enjoyed singing for people, meeting them, and taking selfies with his fans. Dimples closed down about 11 years ago, and people still associate him with his beloved ‘second home.’ He was known to most as Mr. Belding from Saved by the Bell, but to us, he was much more than that.”

“Late last night, that journey ended for him. He is now at peace and is probably entertaining the people in the sky. Just know that if you tried to reach out to him in the last few years, I did read your messages to him, and you were heard.”