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Gosselaar: Haskins Was a Protective Big Brother
31 Oct
Summary
- Haskins treated young castmates with genuine respect, like a big brother.
- Gosselaar reached out to Haskins but received no response in recent years.
- Haskins' kindness and steady presence are remembered by former co-stars.
Mark-Paul Gosselaar shared warm memories of his late Saved by the Bell co-star, Dennis Haskins. Gosselaar described Haskins, who played Principal Belding, as a protective older brother figure rather than a disciplinarian. Haskins consistently treated the young actors with genuine respect, fostering a safe environment on set throughout the show's run from 1989 to 1993.
While castmates like Tiffani Thiessen and Mario Lopez also paid tribute to Haskins following his passing at age 75, Gosselaar revealed he had attempted to reconnect with him in recent years. However, Haskins did not respond to these outreach efforts, which Gosselaar believes was his way of not burdening others.
Gosselaar is now partnering with AstraZeneca for the 'Meet Your Mark' campaign, using his iconic 'timeout' gesture to encourage cancer patients to discuss biomarker testing with their doctors.
