Dennis Haskins, Chattanooga Native Who Played Mr. Belding on ‘Saved by the Bell,’ Dies at 75

Dennis Haskins, the actor best known for playing Principal Richard Belding on “Saved by the Bell,” has died at age 75. His death was confirmed by a longtime friend and caretaker to WTVC in his hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee.

A cause of death has not been disclosed. Dimples Karaoke, a Burbank, California bar where Haskins was described as a “staple” and something of a second home, said in an Instagram post Monday that he had spent the past eight years battling Parkinson’s disease.

“He had been silent about his fight with Parkinson’s, among other health concerns, because he did not want the attention. He did not want to have to tell people. He would say, ‘What do I even say?’ So I respected his wishes and stayed quiet, and I helped him through his journey into the next chapter of his life,” the bar wrote.

Haskins’ agent, Jay Schachter, told The Hollywood Reporter that the loss was devastating for those who knew him.

“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,” Schachter said. “He always had time for them, no matter what. He was my client and dear friend for over 20 years, and I will miss him terribly. I’m heartbroken.”

Haskins played Belding for more than a decade at the fictional Bayside High on “Saved by the Bell” from 1989 to 1993 and its follow-up, “Saved by the Bell: The New Class,” which ran through 2000. His frustrated catchphrase, “Hey, hey, hey, what is going on here?”, became one of the show’s signature lines as he tried to rein in Zack Morris and the rest of the student body. Fans nicknamed him “America’s Favorite Principal.”

Roots in Chattanooga

Before his acting career, Haskins was a fixture on campus at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, according to the school’s website. He helped found the Harlequins theater group, wrote and staged original plays, and worked on the student newspaper. As entertainment chairman for student government, he booked Ike and Tina Turner for a 1973 campus concert. He also organized a charity basketball game between students and city officials to raise scholarship money for the children of local police officers.

Before turning to acting, Haskins worked as a music manager, agent and concert promoter, counting singer Tom Jones and rock musician Gregg Allman among his clients, according to his IMDb page.

He made his network television debut in the 1979 pilot episode of “The Dukes of Hazzard,” playing a bar patron at the Boar’s Nest who gets a stiletto heel to the foot from Daisy Duke, according to the Daily Actor. A decade later came his breakout role in “Good Morning, Miss Bliss,” the show that evolved into “Saved by the Bell.”

Over the course of his career, Haskins amassed more than 100 acting credits, including guest appearances on “The West Wing,” “Mad Men,” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” and “7th Heaven,” according to IMDb. In 2009, he released an album titled “Karaoke with Your Favorite Principal Dennis.”

Haskins is survived by his son, Dustin, according to The Hollywood Reporter. His death comes five years after that of his “Saved by the Bell” co-star Dustin Diamond, who played Samuel “Screech” Powers and died of lung cancer in 2021 at age 44.