Make Page Six a Preferred Source The “Saved by the Bell” cast is mourning Dennis Haskins, who played beloved principal Mr. Belding, after his death at age 75.
Tiffani Thiessen told Page Six in a statement via her rep, “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.”
The actress, who played Kelly Kapowski in the ’80s teen sitcom, said she’ll “always remember [Haskins’] kindness and be grateful for the memories we as a cast got to share with him.”
Lark Voorhies, who played Lisa Turtle, wrote on Instagram that she’s “truly heartbroken” by Haskins’ passing.
“Knowing Dennis Haskins for almost 40 years has been one of the truest blessings of my life,” she said, adding, “which makes losing him hurt so deeply.”
Voorhies, 52, called Haskins “a fabulous person, a loyal friend, and someone with such a kind, gentle heart,” and said she’ll miss his “warmth and laughter more than words can say.”
“Rest in peace Dennis, you will always hold a special place in my heart,” she concluded her tribute.
Mario Lopez, who played A.C Slater, shared his own “heartbroken” reaction to Haskins’ death on X.
“He played the principal, but Dennis was the biggest kid on the SBTB set,” Lopez, 52, said. “If you knew him, you loved him—and if there was karaoke, you knew Dennis was getting on that mic!”
Lopez continued, “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.”
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Haskins famously played “America’s Favorite Principal” from 1988 to 2000, starting with the “Saved by the Bell” predecessor series, “Good Morning, Miss Bliss,” and ending with the “New Class” reboot.
He starred in “Saved by the Bell” with Thiessen, Lopez, Voorhies, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Elizabeth Berkley, Dustin Diamond and Ed Alonzo.
The NBC sitcom, which follows a group of Los Angeles high school students, aired from 1989 to 1993.
Haskins’ death was confirmed Monday by his longtime friend and caretaker.
His agent, Jay Schachter, opened up about the “tragic loss” to the Hollywood Reporter.
“Everyone loved Mr. Belding and those of us who got to know Dennis loved him even more,” Schachter told the outlet. “He was a great person, and he loved, I mean absolutely LOVED his fans.”
Dimples karaoke bar in Burbank, California, where Haskins was a “staple” said in an Instagram post that the actor had spent the last eight years battling Parkinson’s disease.
Haskins made his final public appearance at an NBA game in 2018.
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