Saved by the Bell star Lark Voorhies has paid tribute to co-star Dennis Haskins following his death aged 75.
Lark Voorhies leads tributes to Saved by the Bell co-star Dennis Haskins
Dennis was most famous for playing Bayside High’s Principal Belding in all four seasons of the beloved teen TV show, in which Lark starred as student Lisa Turtle.
Following the news of Dennis’ death on Monday (28.09.26), Lark took to her Instagram page to share a picture of the actor, writing alongside it: “Knowing Dennis Haskins for almost 40 years has been one of the truest blessings of my life, which makes losing him hurt so deeply.
“We shared so much history together from our earliest days, and through it all, he remained a fabulous person, a loyal friend, and someone with such a kind, gentle heart.
“I am truly heartbroken by his passing and will miss his warmth and laughter more than words can say. Rest in peace, Dennis, you will always hold a special place in my heart.”
Dennis’ passing was confirmed by his agent Jay Schacher, who said in a statement: “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. He always had time for them, no matter what.
“He was my client and dear friend for over 20 years, and I will miss him terribly. I’m heartbroken.”
A cause of death wasn’t made public, but Dennis suffered from Parkinson’s Disease, the Dimples Karaoke Bar in Burbank, California, revealed in their tribute on Instagram, as they said he kept quiet about the diagnosis around eight years ago because he “did not want the attention”.
They added: “He did not want to have to tell people. He would say, ‘What do I even say?’ So I respected his wishes and stayed quiet, and I helped him through his journey into the next chapter of his life.”
The karaoke bar added that Dennis had been such a “staple” at the establishment that multiple people mistakenly assumed he owned it.
The tribute, which revealed Dennis had died on September 27, continued: “He just loved the place and its people. He enjoyed singing for people, meeting them, and taking selfies with his fans.
“Dimples closed down about 11 years ago, and people still associate him with his beloved ‘second home.’
“He was known to most as Mr. Belding from Saved by the Bell, but to us, he was much more than that.
“What a cool and amazing life he had. Rest in peace, Dennis. You were very much loved and will never be forgotten.”
Dennis made his screen debut on The Dukes of Hazzard back in 1976, but it was his role in Saved by the Bell that he became famous for – along with his character’s catchphrase “Hey, hey, hey, what is going on here?”.
His final outing as Principal Belding came in 2015, when he joined Saved by the Bell co-stars Tiffani Thiessen, Mario Lopez, Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Elizabeth Berkley in a sketch on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
