Dennis Haskins, Beloved Principal Belding From ‘Saved By The Bell,’ Dies at 75

Dennis Haskins, widely recognized for his iconic portrayal of Principal Richard Belding on the hit television series ‘Saved By The Bell,’ has passed away at the age of 75. His agent, Jay Schachter, confirmed the news 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,” Schachter said. “He was a great person, and he loved, I mean absolutely LOVED his fans. He always had time for them, no matter what.” The cause of death has not yet been disclosed.

Haskins originated the role of Principal Belding in 1989 on the Disney Channel series ‘Good Morning, Miss Bliss,’ which was later reimagined as the NBC hit ‘Saved By The Bell.’ He starred in the latter show throughout its four-season run from 1989 to 1993 and returned to the role for the sequel series ‘Saved By The Bell: The New Class,’ which aired for seven seasons between 1993 and 2000.

The original series remains one of the defining sitcoms of the 1990s, chronicling the lives of high school students navigating adolescence. Fans frequently recall Belding’s signature exclamation, “Hey, hey, hey, what is going on here?”

His final appearance as the famous principal occurred in 2015, when he reunited with former co-stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Elizabeth Berkley, Mario Lopez, and Tiffani Thiessen for a sketch on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.’

Beyond ‘Saved By The Bell,’ Haskins maintained a prolific career in television and film. His credits include appearances on ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,’ ‘Mad Men,’ ‘How I Met Your Mother,’ ‘New Girl,’ ‘Hot In Cleveland,’ ‘Victorious,’ ‘Men of a Certain Age,’ and ‘The Bold and the Beautiful,’ as well as the film ‘A Million Ways to Die in the West.’