Dennis Haskins

Dennis Haskins (born November 18, 1950) is an American actor best known for his iconic role as Principal Richard Belding on the teen sitcom Saved by the Bell, which aired from 1989 to 1993 on NBC and later continued on the spin‑off Saved by the Bell: The New Class until 2000. Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, he attended Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Notre Dame High School, and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he played varsity basketball and participated in cheerleading before joining the Kappa Sigma fraternity. After a brief stint as a contestant on game shows such as Press Your Luck and Scrabble, Haskins broke into television with small roles on The Dukes of Hazzard before landing the Belding character in the Disney Channel pilot Good Morning, Miss Bliss in 1988, which was re‑tooled into the NBC series a year later, making him the only adult regular in the ensemble. His catchphrase “Hey, hey, hey, what is going on here?” became a cultural touchstone, and he later cameoed as himself in the 2006 comedy The Boys & Girls Guide to Getting Down. Beyond acting, Haskins pursued music, releasing the karaoke‑style album Karaoke with Your Favorite Principal Dennis in 2009, and appeared in music videos for bands such as Iwrestledabearonce, Dirty Heads, and Khalid. He remains active in fan events, has lobbied for a spot on Dancing with the Stars, and splits his time between Los Angeles and Winthrop, Massachusetts, while being honored as the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Most Distinguished Alumni of 2000 and lending his name to a regional high‑school academic decathlon. His career, spanning over four decades, showcases a versatile performer who has embraced both nostalgic nostalgia and contemporary media. He has one child, a daughter, and although his marital history is private, he is listed without a publicly known spouse. Haskins also made guest appearances on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and Mad Men, demonstrating his willingness to parody his own legacy. A longtime fan of professional wrestling, he has collaborated with WWE personalities and appeared in Zack Ryder’s YouTube series Z! True Long Island Story.