Dennis Haskins died at 75 in Burbank, California, on Sept. 27, 2026. Elizabeth Berkley remembered the actor as a trusted adult who protected and supported the young cast of "Saved by the Bell."
Haskins died at 75 on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, in Burbank, California, according to Reuters. His agent, Jay Schachter, confirmed the death on Tuesday, Sept. 29. He said the cause had not been announced. The New York Times separately reported that Haskins' friend and caregiver Kimberly Snow confirmed his death.
Elizabeth Berkley was 15 when she began work on "Saved by the Bell." She later said Haskins gave the six young actors room to develop their identities. He also made clear that he was there when they needed him.
That support stayed with her.
Berkley played Jessie Spano on the sitcom in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She shared her tribute on Instagram and described Haskins as more than the television principal he played. To her, he was protective, caring and respectful of the young performers around him.
Berkley's connection to the story is also local for Metro Detroit readers. She is a Farmington Hills native, a community in Oakland County. Municipal information is available through the City of Farmington Hills. Her early connection to the area places a nationally known television career within a civic setting familiar to families connected with Farmington Public Schools.
Farmington Public Schools, the City of Farmington Hills and Oakland County are separate public institutions. Berkley's personal history should not be read as an official statement from any of them. The local link is her connection to the community. The remembrance itself comes from her experience with Haskins.
Former cast members have also responded to his death. Tiffany Thiessen publicly endorsed Berkley's account and called it perfectly expressed, according to Reuters.
Berkley recalls a trusted colleague
Berkley portrayed a teenager at an important point in her life. Haskins played Principal Richard Belding. Berkley said he treated the young performers as equals and respected them as working professionals. He did not dismiss them because of their age.
She remembered Haskins as a serious scene partner who cared about acting and the people around him. In her account, Mr. Belding worked because Haskins brought warmth and decency to the part. His conduct away from the camera helped shape the character's appeal.
That difference matters in a show about teenagers dealing with school and growing up. Haskins was the adult authority figure on the series. Berkley's memories also show a man who paired that authority with trust and personal care.
He made room for them.
A role that defined a television era
Haskins became best known for Principal Richard Belding. He played the character in "Good Morning, Miss Bliss" and later on NBC's "Saved by the Bell," according to Reuters. The original ensemble included Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Tiffani Thiessen, Mario Lopez, Elizabeth Berkley, Lark Voorhies and Dustin Diamond.
Berkley starred on "Saved by the Bell" for four seasons. She later returned for the reboot series that launched in 2020. Haskins' Mr. Belding remained the adult center of the show's school setting. The character could enforce the rules and offer reassurance.
The newsroom has also documented the personal side of loss in an earlier community obituary. Haskins' remembrance is rooted in the working relationship he formed with young performers who were still finding their footing in television.
The New York Times reported that Haskins had Parkinson's disease. He had lived in an assisted-living facility for about eight years before his death. That detail adds context to the public farewell, but Berkley's focus stayed on the presence he brought to the set during the cast's early years.
The set remembered him warmly.
Why Berkley's tribute stands out
Berkley's account names the things Haskins did. He respected the cast, trusted them, protected their space and remained available when they needed support. Those details give the tribute more weight than a routine farewell to a familiar television actor.
Schachter also called Haskins' death a tragic loss. He said viewers loved Mr. Belding and that Haskins deeply loved his fans. ABC News and AARP reported those comments. They support Berkley's description of a man whose warmth reached beyond the set.
Mr. Belding may be Haskins' strongest connection to viewers. Berkley's memories suggest that the character's kindness was not only an acting choice. It came from the same goodness she said the cast saw in Haskins every day.
That is why the role remains tied to the person who played it. Berkley's tribute carries more force than a standard acknowledgment of a longtime television actor.
