{"id":363444,"date":"2026-09-29T10:30:18","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T15:30:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/dennis-haskins-beloved-saved-by-the-bell-principal-belding-dies-at-75"},"modified":"2026-09-29T10:30:21","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T15:30:21","slug":"dennis-haskins-beloved-saved-by-the-bell-principal-belding-dies-at-75","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.etrafficlane.com\/60dollarmiracle\/dennis-haskins-beloved-saved-by-the-bell-principal-belding-dies-at-75","title":{"rendered":"Dennis Haskins, Beloved \u2018Saved by the Bell\u2019 Principal Belding, Dies at 75"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Dennis Haskins, the actor who became one of teen television\u2019s most familiar authority figures as Principal Richard Belding on Saved by the Bell<\/em>, has died. He was 75, and his longtime agent, Jay Schachter, confirmed the death to ABC News<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Schachter, who represented Haskins for more than 20 years, remembered an actor whose affection for the audience extended far beyond his best-known character. He called the death a \u201ctragic loss\u201d and said Haskins \u201cabsolutely LOVED his fans,\u201d adding that he consistently made time for the people who approached him.<\/p>\n

An official cause of death has not been released. Chattanooga station WTVC reported<\/a>, citing Haskins\u2019 friend and caretaker, that he had Parkinson\u2019s disease, while a tribute from his longtime friends at Dimples Karaoke said he had kept his health struggles largely private for roughly eight years. Neither account established Parkinson\u2019s as his cause of death.<\/p>\n

For viewers who grew up with Bayside High, Haskins was inseparable from the exasperated but good-natured principal trying to contain Zack Morris and his classmates. He first played Belding before Saved by the Bell<\/em> existed under that title and continued returning to the role for more than a decade across the expanding franchise.<\/p>\n

Mr. Belding Followed Haskins From \u2018Miss Bliss\u2019 Through \u2018The New Class\u2019<\/h2>\n

Haskins originated Richard Belding on the Disney Channel series Good Morning, Miss Bliss<\/em>, which was later reworked into the NBC sitcom Saved by the Bell<\/em>. He remained part of the franchise throughout the original show\u2019s 1989-to-1993 run and then continued as Belding on Saved by the Bell: The New Class<\/em>, which lasted until 2000.<\/p>\n

Variety reported<\/a> that Haskins also brought the character to the television movie Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style<\/em>. He additionally appeared as Belding in other corners of the franchise, making the principal one of the most persistent adult figures connected to Bayside as casts and formats changed around him.<\/p>\n

The role also gave Haskins one of the show\u2019s most recognizable recurring lines: \u201cHey, hey, hey, what is going on here?\u201d ABC News noted that the catchphrase became closely associated with Belding, usually arriving when another student scheme had reached the point where the principal could no longer ignore it.<\/p>\n

He Returned to Bayside for a 2015 \u2018Tonight Show\u2019 Reunion<\/h2>\n