Dennis Haskins, best known for playing Principal Richard Belding on Saved by the Bell, has died at 75.
Haskins’ agent, Jay Schachter, confirmed the actor’s death to TMZ, describing it as a “tragic loss” and remembering his longtime client and friend as someone who deeply loved his fans.
“He was a great person, and he loved, I mean absolutely LOVED his fans,” Schachter said.
Schachter added that Haskins “always had time for them” and said the actor had been his client and dear friend for more than 20 years.
Haskins’ cause of death has not been disclosed.
Haskins became a familiar face to television audiences in the late 1980s and 1990s through Saved by the Bell, playing Principal Belding, the authority figure responsible for keeping Zack Morris and his classmates in line at Bayside High.
Mr. Belding frequently found himself dealing with Zack’s schemes and the chaos created by the students, often punctuating his appearances with his memorable “Hey, hey, hey, what is going on here?” catchphrase.
The role became Haskins’ signature character and remained part of his career through multiple Saved by the Bell projects.
He reprised Mr. Belding in Saved by the Bell: The College Years and Saved by the Bell: The New Class, extending the character’s run beyond the original series.
For generations of viewers, Haskins was closely associated with the fictional principal who tried to keep Bayside High’s students under control.
His agent’s tribute highlighted a different side of the actor, remembering Haskins not simply for the character that made him famous, but for the personal connection he maintained with the people who supported his work.
Dennis Haskins was 75.
