Dennis Haskins

Dennis Haskins (November 18, 1950 – September 27, 2026) was an American actor known for his role as principal Richard Belding in the teen sitcom Saved by the Bell, which ran from 1989 to 1993 on NBC. He then went on to star in Saved by the Bell: The New Class, which aired from 1993 to 2000. He also portrayed the role as a regular in Good Morning, Miss Bliss. Dennis Haskins was born on November 18, 1950, in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He attended Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga, and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He played basketball at UTC after failing to make the team at the University of Tennessee, and he was also a member of the cheerleading squad. Haskins belonged to the Kappa Sigma fraternity. Before beginning his acting career, Haskins appeared as a contestant on the TV game show Scrabble. Before his role on Saved by the Bell, Haskins appeared in several episodes of The Dukes of Hazzard in different roles. In the pilot episode, he played a Boar's Nest patron whom Daisy thrashes after he attempts to grope her while she's working as a waitress. Haskins, who auditioned seven times for the role of Mr. Belding, first appeared as the character in 1988's Good Morning, Miss Bliss on the Disney Channel. After a year, the show was retooled as Saved by the Bell on NBC, with Haskins being the only adult member of the regular cast. Known for the catchphrase "Hey, hey, hey, what is going on here?", he continued the role on the spinoff Saved by the Bell: The New Class until 2000. He had a brief cameo as himself in the 2006 film The Boys & Girls Guide to Getting Down. As a guest on the March 4, 2010, episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Haskins said he was capable of bench pressing 150 pounds as a senior member of Notre Dame men's varsity basketball team. On February 4, 2015, Haskins reunited with Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Elizabeth Berkley, Mario Lopez and Tiffani Thiessen on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where they appeared in a Saved by the Bell sketch with Fallon. He appeared in the 2014 film A Million Ways to Die in the West as a snake oil salesman at the fair. In recent years, he had been lobbying to become a cast member on ABC's Dancing with the Stars. On August 31, 2009, Haskins released his first music album, "Karaoke with Your Favorite Principal Dennis." On the album, he sings songs ranging from "Piano Man" to "Mustang Sally", the latter being a duet with Hulk Hogan's daughter Brooke Hogan. The CD was recorded in the summer of 2009 at Mikron Studios in South Pittsburg, Tennessee, with Mike Headrick. Cody McCarver produced the project, and Mike Yarworth financed it. In 2010, Haskins appeared in the video for "See You in Shell" by experimental metalcore band Iwrestledabearonce, which parodied Saved by the Bell and films by John Hughes. Haskins was also a fan of professional wrestling and WWE. He appeared in multiple episodes of Z! True Long Island Story, a YouTube series by WWE professional wrestler Zack Ryder. He was also friends with former Los Angeles Dodgers pitching coach Rick Honeycutt. Haskins died at his home in Burbank, California on September 27, 2026, at age 75. He had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease eight years earlier.

Dennis Haskins (* 18. November 1950) ist ein US-amerikanischer Schauspieler, bekannt für seine Rolle als Schulleiter Richard Belding in der Teenager-Sitcom „Saved by the Bell“, die von 1989 bis 1993 auf NBC lief. Anschließend spielte er die Hauptrolle in „Saved by the Bell: The New Class“, die von 1993 bis 2000 ausgestrahlt wurde. Außerdem verkörperte er die Rolle regelmäßig in der Serie „Good Morning, Miss Bliss“.

Actorul a interpretat pentru prima dată personajul Richard Belding în serialul „Good Morning, Miss Bliss”, difuzat de Disney Channel. După primul sezon, producția a fost regândită și transformată în „Saved by the Bell”, serial care a fost difuzat de NBC între 1989 și 1993. Dennis Haskins a continuat să joace rolul lui Belding și în „Saved by the Bell: The New Class”, difuzat între 1993 și 2000. Actorul a revenit pentru ultima dată în rolul care l-a făcut celebru în februarie 2015. Dennis Haskins s-a reunit atunci cu Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Elizabeth Berkley, Mario Lopez și Tiffani Thiessen într-o scenetă difuzată în emisiunea „The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”. Cariera lui Dennis Haskins s-a întins pe mai multe decenii. Actorul și-a făcut debutul pe micul ecran în 1979, într-un episod din serialul „The Dukes of Hazzard”. Ulterior, a apărut în numeroase producții de televiziune și filme, printre care „Mad Men”, „Hot in Cleveland”, „New Girl”, „It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” și „Robot Chicken”. A jucat și în filmul „A Million Ways to Die in the West”, regizat de Seth MacFarlane și lansat în 2014. De asemenea, a făcut parte din distribuția serialului „I’m Dying Up Here”, produs de Showtime. Dennis Haskins a avut și o pasiune pentru muzică și a participat la turnee USO pentru trupele americane. În 2000, actorul a participat la două astfel de turnee în Kosovo, Macedonia și Bosnia, iar în 2002 a revenit în Afganistan, Pakistan, Oman și Kârgâzstan. Actorul a fost și sportiv în tinerețe. A jucat baschet timp de un an la University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, iar în anul 2000 a primit distincția Most Distinguished Alumni Award din partea universității. Dennis Haskins lasă în urmă un fiu, Dustin.