Dennis Haskins, Saved by the Bell’s Principal Belding, Dies at 75
If you grew up on Saturday morning reruns, Mr. Belding’s exasperated sigh at Zack Morris’s latest scheme is probably burned into your memory. Dennis Haskins, the actor behind that beloved principal, has died at age 75.
A spokesperson confirmed the death to multiple outlets on Monday, Sept. 28 that he had died on Sept. 27. The spokesperson, who had worked with Haskins for 20 years, described him warmly: “[Dennis] was a great person, and he loved, I mean absolutely LOVED his fans.”
A Role That Took Seven Tries to Land
Haskins didn’t walk into the part of Principal Richard Belding easily. He auditioned seven times before booking the role in 1988, originating the character on Good Morning, Miss Bliss. That show aired on the Disney Channel before it was canceled, but NBC saw potential in it and purchased the rights to four of its characters, including Belding, to build a new series around them.
That series became Saved by the Bell, which premiered in 1989 and ran through 1993 on NBC. Haskins says he learned he’d be part of the new show in an oddly casual way, when a wardrobe person simply told him to hang onto his suits.
The revamp kept Belding as the constant while the teenage cast rotated in around him, a format quirk that let Haskins anchor the franchise for roughly 11 years total.
Four Shows, One Principal
Haskins reprised Mr. Belding well beyond the original series. He carried the character into Saved by the Bell: The New Class from 1993 to 2000, and for the spinoff Saved by the Bell: The College Years and the TV movie Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas.
His Belding impression became famous enough to cross into other pop culture corners, with cameo appearances on Robot Chicken and Victorious. Outside the Bell universe, Haskins picked up small roles on shows like The Dukes of Hazzard, appearing in three episodes, along with bit parts on Archie Bunker’s Place and Magnum P.I.
Dennis Haskins Life Before and Beyond Bayside
Haskins was a native of Chattanooga, Tennessee. He previously married Sarah Dianne Goins, and the couple had one son together.
His death adds to a run of losses connected to the Saved by the Bell cast. Dustin Diamond, who played Screech, died in February 2021 at age 44 from stage 4 small-cell lung carcinoma.
Details about Haskins’ cause of death have not been released. His friend and caretaker, Kimberly Snow, shared that he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease eight years ago and was living in an assisted living facility.
What’s clear from the tributes so far is that the man behind Bayside High’s most recognizable authority figure left a mark well past the show’s original run, one that spanned four different iterations of the franchise and more than a decade in the role.
Written with the help of AI, reviewed and edited by Harmony Daniels.
