Lark Voorhies from Saved by the Bell Remembers Co-Star Dennis Haskins
Saved by the Bell star Lark Voorhies was the first to speak out following the passing of her late co-star Dennis Haskins.
“Having known Dennis Haskins for nearly 40 years has been one of the greatest blessings in my life, making his loss feel even more profound,” the 52-year-old actress shared in an Instagram post late on Monday, September 28.
Voorhies added, “We have a rich history together from our early days, and throughout everything, he was an amazing individual, a steadfast friend, and a man with a truly gentle heart. I am genuinely heartbroken by his departure and will miss his warmth and laughter more than I can express. Rest peacefully, Dennis; you will always occupy a cherished place in my heart.”
Voorhies portrayed the pampered student Lisa Turtle on the beloved NBC sitcom, which aired from 1989 to 1993, showcasing the lives of a group of students at the fictional Bayside High School. She was part of the show’s core group of teenage actors alongside Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Mario Lopez, the late Dustin Diamond, Tiffany Thiessen, and Elizabeth Berkley.
Haskins was best recognized for his role as Principal Richard Belding, a character he first introduced on the brief Disney Channel series Good Morning, Miss Bliss, and continued in Saved by the Bell: The New Class, which ran from 1993 to 2000.
His representative confirmed Haskins’ passing at the age of 75 in a statement to Us on Monday.
“It’s a heartbreaking loss,” his spokesperson noted. “Everyone adored Mr. Belding and those of us who had the privilege of knowing Dennis loved him even more.”
“[Dennis] was an incredible individual who absolutely adored his fans,” his representative told Us. “He always made time for them, no matter the circumstances. I had the privilege of being his manager and a close friend for over two decades, and I will miss him profoundly. My heart is shattered.”
Phillip Faraone/WireImage; Al Zeta/Getty Images Mark-Paul Gosselaar reflects on some of the choices made by his character, Zack Morris, in the teen sitcom. “One particular storyline involved my character essentially exploiting Lisa Turtle [played by Lark Voorhies] by charging people to kiss her without her consent,” […]
“While working on Good Morning, Miss Bliss, I was just thankful to have a job. It was a long process with seven auditions,” Haskins recounted to Parade in 2013. “There were moments I thought I was in, I thought I was out, and then finally at the last moment, I secured the role. We were just relieved to be working. We didn’t consider how long the project might last.”
“One day, [producer] Peter Engel came onto the stage and announced, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, Disney has opted not to proceed with the project. There’s a slight chance ABC might pick it up, but I wanted to thank everyone.’ Shortly after, I started hearing different news. A prop guy approached me and said, ‘Hey, Dennis. They just told us to save the sets.’ That’s when I learned I would continue on to Saved by the Bell because NBC had acquired the rights to four characters, guided by the wardrobe assistant giving me a thumbs up and saying, ‘They instructed us to save your outfits.’”
