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Dennis Haskins

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Dennis Haskins
Haskins in 2018
Born
Dennis Button Haskins IV

(1950-11-18)November 18, 1950
Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S.
DiedSeptember 27, 2026(2026-09-27) (aged 75)
Burbank, California, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1979–2020
Children1

Dennis Button Haskins IV (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.[1]

Early life

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Dennis Haskins was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on November 18, 1950.[2] He attended Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga, and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.[3] He played basketball at UTC after failing to make the team at the University of Tennessee,[3] and he was also a member of the cheerleading squad.[4] Haskins belonged to the Kappa Sigma fraternity.[3] He dropped out of UTC but returned in 2015 to complete his degree in theater and speech, receiving credit for his continued work in his major field.[2][3][4] Before beginning his acting career, Haskins appeared as a contestant on the TV game show Scrabble.

Career

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Television and film

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Before his role on Saved by the Bell, Haskins appeared on 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[5] 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.

He appeared in the 2014 film A Million Ways to Die in the West as a snake oil salesman at the fair.

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.[6][7][8]

Music and other media

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On August 31, 2009, Haskins released his first music album, Karaoke with Your Favorite Principal Dennis.[9][10] 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.[11] 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.

On July 14, 2016, Haskins performed on stage with the 1990s-themed band, Saved by the 90s, in Toledo, Ohio, at a Toledo Mud Hens minor league baseball game.

He appeared in the music video for DJ Lubel's "The Women of LA"[12][13] along with other former stars of the '90s Jaleel White and Pauly Shore.

Haskins appeared in the music video for Dirty Heads' "Vacation", where he is seen in an empty high school lip‑syncing to the entire track.[14]

He also appeared in the music video for Khalid's "Young Dumb & Broke", playing a principal making an end‑of‑year announcement over the school's intercom.[15]

Death

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Haskins died from Parkinson's disease in Burbank, California, on September 27, 2026, at the age of 75.[16] Reports noted he had been diagnosed with that disease eight years earlier.[2][1][17][18][19] Following his death, former Saved by the Bell cast members Mario Lopez, Tiffani Thiessen, Lark Voorhies, Elizabeth Berkley, and Leanna Creel shared memories and tributes of Haskins on social media.[20][21] He was also remembered by his longtime agent, Jay Schachter, and his caretaker Kimberly Snow.[22] Snow was a former bartender at Dimples, a karaoke bar in Burbank that Haskins frequented.[2]

Filmography

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Year Title Role
1979–1985 The Dukes of Hazzard Elmo Smith / Gate Guard (uncredited) / Charlie Watkins / Moss
1979–1983 Archie Bunker's Place Workman
1983 Hardcastle and McCormick: "Rolling Thunder" Cop #1
1986 Magnum, P.I.: "Autumn Warrior" Del Haynes
1987 Good Morning, Miss Bliss Mr. Richard Belding
1988 Hiroshima Maiden Hal Latimer
1989–1993 Saved by the Bell Principal Richard Belding
1990 The Image Steven Fish
1991 Eyewitness to Murder Dr. Baldwin
1992 Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style Mr. Richard Belding
1993 Saved by the Bell: The College Years Mr. Richard Belding (guest)
1993–2000 Saved by the Bell: The New Class Principal Richard Belding
1994 Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas Mr. Richard Belding
1998 Figure It Out: Family Style Himself (panelist)
1999 The Boy with the X-Ray Eyes Boyd Russell
2001 The Practice Psychiatrist
2001 18 Laura's Dad
2001 The West Wing: "Bartlet for America" C.E.O. Donor #2
2001 Max Keeble's Big Move Mr. Kohls
2002 The Stoneman Dean Hendricks
2002 An Ordinary Killer Ronald Smith
2003 Dismembered
2003 Going Down Uncle Frank
2003 Red Water Captain Dale Landry
2003 Tangy Guacamole Toss Honeycut
2003 7th Heaven: "Stand Up" Traffic Officer
2004 An Ordinary Killer Ronald Smith
2004 Dead End Road Mr. Makepiece
2004 JAG Airport Security S-1
2005 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Coach Murray
2005 Wild Michigan Sheriff Folgar
2005 The Treasure of Painted Forest Sheriff Thomas
2006 The Boys & Girls Guide to Getting Down Himself
2007 Revamped Satanist #2
2007 Sweep the Leg Pizza Store Owner / Dad
2008 Ratko: The Dictator's Son Dean Sitlong
2008 Ocean of Pearls Dr. Shultz
2008 Robot Chicken Jigsaw / Mr. Belding / Judge
2008 Private High Musical Mr. Johnson
2008 Stacy's Mom Professor Wood
2008 Creative Differences Tom
2008 The Legend of Awesomest Maximus Father Jay
2009 Acting School Academy Martin DeWitt
2010 Men of a Certain Age Terry's Landlord
2010 "See You in Shell" (music video by iwrestledabearonce)
2010 Neighborhood Watch Principal Gibbous
2011–2013 Z! True Long Island Story Himself / Mr. Belding
2012 Victorious Mr. Belding
2012 Mad Men Cool Whip Test Kitchen Scientist
2012 How I Met Your Mother Judge #2
2013 The JBL and Cole Show Himself
2014 A Million Ways to Die in the West Snake Oil Salesman
2014 New Girl Santa
2015 Up on the Wooftop Santa Claus
2015 Hot in Cleveland Reverend Bower
2015 The Tonight Show Mr. Richard Belding
2017 Holly, Jingles and Clyde Santa Claus
2018 Bennett's Song Gpa Sam Bennett
2019 Abstruse Senator Stevens
2019 Enigma Bob Jenkins
2019 Clemency Mr. Collins
2020 A Bennett Song Holiday GPA Sam Bennett

Awards

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Haskins was honored with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's Distinguished Alumni Award[23] in 2000 and has a regional high school academic decathlon named after him, The Dennis Haskins Open.[24][25]

References

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  1. 1 2 "Chattanooga native Dennis Haskins, 'Saved by the Bell' principal, dies at 75". WTVC. September 28, 2026. Archived from the original on September 29, 2026. Retrieved September 29, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Regalado, Francesca (September 29, 2026). "Dennis Haskins, Mr. Belding on 'Saved by the Bell,' Dies at 75". The New York Times. Retrieved September 29, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Wasserstrom, Chuck (September 29, 2026). "Remembering Dennis Haskins: His home and heart were always in Chattanooga". UTC News. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
  4. 1 2 Courter, Barry (September 29, 2026). "Dennis Haskins remembered for his love of schools, friends, fans and Chattanooga". Chattanooga Times Free Press. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Dennis Haskins (Mr. Belding!) Talks About His Career and Says, "I'm not done!"". Daily Actor. October 20, 2009. Archived from the original on April 21, 2019. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  6. ↑ "Watch a Glorious Saved by the Bell Reunion Courtesy of Jimmy Fallon". Time. Archived from the original on March 8, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Jimmy Fallon assembled the cast of 'Saved by the Bell' for an epic reunion". Business Insider. Archived from the original on February 20, 2015. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Jimmy Fallon reunites most of the 'Saved by the Bell' cast". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 19, 2015. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
  9. ↑ Dennis Haskins. "Karaoke With Your Favorite Principal Dennis". Amazon. Archived from the original on May 9, 2017. Retrieved October 11, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Dennis Haskins on iTunes". iTunes. Retrieved October 11, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Dennis Haskins (dennishaskins) on Myspace". Myspace.com. Archived from the original on October 28, 2011. Retrieved October 11, 2015.
  12. ↑ "'The Women Of LA' Skewers Our Unattainable Women, Geeky Guys & Everyone In Between (VIDEO)". Huffpost. February 13, 2013. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
  13. ↑ "The Women of LA with DJ Lubel, Pauly Shore, Jaleel White, Dennis Haskins". February 13, 2013. Archived from the original on December 30, 2025. Retrieved September 29, 2026 – via YouTube.
  14. ↑ Five Seven Music (July 13, 2017). "Dirty Heads – Vacation (Official Video)". Archived from the original on December 22, 2021 – via YouTube.
  15. ↑ "Khalid – Young Dumb & Broke (Official Video)". August 1, 2017. Archived from the original on October 22, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2026 – via YouTube.
  16. ↑ "'Saved By The Bell' Star Dennis Haskins' Cause Of Death Revealed". Deadline. October 6, 2026. Retrieved October 6, 2026.
  17. ↑ Travis, Emlyn (September 29, 2026). "Saved by the Bell star Dennis Haskins battled Parkinson's disease before death at 75". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 29, 2026.
  18. ↑ Parker, Ryan (September 28, 2026). "Dennis Haskins, Principal Belding on 'Saved by the Bell,' Dies at 75". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
  19. ↑ ""Saved By The Bell" Actor Dennis Haskins Has Died". Country Rebel. September 28, 2026. Retrieved September 28, 2026.
  20. ↑ Andaloro, Angela (September 29, 2026). "Saved by the Bell Cast Remembers 'Principal Belding' Actor Dennis Haskins After His Death at Age 75". People. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
  21. ↑ Shewfelt, Raechel (September 29, 2026). "Saved by the Bell actress recalls last time she saw late costar Dennis Haskins in sweet tribute". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
  22. ↑ Turkeltaub, Payton (September 29, 2026). "Dennis Haskins, 'Saved by the Bell' Star, Dies at 75". Variety. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
  23. ↑ "Distinguished Alumni Award Winners". University of Tennessee, Chattanooga. Retrieved October 1, 2026.
  24. ↑ "Dennis Haskins Open". NAQT. Retrieved October 2, 2026.
  25. ↑ "About". Dennis Haskins. Archived from the original on April 27, 2012. Retrieved October 11, 2015.
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