For 229 episodes, Dennis Haskins became one of the best-known faces not only in the United States, but worldwide. He was the only one, along with Justin Diamond, who never jumped ship from Saved by the Bell and continued on in The New Class, as well as appearing in its movies. What’s more: it hurt him quite a bit when they didn’t even ask him to make a guest appearance in the reboot. And now that will sadly be impossible.
Rest in Peace
But Haskins, who has just died at 75, was much more than Mr. Belding. Over his five decades devoted to acting, the actor appeared in series like Mad Men, How I Met Your Mother, New Girl, or It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Sadly, eight years ago he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and has died from the disease.
Mario Lopez, who was with him on Saved by the Bell, has said that he is “heartbroken to hear what has happened to my old friend Dennis Haskins. He played the principal, but he was the biggest kid on set. If you knew him, you loved him. And if there was karaoke, you knew Dennis was going to get up and sing! I’m grateful for the laughs, the memories, and the friendship we shared all those years. Rest in peace, my friend”. And he’s not the only one who has paid tribute to him.
Lark Voorhies, who played Lisa, has said “Knowing Dennis Haskins for almost 40 years has been one of the greatest blessings of my life. We’ve shared so much history together from our early days, and he was always a fabulous person, a loyal friend, and someone with a kind and gentle heart. I’ll miss his affection and laughter more than I can express in words”. The rest of the cast still hasn’t said anything, but they’re expected to in the next few hours. You don’t lose an icon like this every day.
