Dennis Haskins, the actor behind Mr. Belding on ‘90s hit ‘Saved by the Bell’ passes away at 75
RIP to everyone's favorite principal
Actor and Tennessee native Dennis Haskins, best known for his role as Mr. Belding on the ’90s hit Saved by the Bell, has passed away at age 75. Though authorities have not released a cause of death yet, Haskins allegedly died on September 27, 2026.
Mr. Belding may have been the role that made him famous, but Haskins also acted in several other movies and television shows. Just a few of his other projects included Clemency, Trailer Park Shark, Hot in Cleveland, and How I Met Your Mother.
Saved by the Bell was a cultural touchstone
Saved by the Bell was a cultural touchstone of the 1990s for a generation of youth, as it followed a group of high school students dealing with school life and the perils of growing up. Haskins played Principal Richard Belding on three versions of the show. The first iteration was Good Morning, Miss Bliss, on the Disney Channel in 1989.
The show was later reworked to create Saved by the Bell on NBC. Saved by the Bell ran for four seasons from 1989 to 1993. After that, Haskins and Principal Belding moved on to Saved by the Bell: The New Class, which ran from 1993 to 2000.
Principal Belding tried to act as a friend to his students rather than an authority figure, but he sometimes did so in a bumbling way. However, he was a beloved character, and fans of the series still remember his catchphrase, “Hey, hey, hey, what is going on here?”
When talking about Haskins and his most-famous role, his agent Jay Schachter, per The Guardian, said in a statement, “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.”
Tributes for Haskins are already pouring in
Friends and colleagues of the actor are already posting their remembrances of Haskins online.
Dimples, a karaoke bar in California that Haskins frequented, posted a tribute to Instagram that read, “Dennis was a staple at Dimples[…] 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.”
Lark Voorhies, who played Lisa Turtle on Saved by the Bell, also posted a message about the loss on Instagram and shared, “Knowing Dennis Haskins for almost 40 years has been one of the truest blessings of my life, which makes losing him hurt so deeply. We shared so much history together from our earliest days, and through it all, he remained a fabulous person, a loyal friend, and someone with such a kind, gentle heart. I am truly heartbroken by his passing and will miss his warmth and laughter more than words can say. Rest in peace, Dennis, you will always hold a special place in my heart.”
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