{"id":5984,"date":"2026-09-29T14:19:41","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T14:19:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/foreverinourhearts\/?p=5984"},"modified":"2026-09-29T14:19:41","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T14:19:41","slug":"dennis-haskins-who-played-beloved-principal-mr-belding-on-saved-by-the-bell-dies-at-75","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/foreverinourhearts\/2026\/09\/dennis-haskins-who-played-beloved-principal-mr-belding-on-saved-by-the-bell-dies-at-75.html","title":{"rendered":"Dennis Haskins, Who Played Beloved Principal Mr. Belding on \u2018Saved by the Bell,\u2019 Dies at 75"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Joe Seer \/ Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For millions of \u201cSaved by the Bell\u201d fans, Dennis Haskins will forever be Mr. Belding \u2014 the lovable, often-exasperated principal who spent years trying to keep Zack Morris and the rest of the Bayside High gang out of trouble.<\/p>\n

But as news spread of Haskins\u2019 death at age 75, those who knew him best remembered something more than the television character that made him famous. They remembered a man who genuinely loved the people who loved him.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone loved Mr. Belding and those of us who got to know Dennis loved him even more,\u201d his agent and longtime friend Jay Schachter said. \u201cHe was a great person, and he loved, I mean absolutely LOVED his fans.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe always had time for them, no matter what,\u201d Schachter added. \u201cHe was my client and dear friend for over 20 years, and I will miss him terribly. I\u2019m heartbroken.\u201d<\/p>\n

Born Nov. 18, 1950, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Haskins began playing Principal Richard Belding before \u201cSaved by the Bell\u201d even existed. He originated the role on the Disney Channel series \u201cGood Morning, Miss Bliss,\u201d which was later reworked into the NBC sitcom that became a defining television show for a generation of young viewers.<\/p>\n

From 1988 to 2000, Haskins played Belding across \u201cGood Morning, Miss Bliss,\u201d \u201cSaved by the Bell\u201d and \u201cSaved by the Bell: The New Class.\u201d His booming \u201cHey, hey, hey!\u201d became one of the franchise\u2019s signature lines as Belding attempted to rein in Zack Morris and his classmates.<\/p>\n

Haskins embraced the character long after leaving Bayside behind. In 2015, he joined several original cast members for a nostalgic \u201cSaved by the Bell\u201d reunion on \u201cThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,\u201d once again stepping into the halls of Bayside High.<\/p>\n

His career extended well beyond Mr. Belding, with appearances on \u201cThe West Wing,\u201d \u201c7th Heaven,\u201d \u201cMad Men,\u201d \u201cNew Girl,\u201d \u201cHot in Cleveland\u201d and \u201cIt\u2019s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.\u201d<\/p>\n

Haskins\u2019 final known public appearance came in December 2018, when he attended a Los Angeles Clippers game. Photos from the night showed the actor dressed in a suit and smiling from the stands.<\/p>\n

His official cause of death has not been announced. However, a Burbank karaoke bar where Haskins was reportedly a longtime regular claimed in a tribute that the actor had quietly battled Parkinson\u2019s disease and other health concerns.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe had been silent about his fight with Parkinson\u2019s, among other health concerns, because he did not want the attention,\u201d the tribute read.<\/p>\n

The message ended by remembering Haskins not for his illness, but for the life he lived.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat a cool and amazing life he had. Rest in peace, Dennis. You were very much loved and will never be forgotten.\u201d<\/p>\n

For fans who grew up watching \u201cSaved by the Bell,\u201d Haskins was the principal who somehow managed to be an authority figure, comic foil and reassuring presence all at once. But perhaps the more meaningful legacy is the one described by those who knew him personally: He appreciated his fans, made time for people and never seemed to forget how fortunate he was to play a character they loved.<\/p>\n

Mr. Belding may have belonged to Bayside High, but Dennis Haskins belonged to the generations of fans who never stopped smiling when they heard, \u201cHey, hey, hey!\u201d<\/p>\n

Haskins is survived by his son, Dustin.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For millions of \u201cSaved by the Bell\u201d fans, Dennis Haskins will forever be Mr. Belding \u2014 the lovable, often-exasperated principal who spent years trying to keep Zack Morris and the rest of the Bayside High gang out of trouble. But as news spread of Haskins\u2019 death at age 75, those who knew him best remembered…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":462,"featured_media":5987,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5984","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nDennis Haskins, Who Played Beloved Principal Mr. Belding on \u2018Saved by the Bell,\u2019 Dies at 75<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Dennis Haskins, best known as Principal Mr. Belding on \u201cSaved by the Bell,\u201d has died at 75. 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