Dennis Haskins, the actor best known for portraying Mr. Belding on the beloved teen sitcom “Saved by the Bell,” has died, TVLine confirmed. He was 75.
News of Haskins’ death was first reported by ABC News Channel 9 in Chattanooga, Tenn., where the actor was born in 1950. A cause of death has not been released.
Haskins played principal Richard Belding for 13 total seasons, including its predecessor “Good Morning, Miss Bliss” (1988-1989) and its follow-up series “Saved by the Bell: The College Years” (1993-1994). The franchise continued from there with “Saved by the Bell: The New Class,” which saw Haskins reprise his role from 1993 to 2000.
The actor also donned his school administrator suit for two “Saved by the Bell” TV movies: 1992’s “Hawaiian Style” and 1994’s “Wedding in Las Vegas,” which saw the series’ main couple, Zack and Kelly, finally get married.
Before his Bell fame, Haskins guest-starred in a line of ’70s and ’80s series including “The Dukes of Hazzard,” “Archie Bunker’s Place,” “The Fall Guy,” “CHiPs,” “Knots Landing,” “Magnum, P.I.,” “The Twilight Zone,” and “The Greatest American Hero.”
After “The New Class” wrapped, Haskins guest-starred on “The Practice,” “The West Wing,” “7th Heaven,” “JAG,” “Men of a Certain Age,” and “The Bold and the Beautiful.” His more recent credits include appearances on “How I Met Your Mother,” “Mad Men,” “New Girl,” “Hot in Cleveland,” and “I’m Dying Up Here.”
In 2015, he reunited with “Saved by the Bell” co-stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Mario Lopez, Elizabeth Berkley and Tiffani Thiessen for a sketch on The Tonight Show with host Jimmy Fallon.
Haskins also appeared in the music videos for Dirty Heads’ “Vacation” and Khalid’s “Young Dumb & Broke” (both in 2017).
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