Dennis Haskins, Principal Belding on ‘Saved by the Bell,’ Dies at 75

Dennis Haskins, the actor who spent more than a decade playing the affable but stern Principal Richard Belding on “Saved by the Bell,” died Saturday in Burbank, California. He was 75.

His longtime agent, Jay Schachter, confirmed the death to multiple outlets. In a statement shared by The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline, Schachter said, “It’s a tragic loss. Everyone loved Mr. Belding, and those of us who got to know Dennis loved him even more.”

“It’s 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. He always had time for them, no matter what.”

: Jay Schachter, Haskins’ agent, in a statement

Haskins had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease eight years ago, according to Variety and E! News. His caretaker, Kimberly Snow, told The New York Times that he died following that eight-year battle. A cause of death was not immediately released.

Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Haskins first played Belding on the Disney Channel series “Good Morning, Miss Bliss” in 1988. When the show was retooled as “Saved by the Bell” on NBC the following year, he remained the only adult regular cast member, delivering the character’s signature line, “Hey, hey, hey, what is going on here?”

He continued the role on “Saved by the Bell: The New Class,” which ran from 1993 to 2000, and reprised it for a 2015 “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” sketch with Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Elizabeth Berkley, Mario Lopez, and Tiffani Thiessen.

Beyond Bayside High, Haskins appeared in series including “Mad Men,” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” “New Girl,” and “Hot in Cleveland,” and in the 2014 film “A Million Ways to Die in the West.” He made his onscreen debut on “The Dukes of Hazzard” in 1979.

Lark Voorhies, who played Lisa Turtle on “Saved by the Bell,” posted a tribute on Instagram. “Knowing Dennis Haskins for almost 40 years has been one of the truest blessings of my life, which makes losing him hurt so deeply,” she wrote. “He remained a fabulous person, a loyal friend, and someone with such a kind, gentle heart.”

In later years, Haskins was a regular at Dimples Karaoke Bar in Burbank, which closed about a decade ago. The bar remembered him on Instagram as someone who “loved the place and its people,” adding that “he is now at peace and is probably entertaining the people in the sky.”