Elizabeth Berkley pays tribute to TV principal Dennis Haskins
Dennis Haskins poses for photos at a "Saved by the Bell" popup event on May 1, 2018, in West Hollywood, Calif. Credit: Getty Images / TNS / Rodin Eckenroth
DETROIT — Elizabeth Berkley, who played Jessie Spano on TV's "Saved by the Bell," is paying tribute to her television principal, Dennis Haskins.
Haskins, who played Mr. Belding on the beloved late '80s/ early '90s teenage sitcom, died on Sept. 27 at age 75.
"I started 'Saved by the Bell' when I was 15 years old. We were six teenagers at such a formative and impressionable time in our lives," Berkley wrote on Instagram.
"Dennis was kind, protective and deeply caring. He gave us space to be ourselves and to figure out who we were becoming, while always making us feel that he was there if we needed him.
"He treated us as equals, as the professionals that we were," the "Showgirls" star wrote. "He respected and trusted us. He was an incredible scene partner who cared deeply about the craft, the work, and about us. You could feel it in the way he showed up, both as an actor and as a person.
"Mr. Belding couldn't have been anyone else," said Berkley. "So much of what made him so loved came from Dennis's inherent goodness, the same goodness we were lucky enough to receive and be around every day."
Among the comments on the post was "Saved by the Bell" castmate Tiffani Thiessen, who wrote "perfectly said friend."
Berkley, 54, starred on "Saved By the Bell" for four seasons. She also appeared in the show's reboot series, which launched in 2020.
