Posted in: NBC, TV | Tagged: Saved by the Bell

Saved by the Bell Cast Remembers Dennis Haskins, aka Mr. Belding

Saved by the Bell stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Mario Lopez, Lark Voorhies, Tiffani Thiessen, and more honor and remember Dennis Haskins.

The entertainment world and the Saved by the Bell Bayside family lost Dennis Haskins, who played Principal Richard Belding on the original Sam Bobrick series, TV movies, spinoff The New Class, and even appeared as a guest star in The College Years, at the age of 75 on September 27th; his publicist, Jay Schachter, revealed on top of his secret eight-year battle with Parkinson's Disease. "It's a tragic loss," he wrote in a statement. "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 made his on-screen debut in 1981 on the Archie Bunker's Place, appearing in several TV shows throughout the 1980s from The Greatest American Hero, Simon & Simon, CHiPs, Knots Landing, Hardcastle and McCormick, The Dukes of Hazzard, Magnum P.I., and The Twilight Zone before landing his signature role originally on the Disney Channel's Good Morning, Miss Bliss that starred Haley Mills before it became retooled as the NBC Saturday morning show, Saved by the Bell with Mark-Paul Gosselaar's genius delinquent Zack Morris as the new focus.

Saved by the Bell Cast Members Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Mario Lopez, Tiffani Thiessen, Lark Voorhies & More Pay Tribute to Dennis Haskins

Instead of a balance between faculty and students, Saved by the Bell refocused the show as more youth-centric, with Gosselaar at the center, with co-stars Lark Voorhies's fashionista Lisa Turtle, and the late Dustin Diamond as nerdy genius Samuel "Screech" Powers, and Haskins as the only adult cast member retained. Joining the core were Tiffani Thiessen as cheerleader and Zack's love interest, Kelly Kapowski, Mario Lopez as A.C. Slater, a talented jock competing with Zack for Kelly before falling in love with Elizabeth Berkley's Jessie Spano, a feminist academic overachiever. All the principal cast, except Thiessen and Berkley, would appear in all 86 episodes across all four seasons. Filling in the 10 episodes that didn't have Thiessen and Berkley was Leanna Creel's Tori Scott, who was also a student at Bayside but was never heard from again after her run of episodes.

Haskins would reprise his role for The New Class, appearing in all 143 episodes from 1993 to 2000, with some guest appearances from the original cast. The actor in his post-SBTB career would remain a presence on TV, appearing on The Practice, The West Wing, JAG, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Robot Chicken, Mad Men, How I Met Your Mother, and Hot in Cleveland. He would embrace chances he had to do reunions with the original cast, including his 2015 appearance on The Tonight Show that also saw Gosselaar, Thiessen, Lopez and Berkley reprise their roles in a skit, alongside host Jimmy Fallon living out his Bayside fantasy. Also, he's a pro-wrestling fan.

Haskins didn't appear in the Peacock reboot of Saved by the Bell from Tracey Wigfield, who was open to the idea of more alumni if the series hadn't been cancelled in 2022 that saw Gosselaar, Thiessen, Lopez, Berkley, and Voorhies reprise their roles, with Lopez and Berkley taking on leading roles as part of the "adult" cast. John Michael Higgins played Principal Ronald Toddman since the finale of The New Class, Belding accepted a position at the University of Chattanooga.

Gosselaar told Entertainment Tonight, "Dennis was the older brother on set and always there to protect us. [He] treated us as equals…" Thiessen wrote on Instagram, "Dennis Haskins was a steady presence in my teenage years, the kind of figure who kept us in line while making sure we knew he was in our corner. I will always remember his kindness and be grateful for the memories we as a cast got to share with him. RIP Mr. B." Voorhies wrote on Instagram, "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."

Lopez wrote, "Heartbroken to hear about my old friend Dennis Haskins. He played the principal, but Dennis was the biggest kid on the SBTB set. If you knew him, you loved him—and if there was karaoke, you knew Dennis was getting on that mic! I'm grateful for the laughs, the memories, and the friendship we shared all these years. Rest easy, my friend. You'll always be part of our Bayside family. ❤️" Ed Alonzo, who played Max in the franchise, wrote, "A sad day for fans, cast and crew of Saved by the bell. 😞" Creel wrote, "Dennis!! You were always ready with a warm hug and smile! I joined Bayside Season 5, with realistic storylines like "Tori" delivering Mr. Belding's baby…in an elevator…during an earthquake! A few years ago, I got to bring my boys to a SBTB pop up where they had fun playing with the props. It was the last time I saw Dennis. Being kind, in the end, is the only thing that matters. May his memory be a blessing. #GoBayside"

In remembrance of Dennis Haskins, who played Mr. Belding on "Saved by the Bell." pic.twitter.com/0Ic7ecco4G

— NBC Entertainment (@nbc) September 29, 2026

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