‘Saved by the Bell’ Actor Dies at 75

By Sandra Rhodes (/journals/sandra-rhodes)

Dennis Haskins, the actor best known for playing Principal Richard Belding in the popular sitcom “Saved by the Bell,” has died.

He was 75.

Haskins’ agent, Jay Schachter, confirmed his passing to multiple media outlets on Monday.

“It’s a tragic loss,” Schachter told Nexstar. “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. He was my client and dear friend for over 20 years, and I will miss him terribly. I’m heartbroken.”

Haskins' cause of death has not been released.

He played Principal Richard Belding on three separate shows. First in the Disney Channel show "Good Morning, Miss Bliss" in 1989. That show was later recreated into NBC's "Saved By The Bell."

He starred on "Saved By The Bell" through the show's four-season run, from 1989 to 1993 and later reprised the role for "Saved by the Bell: The New Class," which ran for seven seasons from 1993 to 2000.

The last time Haskins played the Mr. Belding was in 2015 when the cast — Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Elizabeth Berkley, Mario Lopez and Tiffani Thiessen — reunited for a "Saved By The Bell" sketch on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon."

Haskins' other TV and film roles include appearances on "It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia," "A Million Ways to Die in the West," "Men of a Certain Age, "The Bold and the Beautiful," "Victorious," "Mad Men," "How I Met Your Mother," "New Girl" and "Hot In Cleveland.”