Principal Belding from Saved by the Bell is dead

Actor Dennis Haskins has died at the age of 75.

He was the good guy main character for an entire generation on TV.

Conciliating and understanding boss of Bayside High School in California, in the series Saved by the Bell, actor Dennis Haskins died last Thursday.

The actor’s disappearance was confirmed only yesterday to Variety by his longtime agent, Jay Schachter. The circumstances of his death have not been communicated.

“It’s a tragic loss. Everyone loved Mr. Belding and those who were lucky enough to know Dennis loved him even more. He was a great person, and he truly, absolutely loved his fans. He always had time for them, no matter the circumstances.”

Dennis Haskins played Richard Belding for the entire run of Saved by the Bell, from 1989 to 1992, appearing in nearly 90 episodes.

He also reprized the character in Saved by the Bell: The Next Class, the TV movie Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style. And he was already there in Good Morning, Miss Bliss, the series which preceded Saved by the Bell in 1988. A role which totally defined his career.

Principal of Bayside High, Belding was particularly known for his catchphrase, “Hey, hey, hey, what is going on here?”, said when he caught Zack Morris, AC Slater or Screech Powers doing something stupid. Haskins then shared the screen with Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Dustin Diamond, Lark Voorhies, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, Elizabeth Berkley and Mario Lopez.

During his career, the actor has also appeared in several films and series, including Abstruse, Albert in the West, A Bennett Song Holiday, Trailer Park Shark and Jennifer Falls.

The Dimples Karaoke bar, in Burbank, California, where Dennis Haskins used to hang out, also paid tribute to him on Instagram.