Saved by the Bell’s Lark Voorhies is the first cast member to react to the death of late costar Dennis Haskins.
“Knowing Dennis Haskins for almost 40 years has been one of the truest blessings of my life, which makes losing him hurt so deeply,” the actress, 52, wrote via Instagram late Monday, September 28.
Voorhies continued, “We shared so much history together from our earliest days, and through it all, he remained a fabulous person, a loyal friend, and someone with such a kind, gentle heart. I am truly heartbroken by his passing and will miss his warmth and laughter more than words can say. Rest in peace, Dennis, you will always hold a special place in my heart.”
Voorhies played spoiled student Lisa Turtle on the hit NBC sitcom, which aired between 1989 and 1993, and followed a group of students at the fictional Bayside High School. She was among the show’s core teenage cast, starring alongside Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Mario Lopez, the late Dustin Diamond, Tiffany Thiessen and Elizabeth Berkley.
Haskins was best known for playing Principal Richard Belding, a role he originated on the short-lived Disney Channel series Good Morning, Miss Bliss, on the hit show. He reprised the role in Saved by the Bell: The New Class, which aired from 1993 to 2000.
Haskins’ representative confirmed the actor’s death at age 75 in a statement to Us on Monday.
“It’s a tragic loss,” his spokesperson said. “Everyone loved Mr. Belding and those of us who got to know Dennis loved him even more.”
“[Dennis] was a great person, and he loved, I mean absolutely LOVED his fans,” his rep told Us. “He always had time for them, no matter what. He was my client and dear friend for over 20 years, and I will miss him terribly. I’m heartbroken.”
“On Good Morning, Miss Bliss, I was just glad to have a job. It was a long seven-audition process,” Haskins told Parade in 2013. “I was in. I was out. And then, finally at the last minute, I got it. We were just happy to be working. We weren’t thinking in terms of how long we were going to go.”
“One day [producer] Peter Engel came on the stage and said, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, Disney has chosen not to go on with the project. There’s a slight chance ABC will do something, but I just wanted to thank everybody.’ And then I started hearing things,” he recalled. “The prop guy came up to me and said, ‘Hey, Dennis. They just told us to save the sets.’ I found out that I was going on to Saved by the Bell because NBC had bought the rights to four characters, by the wardrobe guy telling me, ‘They told me to save your suits,’ and giving me a big thumbs up.”
