Last week, Saved By the Bell fans were hit with some truly tragic news. Dennis Haskins, the actor who brought to life Bayside High’s beloved and hilarious principal Mr. Belding, died at the age of 75. At the time it was reported that the actor had privately been battling Parkinson’s disease for several years, though it was a diagnosis that he reportedly kept private. Now, the actor’s cause of death has been confirmed with the release of his death certificate from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
According to his death certificate, as obtained by TMZ, Haskins’ immediate cause of death was confirmed to be Parkinson’s disease. Other conditions listed on the document as being significant include irritable bowel syndrome, depression, hypertension, and benign prostatic hyperplasia. The actor passed away on September 27th at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank and had reportedly spent his final years in an assisted-living facility.
For an entire generation of television audiences, Haskin was America’s principal. The actor first portrayed Mr. Belding on Good Morning, Miss Bliss, the Disney series that served as the precursor to Saved By the Bell. That series also starred The Parent Trap’s Hayley Mills and aired for one season in 1988 before being reworked to become Saved by the Bell. Haskins was among several Good Morning, Miss Bliss cast members to make the leap to the new series.
Saved by the Bell would end up being an absolutely iconic series in the early 1990s. It was one of the first series to cater to a teen audience in the Saturday morning block typically reserved for cartoons on NBC. Haskins portrayed the beloved principal for the series’ entire run and would later reprise the role for the final season of the follow up series, Saved by the Bell: The New Class. He also offered up his character in non-official appearances, such as on Nickelodeon’s Victorious and, in his final appearance as Mr. Belding, 2015’s Saved by the Bell reunion on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. He opted not to return for the 2020 Saved by the Bell reboot, noting that Mr. Belding had retired.
For Saved by the Bell fans, Haskins’ Mr. Belding was fondly remembered as the rare adult character in the series that was highly involved with the lives of the student characters. Episodes frequently saw Mr. Belding not only try to be well-liked by his students but also go beyond the role of principal to be something students could turn to. It’s something that Haskins would later say that was an important part of the character and what he loved about the role.
“He always stood up for the kids,” Haskins said. “He always did what’s right for them, and I’m very proud of that.”
Beyond Saved by the Bell, Haskins left his mark on other iconic series as well, appearing in Dukes of Hazzard, The West Wing, How I Met Your Mother, Mad Men, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, New Girl, and more. Our thoughts go out to his friends, family, and fans at this time.
