Dennis Button Haskins IV (November 18, 1950 – September 27, 2026) was an American actor known for his role as Principal Richard Belding in the teen sitcom Saved by the Bell, which ran from 1989 to 1993 on NBC. He then went on to star in Saved by the Bell: The New Class, which aired from 1993 to 2000. He also portrayed the role as a regular in Good Morning, Miss Bliss.
Early life
Dennis Haskins was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on November 18, 1950. He attended Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga, and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He played basketball at UTC after failing to make the team at the University of Tennessee, and he was also a member of the cheerleading squad. Haskins belonged to the Kappa Sigma fraternity. He dropped out of UTC but returned in 2015 to complete his degree in theater and speech, receiving credit for his continued work in his major field. Before beginning his acting career, Haskins appeared as a contestant on the TV game show Scrabble.
Career Television and film Before his role on Saved by the Bell, Haskins appeared on several episodes of The Dukes of Hazzard in different roles. In the pilot episode, he played a Boar's Nest patron whom Daisy thrashes after he attempts to grope her while she's working as a waitress.
Haskins, who auditioned seven times for the role of Mr. Belding, first appeared as the character in 1988's Good Morning, Miss Bliss on the Disney Channel. After a year, the show was retooled as Saved by the Bell on NBC, with Haskins being the only adult member of the regular cast. Known for the catchphrase "Hey, hey, hey, what is going on here?", he continued the role on the spinoff Saved by the Bell: The New Class until 2000. He had a brief cameo as himself in the 2006 film The Boys & Girls Guide to Getting Down.
As a guest on the March 4, 2010, episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Haskins said he was capable of bench pressing 150 pounds as a senior member of Notre Dame men's varsity basketball team.
In 2011, he actively lobbied to become a cast member on ABC's Dancing with the Stars.
He appeared in the 2014 film A Million Ways to Die in the West as a snake oil salesman at the fair.
On February 4, 2015, Haskins reunited with Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Elizabeth Berkley, Mario Lopez and Tiffani Thiessen on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where they appeared in a Saved by the Bell sketch with Fallon.
Music and other media
On August 31, 2009, Haskins released his first music album, Karaoke with Your Favorite Principal Dennis. On the album, he sings songs ranging from "Piano Man" to "Mustang Sally", the latter being a duet with Hulk Hogan's daughter Brooke Hogan. The CD was recorded in the summer of 2009 at Mikron Studios in South Pittsburg, Tennessee, with Mike Headrick. Cody McCarver produced the project, and Mike Yarworth financed it. In 2010, Haskins appeared in the video for "See You in Shell" by experimental metalcore band Iwrestledabearonce, which parodied Saved by the Bell and films by John Hughes.
Haskins was also a fan of professional wrestling and WWE. He appeared in multiple episodes of Z! True Long Island Story, a YouTube series by WWE professional wrestler Zack Ryder. He was also friends with former Los Angeles Dodgers pitching coach Rick Honeycutt.
On July 14, 2016, Haskins performed on stage with the 1990s-themed band, Saved by the 90s, in Toledo, Ohio, at a Toledo Mud Hens minor league baseball game.
He appeared in the music video for DJ Lubel's "The Women of LA" along with other former stars of the '90s Jaleel White and Pauly Shore.
Haskins appeared in the music video for Dirty Heads' "Vacation", where he is seen in an empty high school lip‑syncing to the entire track.
He also appeared in the music video for Khalid's "Young Dumb & Broke", playing a principal making an end‑of‑year announcement over the school's intercom.
Death Haskins died in Burbank, California, on September 27, 2026, at the age of 75. Reports noted he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease eight years earlier. Following his death, former Saved by the Bell cast members Mario Lopez, Tiffani Thiessen, Lark Voorhies, Elizabeth Berkley, and Leanna Creel shared memories and tributes of Haskins on social media. He was also remembered by his longtime agent, Jay Schachter, and his caretaker Kimberly Snow. Snow was a former bartender at Dimples, a karaoke bar in Burbank that Haskins frequented.
Filmography Year Title Role 1979–1985 The Dukes of Hazzard Elmo Smith / Gate Guard (uncredited) / Charlie Watkins / Moss 1979–1983 Archie Bunker's Place Workman 1983 Hardcastle and McCormick: "Rolling Thunder" Cop #1 1986 Magnum, P.I.: "Autumn Warrior" Del Haynes 1987 Good Morning, Miss Bliss Mr. Richard Belding 1988 Hiroshima Maiden Hal Latimer 1989–1993 Saved by the Bell Principal Richard Belding 1990 The Image Steven Fish 1991 Eyewitness to Murder Dr. Baldwin 1992 Saved by the Bell: Hawaiian Style Mr. Richard Belding 1993 Saved by the Bell: The College Years Mr. Richard Belding (guest) 1993–2000 Saved by the Bell: The New Class Principal Richard Belding 1994 Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas Mr. Richard Belding 1998 Figure It Out: Family Style Himself (panelist) 1999 The Boy with the X-Ray Eyes Boyd Russell 2001 The Practice Psychiatrist 2001 18 Laura's Dad 2001 The West Wing: "Bartlet for America" C.E.O. Donor #2 2001 Max Keeble's Big Move Mr. Kohls 2002 The Stoneman Dean Hendricks 2002 An Ordinary Killer Ronald Smith 2003 Dismembered 2003 Going Down Uncle Frank 2003 Red Water Captain Dale Landry 2003 Tangy Guacamole Toss Honeycut 2003 7th Heaven: "Stand Up" Traffic Officer 2004 An Ordinary Killer Ronald Smith 2004 Dead End Road Mr. Makepiece 2004 JAG Airport Security S-1 2005 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Coach Murray 2005 Wild Michigan Sheriff Folgar 2005 The Treasure of Painted Forest Sheriff Thomas 2006 The Boys & Girls Guide to Getting Down Himself 2007 Revamped Satanist #2 2007 Sweep the Leg Pizza Store Owner / Dad 2008 Ratko: The Dictator's Son Dean Sitlong 2008 Ocean of Pearls Dr. Shultz 2008 Robot Chicken Jigsaw / Mr. Belding / Judge 2008 Private High Musical Mr. Johnson 2008 Stacy's Mom Professor Wood 2008 Creative Differences Tom 2008 The Legend of Awesomest Maximus Father Jay 2009 Acting School Academy Martin DeWitt 2010 Men of a Certain Age Terry's Landlord 2010 "See You in Shell" (music video by iwrestledabearonce) 2010 Neighborhood Watch Principal Gibbous 2011–2013 Z! True Long Island Story Himself / Mr. Belding 2012 Victorious Mr. Belding 2012 Mad Men Cool Whip Test Kitchen Scientist 2012 How I Met Your Mother Judge #2 2013 The JBL and Cole Show Himself 2014 A Million Ways to Die in the West Snake Oil Salesman 2014 New Girl Santa 2015 Up on the Wooftop Santa Claus 2015 Hot in Cleveland Reverend Bower 2015 The Tonight Show Mr. Richard Belding 2017 Holly, Jingles and Clyde Santa Claus 2018 Bennett's Song Gpa Sam Bennett 2019 Abstruse Senator Stevens 2019 Enigma Bob Jenkins 2019 Clemency Mr. Collins 2020 A Bennett Song Holiday GPA Sam Bennett
Awards Haskins was honored with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's Distinguished Alumni Award in 2000 and has a regional high school academic decathlon named after him, The Dennis Haskins Open.
References
External links
Dennis Haskins at The New York Times 2003 Interview with Dennis Haskins Review of a college performance by Haskins.