Dustin Diamond, the actor best known for portraying Samuel “Screech” Powers on the hit 90s sitcom “Saved by the Bell,” has died after a battle with lung cancer. He was 44.
Roger Paul, a spokesman for Diamond, confirmed his death to The Associated Press: “Dustin did not suffer. He did not have to lie submerged in pain. For that, we are grateful.”
Diamond was one of the original cast members of the series “Good Morning, Miss Bliss,” the series that served as the predecessor to “Saved by the Bell.”
“Good Morning, Miss Bliss” was developed by NBC and ultimately aired on Disney Channel; it was canceled after poor ratings, but NBC re-tooled the show to focus on making the show’s teens the main characters, which became “Saved by the Bell.”
“Saved by the Bell” was a hit for NBC, and is still popular, spawning multiple spin-offs, TV movies, and even a sequel series for NBC’s streaming series, Peacock.
The sequel features a number of original cast members, including Mario Lopez, Tiffani Thiessen, and Mark-Paul Gosselaar; Diamond was not included in the series.
Some of Diamond’s fellow “Saved by the Bell” cast members took to social media to memorialize him.
Thiessen, who played Kelly Kapowski, wrote on Instagram, “Life is extremely fragile and it’s something we should never take for granted. God speed Dustin.”
Lopez, who portrayed A.C. Slater, said Diamond “will be missed.”
“The fragility of this life is something never to be taken for granted,” Lopez wrote. “Prayers for your family will continue on.”
Diamond also appeared in some of the show’s spin-offs, including “Saved by the Bell: The College Years” and “Saved by the Bell: The New Class,” as well as some reality series, including “Celebrity Fit Club,” and “Celebrity Boxing 2.”
Diamond was sued several times for delinquent taxes and in foreclosure proceedings for missing mortgage payments. He has appeared on reality TV shows, made a sex tape and produced a tell-all documentary on Lifetime TV called “The Unauthorized Saved by the Bell Story.” In 2015, he was sentenced to serve four months in jail for his part in a Wisconsin barroom stabbing.
The Associated Press contributed to this update.
