A beloved principal has left us. Actor Dennis Haskins, best known for playing Principal Richard Belding on the hit sitcom Saved by the Bell, has passed away at age 75.His agent, Jay Schacher, confirmed Dennis Haskins’ death. In a statement, Schacher said it’s a “tragic loss.” Haskins’ cause of death has not been released.“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,” Jay Schachter said.

Born November 18, 1950, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Dennis Haskins found his passion for acting early on. He attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he wrote for the student newspaper and performed in campus productions.According to his university biography, he helped found a community theater group called The Harlequins.At first, however, Dennis Haskins entered another line of business. He worked in the music business as a music manager, agent, and concert promoter. His IMDb biography notes that some of his clients included Gregg Allman and Tom Jones.But acting became Dennis Haskins’ main line of work, most notably through Saved by the Bell. He became a familiar face to millions of ’90s TV fans as Principal Richard Belding, a role he played across three different shows.