Sept. 29 (UPI) — Actor Dennis Haskins, best known for his role as Mr. Belding in the popular 1990s teen series Saved by the Bell, has died. He was 75.
His longtime agent, Jay Schachter, confirmed Haskins’ death to Variety in a statement on Monday, telling Variety “it was a tragic loss.”
No cause of death was given.
“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, not matter what. He was my client and dear friend for over 20 years, and I will miss him terribly. I’m heartbroken.”
Born Nov. 18, 1950, the Chattanooga, Tenn., native attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he was “a popular and very active member” of the student body, according to his biography on the university’s website.
During his time at UTC, he wrote for the student newspaper, served as entertainment chairman of the Student Government Association and acted in the drama club and was a founding member of the Harlequins theater group.
His acting career spanned more than four decades with appearances in shows, such as Magnum, P.I., The Twilight Zone, The Dukes of Hazzard, Knots Landing. Haskins is best known for his role as Mr. Belding on 1988’s Good Morning, Miss Bliss, which was later retooled and retitled Saved by the Bell, which ran for four seasons.
He continued to play as Mr. Belding in Saved by the Bell: The New Class, which ran from 1993 to 2000, after which he performed in dozens of shows, including It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Mad Men, according to his IMDB page.