Dennis Haskins, Principal Belding in 'Saved By The Bell,' dies at 75

He played Principal Richard Belding from 1989 through 2000.

September 28, 2026, 11:35 PM

Dennis Haskins, who is best known for his role on the hit sitcom "Saved By The Bell," has died at 75, his agent confirmed to ABC News.

"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," his agent Jay Schachter said.

Haskins' cause of death has not been released.

PHOTO: Saved by the Bell
SAVED BY THE BELL -- Season 2 -- Pictured: (l-r) Mario Lopez as Alabert Clifford 'A.C.' Slater, Dennis Haskins as Mr. Richard Belding, Lark Voorhies as Lisa Turtle, Tiffani Thiessen as Kelly Kapowski, Elizabeth Berkley as Jessie Spano, Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Zachary 'Zach' Morris, Dustin Diamond as Screech Powers -- Photo by: NBCU Photo Bank
Nbc/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

He played Principal Richard Belding on three separate shows. First in the Disney Channel show "Good Morning, Miss Bliss" in 1989, which was later recreated into NBC's "Saved By The Bell."

He starred on "Saved By The Bell" through the show's four-season run, from 1989 to 1993 and later reprised the role for "Saved by the Bell: The New Class," which ran for seven seasons from 1993 to 2000.

"Saved By The Bell" is among the defining sitcoms of the 90s, following a group of high school students as they navigate adolescence. Fans of the show will remember Principal Belding's catchphrase "Hey, hey, hey, what is going on here?"

PHOTO: Saved By The Max Pop Up - Los Angeles Opening Night
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA - MAY 01: Actor Dennis Haskins poses for portrait at the Saved By the Max Los Angeles opening night pop up on May 1, 2018 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images)
Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images

The last time Haskins played the famed principal was in 2015 when the cast -- Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Elizabeth Berkley, Mario Lopez and Tiffani Thiessen -- reunited for a "Saved By The Bell" sketch on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon."

Haskins' other TV and film roles include appearances on "It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia," "A Million Ways to Die in the West," "Men of a Certain Age, "The Bold and the Beautiful," "Victorious," "Mad Men," "How I Met Your Mother," "New Girl" and"Hot In Cleveland," among others.

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