Dennis Haskins dies at 75: castmates remember the man behind Mr. Belding

Dennis Haskins, who played Principal Richard Belding on Saved by the Bell, has died at 75, his agent Jay Schachter confirmed to ABC News and Variety in reports published September 29. Castmates have paid tribute to the actor, whose character followed the students of Bayside High across several shows.

Mario Lopez remembered Haskins as “the biggest kid on the SBTB set,” according to ABC News’s account of his Instagram tribute. The actor who played A.C. Slater recalled a friend who brought humor to work and eagerly took the microphone whenever karaoke was on offer.

What has been confirmed about Dennis Haskins’s death

ABC News reported that Schachter confirmed the death to its newsroom on Monday, September 28. That establishes when the representative spoke to ABC; it does not establish when Haskins died. Neither that report nor Variety’s account disclosed a cause of death.

In his statement to Variety, Schachter described Haskins as both a client and a close friend for more than 20 years. He emphasized the actor’s affection for fans and willingness to make time for them, remembering that generosity alongside their long personal relationship.

How the Saved by the Bell cast remembered him

Thiessen also expressed gratitude for his kindness and the memories they shared as a cast. Her recollection connected the authority figure viewers saw on screen with the supportive presence she remembered from working alongside him.

Lark Voorhies, who played Lisa Turtle, reflected on almost four decades of knowing Haskins. In an Instagram tribute quoted by ABC News, she recalled their shared history, his loyalty as a friend and the warmth and laughter she would miss.

Lopez’s tribute likewise focused on years of friendship as well as their time on set. He remembered the laughs they shared and Haskins’s enthusiasm for singing. ABC News reported all three castmates’ recollections; the tributes described personal relationships that extended beyond their characters at Bayside.

Mr. Belding’s role across the Saved by the Bell shows

Haskins played Belding in Good Morning, Miss Bliss, Saved by the Bell and Saved by the Bell: The New Class. ABC News reports that The New Class ran for seven seasons from 1993 to 2000, with Haskins returning as the principal.

Variety also lists his appearance as Belding in the television movie Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style. Across those appearances, the character’s familiar response to student mischief was his catchphrase: “Hey, hey, hey, what is going on here?”

His screen career also included roles beyond the school principal. ABC News lists appearances in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Mad Men, How I Met Your Mother and New Girl, as well as the film A Million Ways to Die in the West.

The 2015 Bayside reunion and his real graduation

Haskins returned alongside Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Thiessen, Elizabeth Berkley and Lopez for a reunion sketch on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on February 4, 2015. TheWrap’s contemporary report described a recreated Bayside High hallway, with Fallon joining the returning cast.

The sketch referenced the sitcom’s opening theme and the performers’ later careers, according to TheWrap. It gave the cast another occasion to appear together in character, years after their original work on the series.

Later that year, Haskins reached a milestone away from television. WUTC reported that the Chattanooga native returned to finish college and received a bachelor of arts degree in theater from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on December 12, 2015, aged 65.

In WUTC’s original interview report, Haskins expressed pride in his hometown, university and newly completed education. The actor known for playing a school principal had previously left college without finishing his degree. “I'm proud to be a graduate,” he said.