If you’re in your 40s or 50s, there’s a good chance you woke up this morning to a flurry of text messages from your friends sharing a link that “Saved by the Bell” star Dennis Haskins had died.
Haskins, who has died aged 75, played Mr. Belding, principal of the fictional Bayside High School, on the long-running Saturday morning series of the 1990s. He cared deeply about his students while playing the foil to the scheming Zack Morris, played by Mark-Paul Gosselaar.
Armed with a slogan – “Hey, hey, hey, what’s going on here?” – the perpetually cheerful and frequently exasperated Mr. Belding was a little jaded and a step behind Zack and the Bayside crew, but he always caught up and always led them on the straight and narrow. He was funny but caring; It was the kind of thing grown kids like to watch on Saturday mornings.
There’s a place for Mr. Belding on the Mount Rushmore of imaginary principals. Haskins’ combination of comic timing, compassion, and chemistry with the cast made Mr. Belding a beloved character, complete with a silly name that brings out silly images that belie his intelligence.
“A grumpy editor from Universal,” “Saved by the Bell” producer Peter Engel told TODAY.com in 2019 who inspired the name.
Whether he was being tricked by Screech into improperly chopping down his bonsai tree so Zack could win a free trip to Hawaii, freaking out when his wife went into labor after an earthquake, or offering advice after Slater mourned the death of his pet chameleon, Mr. Belding was a rock, appearing to be a bit clueless and foolish on the surface but underneath he had a pillar of strength and wisdom for his students.
Haskins played Mr. Belding in “Good Morning, Miss Happiness,” the original version of “Saved by the Bell,” and would continue to play him throughout the four years of “Saved by the Bell” on NBC. She also portrayed him in the TV movies “Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style” and “Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas.”
He also portrayed the character in an episode of “Saved by the Bell: The College Years” and would go on to portray him in 143 episodes of “Saved by the Bell: The New Class” over seven seasons. It’s rare for an actor to be so associated with a character for so long.
Haskins became the second actor to die on “Saved by the Bell,” after Dustin Diamond, who died in 2021. Diamond, who played Screech, had a complicated life after his time portraying the character ended, but Haskins’ legacy isn’t all that sad.
“Everyone loved Mr. Belding, and those of us who knew Dennis loved him even more,” his manager Jay Schachter said in a statement following his death. “He was a great person and he loved his fans, so he absolutely LOVED them.”
His fans loved him too. Over the years, Haskins has made personal appearances everywhere from minor league baseball games to college campuses.
If you know “Saved by the Bell,” you may conjure up images of Mr. Belding struggling against Zack as he tries to tell right from wrong, the threat of custody hanging over his head like a Valley joke threat. Zack’s whims were often thwarted by Mr. Belding, but eventually Zack learned and began to appreciate his manager.
“You know, son, there’s something very special inside you. I hope I can see it when you let it all out,” Mr. Belding said before they hugged each other at the graduation, representing a moment when Zack truly realized how much Mr. Belding meant to him.
Haskins hasn’t been around long enough to see the love fans still have for him. But make no mistake, they do so.