Dennis Haskins, Mr. Belding on Saved by the Bell, dies at 75

Dennis Haskins, the actor who played Principal Richard Belding on "Saved by the Bell," died Sunday in Burbank, California, at 75, his longtime agent, Jay Schachter, said. A cause of death has not been released.

Haskins had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease eight years ago, Variety reported. NBC News reported that the cause and manner of death were unavailable.

Haskins first played Belding on the Disney Channel series "Good Morning, Miss Bliss," which aired in 1988 and was retooled into "Saved by the Bell" on NBC the following year. That series ran until 1993 and lasted four seasons, according to ABC News. He then returned to Bayside High as a series regular on all seven seasons of "Saved by the Bell: The New Class," which aired Saturday mornings on NBC from 1993 to 2000.

From Miss Bliss to Bayside High

Belding was the lovable but stern administrator who tried to keep Zack Morris, played by Mark-Paul Gosselaar, and his classmates in line, usually with the catchphrase "Hey, hey, hey, what is going on here?" Variety reported that Haskins appeared in nearly 90 episodes of the original series and used the line while trying to discipline Morris, A.C. Slater and Screech Powers. His castmates included Dustin Diamond, Lark Voorhies, Tiffani Thiessen, Elizabeth Berkley and Mario Lopez.

Schachter, head of film and television for Stewart Talent in New York City, announced the death Monday in a statement.

It's a tragic loss. 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.

Mario Lopez, who played A.C. Slater, posted a tribute on Instagram, remembering Haskins as the most playful person on a set where he played the authority figure. Lopez recalled his co-star's fondness for karaoke.

Heartbroken to hear about my old friend Dennis Haskins. He played the principal, but Dennis was the biggest kid on the SBTB set.

Lopez said he was grateful for the laughs and the friendship, and wrote that Haskins would "always be part of our Bayside family." Tiffani Thiessen, who played Kelly Kapowski, wrote on Instagram that Haskins was a steady presence in her teenage years and that she would always remember his kindness. Lark Voorhies, who played Lisa Turtle, described a friendship of nearly 40 years and called him a "fabulous person, a loyal friend, and someone with such a kind, gentle heart."

Chattanooga roots and a campus start

Haskins was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on Nov. 18, 1950, and was raised there. He attended Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Notre Dame High School and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, according to NewsChannel 9. He was deeply involved at the university before his television career, the station reported.

At UTC he reported for the student newspaper, performed with the Drama Club and the Harlequins, served as Student Government Association entertainment chairman and belonged to Blue Key Honor Fraternity and the Raven's Society. He was a founding member of the Harlequins community theater group, where he acted, worked as a stage manager and wrote original plays.

As entertainment chairman, Haskins organized student events and helped bring Ike and Tina Turner to the campus in 1973. Through Blue Key he helped organize the annual "Freaks vs. Fuzz" basketball game, which raised scholarship money for the children of UTC and Chattanooga police officers. He also helped get Mocs basketball games on local television, the station said. He played basketball for a year at the school, The Hollywood Reporter said.

Before acting, Haskins worked as a music manager, agent and concert promoter, with Tom Jones and Gregg Allman among his clients, according to the IMDb biography cited by NBC News. Early in his career he landed appearances on "Magnum, P.I." and "The Twilight Zone."

Haskins made his onscreen debut in 1979 on an episode of CBS's "The Dukes of Hazzard," according to The Hollywood Reporter. His acting career was lifted by the Belding role on Disney Channel's "Good Morning, Miss Bliss," which was retooled after one season and became "Saved by the Bell" on NBC.

Spinoffs, TV movies and a 2015 reunion

Haskins reprised the character in the made-for-TV movies "Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style" in 1992 and "Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas" in 1994, and guest-starred in an episode of "Saved by the Bell: The College Years" in 1993, according to TVLine.

The last time he played Belding was in February 2015, when he joined Gosselaar, Berkley, Lopez and Thiessen for a "Saved by the Bell" sketch on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon."

Away from Bayside, Haskins appeared in "Mad Men," "New Girl," "Hot in Cleveland," "The West Wing," "7th Heaven," "How I Met Your Mother," "Victorious," "The Bold and the Beautiful" and FX's "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," as well as Seth MacFarlane's 2014 film "A Million Ways to Die in the West." He was also on Showtime's "I'm Dying Up Here" and Cartoon Network's "Robot Chicken." Variety listed credits including "Abstruse," "A Bennett Song Holiday," "Trailer Park Shark" and "Jennifer Falls."

What is known about Haskins' death

Haskins was 75. His agent announced the death Monday, and no cause has been released. NewsChannel 9 in Chattanooga reported the death, citing his friend and caretaker, and said Haskins had Parkinson's disease, citing the Burbank karaoke bar Dimples, where he was a regular customer.

The Burbank bar where he was a regular

Dimples Karaoke, a bar in Burbank where Haskins sang for years, posted a tribute on Instagram. The post said he was a staple there, that many people assumed he owned the place, and that he enjoyed singing for people, meeting them and taking selfies with fans. Dimples closed about 11 years ago, and the post said people still associate him with what it called his beloved second home.

The post said Haskins became ill about eight years ago and had stayed silent about his fight with Parkinson's disease, along with other health concerns, because he did not want the attention. The writer, who said they respected his wishes and helped him through his illness, wrote that Haskins was now at peace and was probably entertaining the people in the sky. Fans who had reached out to him in recent years were told their messages had been read to him.

• Good Morning, Miss Bliss, Disney Channel, 1988
• Saved by the Bell, NBC, 1989 to 1993
• Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style, TV movie, 1992
• Saved by the Bell: The College Years, one guest episode, 1993
• Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas, TV movie, 1994
• Saved by the Bell: The New Class, NBC, 1993 to 2000

Fans knew Haskins by the nickname "America's Favorite Principal," according to NewsChannel 9. He appeared at the "Saved By the Max" pop-up in West Hollywood on May 1, 2018. ABC News described "Saved by the Bell," which followed a group of high school students, as among the defining sitcoms of the '90s, and NBC News reported that the Belding role came to define Haskins for millions of fans.

Survivors and honors

Fox News Digital reported that Haskins is survived by his son, Dustin. The Hollywood Reporter said survivors include a younger brother.

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga honored Haskins with its Most Distinguished Alumni Award in 2000, and a regional high school academic decathlon, The Dennis Haskins Open, was named for him, according to The Hollywood Reporter. A musician as well as an actor, he took part in two USO tours in 2000 for troops in Kosovo, Macedonia and Bosnia, and again in 2002 in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Oman and Kyrgyzstan. He also flew with the Blue Angels.