Dennis Haskins, the actor who became one of teen television’s most familiar authority figures as Principal Richard Belding on Saved by the Bell, has died. He was 75, and his longtime agent, Jay Schachter, confirmed the death to ABC News.
Schachter, who represented Haskins for more than 20 years, remembered an actor whose affection for the audience extended far beyond his best-known character. He called the death a “tragic loss” and said Haskins “absolutely LOVED his fans,” adding that he consistently made time for the people who approached him.
An official cause of death has not been released. Chattanooga station WTVC reported, citing Haskins’ friend and caretaker, that he had Parkinson’s disease, while a tribute from his longtime friends at Dimples Karaoke said he had kept his health struggles largely private for roughly eight years. Neither account established Parkinson’s as his cause of death.
For viewers who grew up with Bayside High, Haskins was inseparable from the exasperated but good-natured principal trying to contain Zack Morris and his classmates. He first played Belding before Saved by the Bell existed under that title and continued returning to the role for more than a decade across the expanding franchise.
Mr. Belding Followed Haskins From ‘Miss Bliss’ Through ‘The New Class’
Haskins originated Richard Belding on the Disney Channel series Good Morning, Miss Bliss, which was later reworked into the NBC sitcom Saved by the Bell. He remained part of the franchise throughout the original show’s 1989-to-1993 run and then continued as Belding on Saved by the Bell: The New Class, which lasted until 2000.
Variety reported that Haskins also brought the character to the television movie Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style. He additionally appeared as Belding in other corners of the franchise, making the principal one of the most persistent adult figures connected to Bayside as casts and formats changed around him.
The role also gave Haskins one of the show’s most recognizable recurring lines: “Hey, hey, hey, what is going on here?” ABC News noted that the catchphrase became closely associated with Belding, usually arriving when another student scheme had reached the point where the principal could no longer ignore it.
He Returned to Bayside for a 2015 ‘Tonight Show’ Reunion
Haskins returned to Belding one more time in 2015 when Jimmy Fallon recreated Bayside High for a Saved by the Bell sketch on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Tiffani Thiessen, Mario Lopez and Elizabeth Berkley joined him in character, turning the segment into one of the show’s most extensive cast reunions.
CBS News reported at the time that the sketch rebuilt the familiar Bayside setting and packed in references to the original sitcom. ABC News now identifies the 2015 appearance as the final time Haskins played Principal Belding, more than two decades after the original series ended.
His career extended well beyond Bayside. Haskins accumulated appearances on shows including Mad Men, How I Met Your Mother, New Girl, Hot in Cleveland, The West Wing and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, while his film credits included A Million Ways to Die in the West.
Friends and Castmates Remembered the Man Behind Mr. Belding
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One of the most personal remembrances came from Dimples Karaoke, the Burbank venue that Haskins treated almost like a second home. In a tribute linked by WTVC, the bar said he appeared so regularly that customers sometimes assumed he owned it, when in reality he simply loved singing there, meeting people and taking photographs with fans.
The tribute also provided the clearest public account so far of Haskins’ later health. Dimples said he became ill about eight years ago and had kept his struggle with Parkinson’s disease and other health concerns private because he did not want the attention.
Lark Voorhies, who played Lisa Turtle, remembered a friendship that stretched back nearly four decades. The Associated Press reported that Voorhies called knowing Haskins one of the “truest blessings” of her life and remembered him as a loyal friend with a kind, gentle heart.