Dennis Haskins’ cause of death has been confirmed as Parkinson’s disease after the Saved by the Bell actor died on September 25 at the age of 75. Haskins, who played the relentlessly patient Principal Richard Belding, had reportedly kept his diagnosis private, including from people closest to him.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health listed Parkinson’s disease as the cause of death. According to TMZ, his death certificate also named irritable bowel syndrome, depression, hypertension and benign prostatic hyperplasia as significant medical conditions.
Haskins had been living in an assisted living facility before his death. His former wife, Sarah Quinones, said he had not told friends or relatives about his condition.
Why did Dennis Haskins hide his diagnosis?
Quinones told TMZ that Haskins had “cut off communication with close confidants” in recent years to prevent them from learning about his health. Even members of his inner circle reportedly did not know he had Parkinson’s disease.
His agent, Jay Schachter, announced the actor’s death the previous week, calling it a “tragic loss” and remembering Haskins as someone whose warmth extended well beyond his best-known television character.
“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.”
Schachter had represented Haskins for more than two decades and described him as both a client and a dear friend. “I will miss him terribly,” he added.
How Principal Belding defined his career
Haskins became widely known through Saved by the Bell, appearing as Bayside High School principal Richard Belding from 1989 to 1993. In a programme filled with elaborate teenage schemes, Belding was generally required to maintain order, or at least create the appearance that order remained an achievable goal.
He continued in the role for Saved by the Bell: The New Class, which ran from 1993 until 2000. The character remained closely associated with him long after the original series ended.
Haskins later revived Belding for cameos and comic appearances in shows including Victorious, Robot Chicken and The Tonight Show. Few fictional school administrators receive that sort of extended employment, but Mr Belding proved unusually difficult to retire.
Before Bayside, Haskins appeared as Elmo Smith in The Dukes of Hazzard, which ran from 1979 to 1985. That role helped establish his television career.
He went on to appear in dozens of programmes, including Mad Men, How I Met Your Mother and New Girl. His final screen role came in the 2020 Christmas film A Bennett Song Holiday, the sequel to the 2018 film Bennett’s Song.
Saved by the Bell cast members pay tribute
Mario Lopez, who played A.C. Slater, remembered Haskins as a lively presence away from the principal’s office.
“Heartbroken to hear about my old friend Dennis Haskins,” Lopez wrote. “He played the principal, but Dennis was the biggest kid on the SBTB set.”
Lopez said anyone who knew Haskins loved him, adding that if karaoke was available, the actor would inevitably take the microphone. He also expressed gratitude for their years of friendship, laughter and shared memories, saying Haskins would “always be part of our Bayside family.”
Lark Voorhies, who played Lisa Turtle, said she and Haskins had known each other for more than 40 years. She described him as a loyal friend with a “kind, gentle heart” and said his death “hurt deeply.”
“We shared so much history together from our earliest days, and through it all, he remained a fabulous person,” Voorhies wrote.
She added that she would miss his warmth and laughter “more than words can say,” closing her tribute by telling Haskins he would always hold a special place in her heart.
